Robert Herkimer Bellinger (January 20, 1913 – August 27, 1955) was an American professional

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 ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

who played two seasons with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

of the

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 ...

(NFL). He attended

Seattle Preparatory School Seattle Preparatory School, popularly known as Seattle Prep, is a private, Jesuit high school located on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Washington, United States. After it was founded in 1891, Seattle Prep merged with Immaculate Conception Parish Sch ...

and played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) ( ) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, United States. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges ...

, both Jesuit schools.

Early life and college

Bob Bellinger was born January 20, 1913, in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

. He attended Seattle Prep, a private Catholic high school, where he distinguished himself as a

wrestler Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...

and football player, playing fullback and tackle.Harold "Speed" Johnson (ed.), ''Who's Who in Major League Football: 1935 Edition.'' Chicago: B.E. Callahan, 1935; p. 13. He played collegiately at

Gonzaga Bulldogs football The Gonzaga Bulldogs football team represented Gonzaga University of Spokane, Washington, in the sport of college football. Gonzaga last fielded a varsity College football, football team in 1941 Gonzaga Bulldogs football team, 1941. From 1892 t ...

, where he spent three seasons on the varsity team at the tackle position.

Professional career

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

and

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

, Bellinger played for the

of the

(NFL), moving to the

position. He played in a total of eighteen games over the two years, starting ten. He was a member of the Giants team which won the 1934 NFL Championship.

Personal life

Bellinger died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on August 27, 1955, in

Santa Clara, California Santa Clara ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Clare of Assisi, Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities and towns i ...

. He was the manager and vice president of the Valley Equipment Company in San Jose at the time of his death.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bellinger, Bob 1913 births 1955 deaths Players of American football from Spokane, Washington American football guards Gonzaga Bulldogs football players New York Giants players 20th-century American businesspeople Businesspeople from Washington (state)