Sidney "Sid" Luckman

Sidney “Sid” Luckman was born on November 21, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish immigrants from Germany, Meyer and Ethel Luckman. His father sparked his interest in football at age eight when he gave Sid his first football.

Luckman  played both baseball and football for Erasmus Hall High School. Playing quarterback, he led the Erasmus Hall High School football team to two all-city championships attracting the attention of college recruiters.

In 1936, Luckman’s father was found guilty of second-degree murder after beating his wife’s brother to death.

Luckman chose Columbia University after meeting Lions coach Lou Little during a Columbia/Navy game at the university’s Baker Field athletic facility. Luckman was not admitted to Columbia College; instead, he attended the New College for the Education of Teachers, an undergraduate school, which was within Teachers College at Columbia. He competed on the football team from 1936 until the New College closed in 1939, at which point he transferred to Columbia College. Keen to remain in Columbia to stay close to his family, he took on jobs such as dishwashing, baby-sitting, and messenger delivery around the campus.

Teams used a single-wing formation in which the quarterback was primarily a blocking back and rarely touched the ball. Most passing was done by the tailback. As Columbia’s tailback, Luckman completed 180 of 376 passes for 2,413 yards and 20 touchdowns. After leading Columbia to an upset victory over Army, he was featured on the cover of the Oct. 24, 1938, issue of Life magazine. He was named to the All-America team in l937 and 1938 and finished third in the 1938 Heisman Trophy voting.

Chicago Bears owner and coach George Halas believed Luckman had the ability to become an effective T-formation quarterback and traveled to New York to watch him play. Halas then convinced the Pittsburgh Pirates (later the Steelers) to draft Luckman second overall and then trade him to the Bears. Luckman, however, was not interested in pro football and went to work for his father-in-law’s trucking company. Halas was determined to change his mind and offered him a contract for $5,500 ($97,900 today), which Luckman signed.

At that time, the forward pass was rarely used, which explains why Luckman only through 376 passes in his career at Columbia. Halas, however, came up with a new offense which featured a passing quarterback. With Luckman at the helm, the offense revolutionized football.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame biography of Luckman notes that “Sid was not an instant success. He fumbled frequently, had trouble with handoffs, and in general flunked his first T test. Halas shifted Luckman to halfback for a while before making another effort, which, on the second try, paid dividends.”

In 1940, during his second season with the Bears, Luckman took over the offense and led the Bears to the title game against the Washington Redskins, who had beaten the Bears 7–3, during the regular season. The Bears, however, routed the Redskins 73–0 in the championship with Luckman passing only six times, completing four for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Following the 1943 season, Luckman volunteered for the Merchant Marine. He was stationed stateside and, while he could not practice with the team, he received permission to play for the Bears on game days. He returned to football full-time in 1946 and led the Bears to a fifth NFL title.

From 1940 to 1946, the Bears played in five NFL championship games, winning four, and posted a 54–17–3 regular season record. In 1942, the Bears posted a perfect 11–0 record and outscored their opponents 376–84 before losing the championship game to the Redskins.

In 1943, 13.9% of Luckman’s passes resulted in touchdowns, the best ever in a single season, and his 10.9 yards per attempt is second all-time. During one game that year, Luckman threw for seven touchdowns, a single game record that has been equaled but never broken. That game also marked the first time a quarterback threw for 400 yards. His 28 touchdown passes during the 10-game season in 1943 stood as the record until 1959 when the season was extended to 12 games.

In his twelve-year career (1939-1950), Luckman completed 904 of 1,744 passes, for 14,686 yards (8.42 yards per pass), and 137 touchdowns. He led the NFL in yards per attempt an NFL record seven times, including a record five consecutive years from 1939 to 1943, and led the NFL in passing yards three times. Luckman was a five-time All-Pro selection and was named the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player in 1943. He also played on defense throughout his career.

Luckman’s mastery of the new T-formation system helped “open up” and popularize professional football. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and, in 1988, named the co- winner of the Walter Camp Distinguished American Award. He is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. The Chicago Bears retired his number 42.

Following his retirement, Luckman became a successful salesman, business executive and investor. He continued his association with football by tutoring college coaches.

Luckman wrote in his biography, “I was the luckiest guy who ever played football. I came along at the right time, under a great coach with a great team. Our only thought was to win for each other, for the glory of the team.

He died in 1998 at the age of 81. His gravestone in Skokie, IL, reads, “I had it all. I did it all. I loved it all.”

Sources: International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame;
“Sid Luckman,” Wikipedia;
NFL Hall of Fame;
“Sid Luckman,” Pro Football Reference;
Richard Babcock, “‘Tough Luck’ Review: Keeping Mum About Dad,” Wall Street Journal, (September 4, 2019).