Age: 26
5th
season in pro football, 1st in NFL & with Redskins
College: Notre
Dame
Height: 6’0” Weight: 170
Prelude:
Recipient of
a basketball scholarship to attend Notre Dame, Bagarus had his biggest football
moment when he returned an interception for a touchdown in a 14-0 win over Army
in 1939. He went into the military during World War II and also played for the San
Diego Bombers of the Pacific Coast Football League from 1941 to ‘44. He led the
league in touchdowns three times and scoring twice, with highs of 12 TDs and 72
points in 1943. Bagarus joined the Redskins in 1945 and proved to be an
outstanding receiver out of the backfield as well as an excellent open-field
runner.
1945 Season Summary
Appeared in all
10 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 39
Yards – 154
Average gain
– 3.9
TDs – 1
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 34
[3]
Yards – 617 [3]
Most yards,
game – 162 (on 8 catches) at NY Giants 10/28
Average gain
– 18.1 [7]
TDs – 5 [6,
tied with John Greene]
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 12 [4]
Yards – 325 [3]
Average per
return – 27.1 [2]
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 55 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 21 [1]
Yards – 251 [1]
Average per
return – 12.0 [4]
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 28 yards
All-Purpose
yards – 1347 [2]
Scoring
TDs – 6 [9,
tied with Frank Akins, Ken Kavanaugh & Pug Manders]
Points – 36 [13,
tied with Frank Akins, Ken Kavanaugh & Pug Manders]
Postseason: 1
G (NFL Championship at Cleveland)
Rushing
attempts – 5
Rushing yards
– -4
Average gain
rushing – -0.8
Rushing TDs –
0
Pass
receptions – 3
Receiving
yards – 95
Average yards
per reception – 31.7
Pass
receiving TDs – 1
Kickoff
returns – 1
Kickoff
return yards – 29
Average yards
per return – 29.0
Kickoff
return TDs – 0
Punt returns
– 4
Punt return
yards – 52
Average yards
per return – 13.0
Punt return
TDs – 0
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP
2nd
team All-NFL: Chicago Herald-American, NY Daily News
Redskins went
8-2 to finish first in the NFL Eastern Division while leading the league in
total yards (3546). Lost NFL Championship to Cleveland Rams (15-14).
Aftermath:
Bagarus
gained 771 yards from scrimmage in 1946 and also averaged 10.7 yards on 18 punt
returns and 25.5 yards returning 13 kickoffs. He was traded to the Rams in 1947
and broke his leg, sidelining him for most of the season. Waived early in ’48,
the Redskins re-signed him for the last five games. He caught 15 passes for 100
yards and a TD and retired, although he did see action with Wilmington and Richmond of the minor league AFL in 1949. Overall in the NFL, Bagarus had 80 pass receptions
for 1155 yards (14.4 avg.), ran the ball 98 times for 343 yards (3.5 avg.),
returned 41 punts for an 11.2-yard average and 27 kickoffs for an average of
25.3 yards. He also intercepted five passes on defense and scored a total of 10
touchdowns.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were first-team
All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders 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
