Robert Shaw (May 22, 1921 – April 10, 2011) was an American

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player and coach.

Early life

Shaw lettered three times each in football, basketball and track at Fremont Ross High School. He was first-team All-Ohio in both football and basketball and won the shot put and discus in the state track and field meet. At

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

, he lettered twice in football. Playing right end, on both offense and defense, Shaw was part of the Buckeyes' first NCAA National Championship team in 1942 and was named a first-team All American for that season. He also lettered in basketball and track, helping the Buckeyes to their first Western Conference track crown in 1942. Shaw was inducted into Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. He served with the 104th Infantry Division in the European Theater during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and he was subsequently awarded a

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

. He later completed his bachelor's degree in education at

Otterbein College Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio, United States. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Brethren founder, Philip William Otterbein. It has been as ...

Pro football career

Shaw began his

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

career began in 1945 when he joined the Cleveland Rams. He played as an

end End, END, Ending, or ENDS may refer to: End Mathematics *End (category theory) * End (topology) * End (graph theory) * End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) * End (endomorphism) Sports and games *End (gridiron football) *End, a division ...

. The Rams won the Championship in his rookie year. In the off-season, he played for the

Toledo Jeeps The Toledo Jeeps were a professional basketball team that played in the National Basketball League from 1946 to 1948. As with many other NBL teams, they owed their name to an industry of their hometown, in this case the Willys-Overland Jeep Pla ...

of the National Basketball League. He played for the Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams (1945–1949) and the

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

(1950). He was the NFL leader in receiving

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

s with 12 in

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

and was the first player to catch five touchdowns in a game. He played two seasons for the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium a ...

, winning the

Dave Dryburgh Memorial Trophy The Dave Dryburgh Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, given to the top scorer in the West Division. Unlike other CFL trophies, there is no East Division counterpart. The trophy was established in November 1948, by sportswriters ...

in 1951 and 1952. After his release by Calgary, he signed with the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...

in late September 1953 on the strength of his place-kicking. After his retirement, Shaw served as an assistant coach with the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

, and

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

before becoming head coach of the

New Mexico Military Institute New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a public military junior college and high school in Roswell, New Mexico. Founded in 1891, NMMI operates under the auspices of the State of New Mexico, under a dedicated Board of Regents that reports t ...

in 1960. In three seasons at NMMI, Shaw had a 22–6–1 record. He later moved to the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

where he coached the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...

to a 16–14–2 record over two seasons and the

to an 8–20 record from 1965 to 1966. In 1976, he won the

Annis Stukus Trophy The Annis Stukus Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, which is presented annually by the Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Association to the Coach of the Year, as determined by the members of the Football Reporters of Canada. The Trophy is named aft ...

(coach of the year) while with the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...

. He lived in Cooksville during his time coaching the Argos.

Personal life and death

Shaw died April 10, 2011, at his home in

Westerville, Ohio Westerville is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, Franklin and Delaware County, Ohio, Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. A northeastern suburb of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus as well as the home of Otterbein University, the population was 39 ...

, after a brief illness at the age of 89. He was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Mary Garr.

Head coaching record

College

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Bob 1921 births 2011 deaths American football ends Baltimore Colts coaches Buffalo Bills coaches Chicago Bears coaches Chicago Cardinals players Cleveland Allmen Transfers players Cleveland Rams players Calgary Stampeders players Hamilton Tiger-Cats coaches Hamilton Tiger-Cats general managers Los Angeles Rams players New Mexico Military Broncos football coaches New Orleans Saints coaches Ohio State Buckeyes football players Otterbein Cardinals football coaches San Francisco 49ers coaches Toledo Jeeps players Youngstown Bears players Junior college athletic directors in the United States Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players United States Army personnel of World War II Otterbein University alumni People from Richwood, Ohio Coaches of American football from Ohio Players of American football from Ohio Players of Canadian football from Ohio Military personnel from Ohio