Edwin Elswin "Bud" Grain III (February 25, 1922 – October 6, 1984) was an American football player who played at the guard position. He played college football for Penn Quakers football in 1942 and 1946 and professional football for the New York Yankees in

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

and the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from its founding in 1953 to 1984. The team now plays in Indianapolis, as the Indianapolis Colts. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breed ...

and

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

Early life

A native of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

, he attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (BPI). He was a star athlete in wrestling, lacrosse, and football while at BPI. He was selected as an All-Maryland three consecutive seasons and at three different positions (tackle, guard, and fullback).

College football and military service

He attended the University of Pennsylvania where he played college football for the Penn Quakers football team in 1942 and also wrestled in the heavyweight class. During World War II, he served as a captain in the Army Air Forces and flew over 50 missions as a B-24 navigator in the Pacific Theatre. He was involved in two crash landings and also was hit in the back with flak. After the war, he was selected as the captain of the

1946 Penn Quakers football team The 1946 Penn Quakers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pennsylvania in the Ivy League during the 1946 college football season. In its ninth season under head coach George Munger, the team compiled a ...

Professional football

He was selected by the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

in the seventh round (46th overall pick) of the

1947 NFL draft The 1947 National Football League Draft was held on December 16, 1946, at the Commodore Hotel in New York City, New York. The National Football League in this draft made the first overall pick, a bonus pick determined by lottery. The Chicago B ...

. He opted instead to play in the

All-America Football Conference The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the ...

(AAFC) for the New York Yankees in

. In late September 1947, he was purchased by the

. He played for the Colts during their

and 1948 seasons. He appeared in a total of 23 AAFC games, three as a starter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grain, Ed 1922 births 1984 deaths New York Yankees (AAFC) players Baltimore Colts (1947–1950) players Penn Quakers football players Players of American football from Baltimore