George Ralph Mrkonic (December 17, 1929 – May 23, 2011) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the BC Lions.
| No. 72 | |||||
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| Position: | Tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | December 17, 1929 McKeesport, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||
| Died: | May 23, 2011 (aged 81) Merriam, Kansas, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | McKeesport (PA) | ||||
| College: | Kansas | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1953 / round: 4 / pick: 45 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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College career
editMrkonic played college football at the University of Kansas from 1950 to 1952. During that period, the Jayhawks had a 21–9 record.[1] They finished 8–2 in 1951, the year he was selected as an All-American. Mrkonic was selected on the all-conference team in 1950 and 1951. He was also the punter for the Jayhawks, and led Kansas in punting stats in 1951.[1]
Professional career
editMrkonic was drafted in the fourth round (45th overall) in the 1953 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and played ten games with them that season.[2] In 1956, he tried the Canadian Football League, playing only one game with the BC Lions.[1] He later retired and moved to Shawnee Mission Kansas, where he lived with his wife Ruth. He had six grandchildren.
Death
editMrkonic died in Kansas City, Kansas, the week of May 22, 2011 after a lengthy battle with cancer.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c "KU All-Americans". KUSports. Archived from the original on March 5, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- ^ "1953 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ "Kansas Football Legend George Mrkonic Passes Away". KUAthletics. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2011.