Red Conkright
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William Franklin Conkright (April 17, 1914 – October 27, 1980), known more commonly by the nickname Red, was an
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 wi ...
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
and
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 ...
who played eight seasons 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) and was later the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for part of the 1962 season. Conkright was born in Oklahoma and attended the
University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...
, where he was a star center on the school's
football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all-s ...
. He was the captain of the Sooners team in 1936 and was named to a first-team all-
Big Six Conference The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Associat ...
squad. Conkright was drafted in 1937 by the NFL's Chicago Bears. He played two seasons for the Bears, serving mainly as a backup center and occasionally playing as an end. The
Cleveland Rams The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team that played in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945. The Rams competed in the second American Football League (AFL) for the 1936 season and the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to 19 ...
bought the rights to Conkright in 1939, and he stayed with the team through the 1942 season. He played for the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
and Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943 before returning to the Rams briefly in 1944. Following his retirement as a player, Conkright began a career as a coach. He scouted and coached for the Rams in 1944 and 1945, and moved to the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
of the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946. He worked as an assistant coach for two more AAFC teams in the late 1940s. Conkright was hired as an assistant at
Mississippi State College Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...
in 1950, spending two seasons in the position. After a five-year hiatus from coaching, he returned as an assistant for the
University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the university in Texas with over 47,000 students. Its campus, which is primarily in s ...
's football team. He got his first head coaching job in 1959 at Stephen F. Austin State University. In 1962, Conkright was hired as an assistant coach and director of player personnel by the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League. The team's head coach,
Marty Feldman Martin Alan Feldman (8 July 1934 – 2 December 1982) was a British actor, comedian and comedy writer. He was known for his prominent, misaligned eyes. He initially gained prominence as a writer with Barry Took on the ITV sitcom ''Boot ...
, was fired in the middle of the season and Conkright replaced him. Conkright's Raiders, however, managed to win just one game that year, and he was replaced in 1963 by Al Davis. Conkright went on to work for two years as an assistant with the
Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
.


Early years

Conkright was born in
Beggs, Oklahoma Beggs is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,321 at the 2010 census. Beggs was named for C.H. Beggs, vice president of the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Railway. History Starting as a Frisco railroad s ...
and went to a high school in
Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, where he was a football star. He was nicknamed "Red" because of his red hair.


College and professional career

Conkright attended the
University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...
and played varsity college football during the 1934, 1935, and 1936 seasons. He was the team's captain as a senior in 1936, and was named a first-team All-
Big Six Conference The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Associat ...
center. Conkright was missed when he graduated;
sportswriter Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
Federick Ware wrote in the 1937 edition of ''Football Illustrated Annual'' that "finding a center to replace the great Red Conkright" would be one of Sooners head coach Tom Stidham's "main headaches." Conkright was selected in the fifth round of the 1937 draft by the Chicago Bears of 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 was a third-string center for the Bears behind
Frank Bausch Frank Joseph "Pete" Bausch (June 14, 1908 – April 6, 1976) was an American football center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Boston Redskins, the Chicago Bears, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the Univer ...
and Frank Sullivan with the Bears, and saw little action in the two years he played for the team. He was, however, occasionally used as an
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 his first season. Conkright was sold to the
Cleveland Rams The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team that played in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945. The Rams competed in the second American Football League (AFL) for the 1936 season and the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to 19 ...
ahead of the 1939 season in a cash deal that did not involve any other players. He became the regular starter at center for the Rams midway through 1939, replacing
Chuck Cherundolo Charles James Cherundolo, Jr. (August 8, 1916 – December 22, 2012) was an American football player and coach. He played center and linebacker for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Rams, Philadelphia Eagles an ...
. The Rams finished the season with a 5–5–1 win-loss-tie record under coach
Dutch Clark Earl Harry "Dutch" Clark (October 11, 1906 – August 5, 1978), sometimes also known as the "Flying Dutchman" and the "Old Master", was an American football player and coach, basketball player and coach, and university athletic director. He gaine ...
. Conkright broke his leg in the second game of the 1940 season and sat out the rest of the year. In October, he married his girlfriend Imogene, who he met at the University of Oklahoma and with whom he had a four-month-old son. Conkright came back to play full seasons for the Rams in 1941 and 1942. He split the 1943 season between the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers and the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. Conkright returned to the Rams in 1944 and was expected to be used as a regular left end. He saw action in only one game, however, his final appearance in the NFL. He was then placed on the inactive list and converted into an assistant coach and scout for the Rams.


Coaching career

Conkright remained with the Rams through the 1945 season, when the team won the NFL championship. Rams owner
Dan Reeves Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an ...
moved the team to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
after the season, but Conkright decided to stay in Cleveland, where he and his family lived. He took a job as a scout and coach for the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
, a team that was to start play in 1946 in the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Conkright was joined by five former Rams players who switched to the Browns when the Rams moved, including center
Mike Scarry Michael Joseph “Mo” Scarry (February 1, 1920 – September 9, 2012) was an American football player and coach. He grew up in Pennsylvania, and played football in college at Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania and went on to join t ...
, tackle
Chet Adams Chester Frank Adams (October 24, 1915 – October 27, 1990) was a professional American football tackle and placekicker who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC), mainly with the Cl ...
and backs Gaylon Smith,
Tommy Colella Thomas Anthony Colella (July 3, 1918May 15, 1992) was an American football halfback and punter in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Rams, Cleveland Browns and Buffa ...
and Don Greenwood. Before the 1946 season started, Reeves sought an injunction in federal court to prevent Adams from signing with the Browns and force the tackle to honor his contract with the Rams. Adams argued that his contract described a team in Cleveland, and the move to Los Angeles invalidated it. Then acting as an agent for the Rams, Conkright had signed Adams to a new contract in October 1945. Conkright was named as a defendant in the suit, which was decided in August in Adams's favor. Conkright spent a year as Cleveland's end and center coach under head coach
Paul Brown Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 – August 5, 1991) was an American football coach and executive in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). Brown was both the co-founder and first coach of the Clevela ...
as the team won the 1946 AAFC championship. While with the Browns, he coached ends
Mac Speedie Mac Curtis Speedie (January 12, 1920 – March 5, 1993) was an American football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL) for seven years before joining the Saskat ...
and future
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
member
Dante Lavelli Dante Bert Joseph "Gluefingers" Lavelli (February 23, 1923 – January 20, 2009) was an American professional football player who was an end for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League ...
, who he praised for his "uncanny way of getting into the open" to receive passes from
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). Graha ...
. Conkright signed as an end and center coach for the AAFC's Buffalo Bills in April 1947. In moving to the Bills, he rejoined Tom Stidham, his old head coach at Oklahoma. Stidham was working as the Bills' line coach. Conkright convinced the Bills to put into place Brown's version of the
T formation In American football, a T formation (frequently called the full house formation in modern usage, sometimes the Robust T) is a Formation (American football), formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about ...
offense, and the team improved in the 1947 and 1948 seasons. The Bills advanced to the 1948 AAFC championship, but lost the game to the Browns. Conkright was hired as an assistant coach by the Baltimore Colts in 1949, and spent one season with the team. He took a job as an end and center coach for
Mississippi State College Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...
in 1950 and spent two seasons there. After five years away from football, Conkright in 1957 became a defensive line coach at the
University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the university in Texas with over 47,000 students. Its campus, which is primarily in s ...
. Two years later, he was named the head football coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in
Nacogdoches, Texas Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchito ...
. In three seasons as coach there, his football team did not have a winning season and posted an overall win-loss-tie record of 6–25–1. Conkright resigned as Austin's head coach late in November 1961. The following April, he was hired by the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) as defensive line coach and director of player personnel on the staff of head coach
Marty Feldman Martin Alan Feldman (8 July 1934 – 2 December 1982) was a British actor, comedian and comedy writer. He was known for his prominent, misaligned eyes. He initially gained prominence as a writer with Barry Took on the ITV sitcom ''Boot ...
. Following a 2–10 season in 1961, the Raiders opened the 1962 season with five straight losses, leading to Feldman's dismissal and his replacement by Conkright as interim head coach on October 16, 1962. The Raiders finished the season with a 1–13 record under Conkright, and he was replaced in January 1963 by Al Davis. After his firing by the Raiders, Conkright joined the coaching staff of the AFL's
Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
. He was an assistant for the Oilers in 1963 and 1964.


Death

Conkright died in 1980 in Houston, Texas. He was 66 years old.


Head coaching record


College


NFL


References


Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conkright, Red 1914 births 1980 deaths American football centers American football ends Baltimore Colts coaches Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players Chicago Bears players Cleveland Browns coaches Cleveland Rams coaches Cleveland Rams players Houston Cougars football coaches Houston Oilers coaches Mississippi State Bulldogs football coaches Oakland Raiders coaches Oakland Raiders head coaches Oklahoma Sooners football players Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football coaches Washington Redskins players People from Beggs, Oklahoma Sportspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma Players of American football from Oklahoma