Age: 25
2nd
season in pro football & with Packers
College: St.
Benedict’s (now Benedictine)
Height: 6’2” Weight: 214
Prelude:
Comp was a
fine all-around athlete who lettered in four sports at little St. Benedict’s
College and was chosen by the Packers in the third round of the 1943 NFL draft.
With the void left at tailback due to the retirement of Cecil Isbell, Comp
split time with Tony Canadeo and proved to be a capable passer, completing 46
of 92 attempts for 662 yards and seven touchdowns while giving up four
interceptions. He also ran for 182 yards and three TDs and was impressive in
the defensive backfield, intercepting a club-record 10 passes, one of which he
returned for a score.
1944 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 10 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Passing
Attempts – 177
[1]
Completions –
80 [3]
Yards – 1159
[1]
Completion
percentage – 45.2 [4]
Yards per
attempt – 6.5 [6]
TD passes – 12
[2, tied with Frank Sinkwich]
Most TD
passes, game – 2 vs. Chi. Bears 9/24, vs. Chi. Cards 10/8, at Cleveland 11/12,
at Chi. Cards 11/26
Interceptions
– 21 [1, tied with John Grigas]
Passer rating
– 50.0 [6]
Rushing
Attempts – 52
Yards – 134
Yards per
attempt – 2.6
TDs – 2 [19,
tied with ten others]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 2
Yards – 16
Yards per
catch – 8.0
TDs – 1
Interceptions
Interceptions
– 6 [3, tied with Ted Fritsch & Ernie Steele]
Return yards
– 54 [13, tied with Ted Williams]
TDs – 0
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 2
Yards – 35
Average per
return – 17.5
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 18 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 2
Yards – 32
Average per
return – 16.0
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 18 yards
Scoring
TDs – 3
Points – 18
Postseason: 1
G (NFL Championship at NY Giants)
Pass attempts
– 10
Pass
completions – 3
Passing
yardage – 73
TD passes – 1
Interceptions
– 3
Rushing
attempts – 10
Rushing yards
– 21
Average gain
rushing – 2.1
Rushing TDs –
0
Punt returns
– 4
Punt return
yards – 55
Average per
return – 13.8
Punt return
TDs – 0
Packers went 8-2
to finish first in the NFL Western Division. Won NFL Championship over New York
Giants (14-7).
Aftermath:
Comp followed
up in 1945 by passing for 865 yards and 7 touchdowns with 11 interceptions for the 6-4 Packers, but with star end
Don Hutson’s retirement, his performance dropped off significantly in ‘46. He
spent three more seasons with Green Bay, through 1949, and was largely fazed
out of the offense as it transitioned to the T-formation. Comp did continue to
play well on defense, however, and accounted for 14 of his 34 career
interceptions from 1947 to ’49. Overall on offense, he passed for 3354 yards
and 28 touchdowns and rushed for 519 yards and seven TDs. Adding in two pass
receiving touchdowns and two more returning interceptions, he scored a total of
11 TDs.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
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
