James Patrick Keane (January 11, 1924 – March 8, 2011) was a professional

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played seven seasons for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

(1946–1951) and the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

(1952). Keane, who was born in

Bellaire, Ohio Bellaire is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Belmont County, Ohio, Belmont County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area, and Wheeling is across the Ohio ...

, remains the only player in Bears history to lead the team in receptions for four straight seasons, something he accomplished by catching a league-leading 64 passes in 1947, 30 in 1948, 47 in 1949 and 36 in 1950. When he left the Bears following the 1951 season, Keane was the franchise’s all-time leader with 206 receptions and ranked second behind

Ken Kavanaugh Kenneth William Kavanaugh (November 23, 1916 – January 25, 2007) was an American football player, coach, and scout. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears as an end from 1940 to 1950, except for ...

with 3,031 receiving yards. Keane still holds the Bears record for most receptions in a game. He set the mark by catching 14 passes in a 35–28 road loss to the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

on October 23, 1949. Keane died in his city on March 8, 2011 in

Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest ...

at the age of 87.

References

1924 births 2011 deaths American football defensive ends American football ends Chicago Bears players Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football players Green Bay Packers players Iowa Hawkeyes football players Northwestern Wildcats football players People from Bellaire, Ohio Sportspeople from Wheeling, West Virginia Players of American football from Ohio {{widereceiver-1920s-stub