Age: 26 (Oct. 17)
3rd
season in pro football & with Redskins
College: St.
Mary’s (CA)
Height: 6’4” Weight: 234
Prelude:
A pioneering Hispanic
pro football player, Aguirre was chosen by the Redskins in the 11th
round of the 1941 NFL draft. He caught 10 passes and kicked two field goals and
eight extra points as a rookie. After missing the ’42 season, Aguirre came back
to catch 37 passes, which ranked second in the league, for 420 yards (11.4
avg.) and 7 TDs in 1943. He received first-team All-NFL recognition from the
New York Daily News.
1944 Season Summary
Appeared in all
10 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions –
34 [3]
Yards – 410 [6]
Average gain
– 12.1 [14]
TDs – 4 [7,
tied with four others]
Kicking
Field goals –
4 [2, tied with Roy Zimmerman]
Most field
goals, game – 2 at NY Giants 12/3
Field goal
attempts – 8 [2, tied with Roy Zimmerman, Frank Sinkwich & Augie Lio]
Field goal
percentage – 50.0 [1, tied with Ken Strong, Roy Zimmerman & Lou Zontini]
PATs – 15 [6]
PAT attempts
– 18 [6]
Longest field
goal – 43 yards at NY Giants 12/3
Punting
Punts – 2
Yards – 87
Average – 43.5
Punts blocked
– 0
Scoring
TDs – 4 [20,
tied with seven others]
Field Goals –
4
PATs – 15
Points – 51 [5]
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP, UPI, INS, NY Daily
News, Pro Football Illustrated
Redskins went
6-3-1 to finish third in the NFL Eastern Division while leading the league in
passing yards (2021).
Aftermath:
Aguirre
followed up in 1945 with fewer catches (16) but led the NFL in field goals (7).
He received first-team All-NFL honors from the INS and Chicago Herald American
and was a second-team selection of the New York Daily News. Aguirre jumped to
the new All-America Football Conference in 1946, following Washington’s coach,
Dudley DeGroot, to the Los Angeles Dons. He was a first-team All-AAFC choice of
the New York Daily News and second-team pick by UPI in ’46 and had his most
productive pass receiving season in 1948 with 38 catches for 599 yards (15.8
avg.) and 9 touchdowns. After being limited to four games and three catches in
’49, and with the demise of the AAFC, Aguirre moved on to Canada in 1950. He
led the West (WIFU) in scoring with 57 points for Winnipeg and was named to the
WIFU All-Star team. After a second season with the Blue Bombers in ’51, he
moved on to Edmonton for 1952 and caught 38 passes for 549 yards (14.4 avg.)
with five TDs and was a second-team All-WIFU selection. Spending his last three
seasons with Saskatchewan from 1953 to ’55, he became used more as a
placekicker and kicked 19 field goals and 25 extra points while leading the
WIFU with 85 points. Overall, in the NFL, Aguirre caught 97 passes for 1122
yards (11.6 avg.) and 13 TDs, kicked 13 field goals and 53 PATs, and scored 169
points. In the AAFC, he caught 63 passes for 1040 yards (16.5 avg.) and 16 TDs,
kicked four field goals and 33 PATs, and scored 141 points. In Canada, he had
62 catches for 928 yards (15.0 avg.) and 7 TDs, kicked 40 field goals and 119
PATs, and scored 296 points. He received at least some all-league recognition
in the NFL, AAFC, and WIFU.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders (NFC/AFC
since 1970) in the following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
