Age: 25
1st season in pro football
College: UCLA
Height: 6’1” Weight: 200
Prelude:
Following a college career at UCLA, interrupted by a stint in the army during World War II, in which he led the Bruins to the Rose Bowl and starred in the East-West Shrine Game, Waterfield finally joined the Rams, who had chosen him in the 5th round of the 1944 NFL draft. He won the starting quarterback job during the preseason for a team that was just installing the T-formation under new Head Coach Adam Walsh.
1945 Season Summary
Appeared in all 10 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Passing
Attempts – 171 [4]
Completions – 89 [3, tied with Paul Christman]
Yards – 1609 [3]
Completion percentage – 52.0 [4]
Yards per attempt – 9.4 [1]
TD passes – 14 [1, tied with Sid Luckman]
Most TD passes, game – 3 at Chicago Cardinals 11/18
Interceptions – 17 [1]
Passer rating – 72.4 [4]
Rushing
Attempts – 18
Yards – 18
Yards per attempt – 1.0
TDs – 5
Kicking
Field goals – 1 [8, tied with Pete Gudauskas, Dave Ryan & Robert Nelson]
Field goal attempts – 3 [9, tied with Dave Ryan & Joe Kuharich]
Percentage – 33.3
PATs – 31 [1, tied with Don Hutson]
PAT attempts – 34 [2]
Longest field goal – 28 yards vs. Chicago Bears 10/7
Punting
Punts – 39 [4]
Yards – 1585 [4]
Average – 40.6 [3]
Punts blocked – 1
Longest punt – 68 yards
Interceptions
Interceptions – 6 [2, tied with Bob Davis & Bob Margarita]
Return yards – 92 [3]
TDs – 0
Punt Returns
Returns – 2
Yards – 34
Average per return – 17.0
TDs – 0
Longest return – 18 yards
Scoring
TDs – 5 [13, tied with four others]
Field goals – 1
PATs - 31
Points – 64 [3]
Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. Washington)
Pass attempts – 14
Pass completions – 27
Passing yardage – 192
TD passes – 2
Interceptions – 2
Rushing attempts – 3
Rushing yards – -1
Average gain rushing – -0.3
Rushing TDs – 0
Punt returns – 1
Yards – 0
Average per return – 0.0
TDs – 0
Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: Joe F. Carr Trophy
1st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, Chicago Herald-American, Pro Football Illustrated, NY Daily News
2nd team All-NFL: INS
Rams went 9-1 to win Western Division. Defeated Washington Redskins (15-14) for NFL Championship.
Aftermath: Played 7 more seasons, all with the Rams, who moved to Los Angeles in 1946. Was a consensus 1st team All-Pro selection two more times, and was selected to the first two Pro Bowls. Led league in passing once, although after 1949 he split the quarterbacking with Norm Van Brocklin – an arrangement neither player liked but that proved highly effective. He also became an accomplished placekicker as well as punter, leading the NFL in field goals on three occasions and field goal percentage twice. A true all-purpose talent, Waterfield intercepted a total of 20 passes over the course of his first four seasons. His #7 was retired by the Rams and Waterfield was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.
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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).
[Updated 2/15/14]
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