Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American football quarterback who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his 12 seasons with the Bears, he led them to four NFL championships in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946.
Luckman, circa 1950 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 42 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | November 21, 1916 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died: | July 5, 1998 (aged 81) Aventura, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 197 lb (89 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, New York) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Columbia (1936–1938) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1939 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As a coach: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As an administrator: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sportswriter Ira Berkow wrote that Luckman was "the first great T-formation quarterback", and he is considered the greatest long-range passer of his time. He was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1943. Luckman was also a 3× NFL All-Star (1940–1942), 5× First-team All-Pro (1941–1944, 1947), 2× Second-team All-Pro (1940, 1946), 3× NFL passing yards leader (1943, 1945, and 1946), 3× NFL passing touchdowns leader (1943, 1945, and 1946), 3× NFL passer rating leader (1941, 1943, and 1946), named to the NFL 1940s All-Decade team, had his No. 42 retired by the Bears, and tied the NFL record of 7 touchdown passes in a game. To date, Luckman still holds the all-time NFL record for touchdown percentage, at 7.9 percent.
Luckman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965, and in 1988 he was declared a joint winner of the Walter Camp Distinguished American Award. Following his retirement from playing, Luckman continued his association with football by tutoring college coaches, focusing on the passing aspect of the game.