Ralph Lewis "Jake" Lanum (September 13, 1896 – March 19, 1968) 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 ...

player who was a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

for five seasons for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

and its predecessors the

Decatur Staleys The Chicago Bears American football franchise is a charter member of the National Football League (NFL), and has played in all of the league's 100 seasons. The team has captured nine NFL championships – eight NFL championships and one Super ...

and the

Chicago Staleys The Chicago Bears American football franchise is a charter member of the National Football League (NFL), and has played in all of the league's 100 seasons. The team has captured nine NFL championships – eight NFL championships and one Super B ...

. Lanum was a starting fullback and also handled some kicking duties on the 1919 Illinois Fighting Illini football National Championship team. After football, Lanum moved to

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...

, working mostly in the oil industry. In retirement he returned to Illinois, living in Homewood, where he died in 1968 at the age of 71.

References

External links

Jake Lanum Bio (Staley Museum)
1896 births 1968 deaths American football running backs Decatur Staleys players Chicago Staleys players Chicago Bears players Illinois Fighting Illini football players People from Carmi, Illinois People from Homewood, Illinois Players of American football from Cook County, Illinois Players of American football from Hammond, Indiana {{runningback-1890s-stub