Age: 24 (Oct. 10)
2nd season in pro football & with Lions
College: Georgia
Height: 5’11” Weight: 195
Prelude:
Winner of the 1942 Heisman Trophy after setting a NCAA season record for total offense (2187 yards), Sinkwich was chosen by the Lions with the first overall pick in the 1943 NFL draft. Directing the single-wing attack under new Head Coach Gus Dorais, he displayed his all-around skills as a runner, passer, and punter.
1944 Season Summary
Appeared in all 10 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Passing
Attempts – 148 [2]
Completions – 58 [5]
Yards – 1060 [3]
Completion percentage – 39.2 [6]
Yards per attempt – 7.2 [3]
TD passes – 12 [2, tied with Irv Comp]
Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. Chicago Bears 11/19
Interceptions – 20 [3]
Passer rating – 52.0 [5]
Rushing
Attempts – 150 [3]
Yards – 563 [3]
Yards per attempt – 3.8 [12]
TDs – 6 [2]
Kicking
Field goals – 2 [5, tied with Augie Lio]
Field goal attempts – 8 [2, tied with Roy Zimmerman, Joe Aguirre & Augie Lio]
Percentage – 25.0
PATs – 24 [4]
PAT attempts – 30 [4]
Longest field goal – 23 yards vs. Boston Yanks 12/3
Punting
Punts – 45 [2]
Yards – 1845
Average – 41.0 [2]
Punts blocked – 0
Longest punt – 73 yards
Interceptions
Interceptions – 3 [19, tied with fifteen others]
Return yards – 28
TDs – 0
Kickoff Returns
Returns – 6
Yards – 144 [16]
Average per return – 24.0
TDs – 0
Longest return – 31 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 11 [4, tied with Al Grygo, Ernie Steele & Ward Cuff]
Yards – 148 [4]
Average per return – 13.5 [3]
TDs – 0
Longest return – 25 yards
Scoring
TDs – 6 [8, tied with four others]
Field goals – 2
PATs - 24
Points – 66 [2]
All-purpose yards – 855 [7]
Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: Joe F. Carr Trophy
1st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, INS, Pro Football Illustrated, NY Daily News
Lions went 6-3-1 to finish in a tie for second in the NFL Western Division with the Chicago Bears – the club’s first winning record since 1939.
Aftermath:
Sinkwich went into the military and missed the 1945 season (he had originally been exempted due to flat feet), and when he returned to pro football it was with the New York Yankees of the AAFC. Having suffered a knee injury while playing football in the service, he saw little action behind tailbacks Ace Parker and Spec Sanders in ’46 and was dealt to the Baltimore Colts during the 1947 season. Ill-suited to playing T-formation quarterback, and unable to return to form from the knee injury, he finished out the year as a halfback and retired.
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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]