William Franklin Conkright (April 17, 1914 – October 27, 1980), known more commonly by the nickname "Red", was an
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
center and
end who played eight seasons in 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) and was later the head coach of the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
for part of the 1962 season.
Conkright was born in
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
and attended the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
, where he was a star center on the school's
football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
. He was the captain of the Sooners team in 1936 and was named to a first-team all-
Big Six Conference squad. Conkright was drafted in 1937 by the NFL's
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 ...
. He played two seasons for the Bears, serving mainly as a backup center and occasionally playing as an end. The
Cleveland Rams bought the rights to Conkright in 1939, and he stayed with the team through the 1942 season. He played for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
and
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
in 1943 before returning to the Rams briefly in 1944.
Following his retirement as a player, Conkright began a career as a coach. He scouted and coached for the Rams in 1944 and 1945, and moved to the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
of the new
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many ...
(AAFC) in 1946. He worked as an assistant coach for two more AAFC teams in the late 1940s. Conkright was hired as an assistant at
Mississippi State College in 1950, spending two seasons in the position. After a five-year hiatus from coaching, he returned as an assistant for the
University of Houston
The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...
's football team. He got his first head coaching job in 1959 at
Stephen F. Austin State University. In 1962, Conkright was hired as an assistant coach and director of player personnel by the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
in the
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
. The team's head coach,
Marty Feldman
Martin Alan Feldman (8 July 1934 – 2 December 1982) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was known for his exophthalmos, prominent, strabismus, misaligned eyes.
He initially gained prominence as a writer with Barry Took on th ...
, was fired in the middle of the season and Conkright replaced him. Conkright's Raiders, however, managed to win just one game that year, and he was replaced in 1963 by
Al Davis
Allen R. Davis (July 4, 1929 – October 8, 2011) was an American professional football executive and coach. He was the managing general partner, principal owner and ''de facto'' general manager of the National Football League (NFL) Oakland Rai ...
. Conkright went on to work for two years as an assistant with the
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...
.
Early years
Conkright was born in
Beggs, Oklahoma and went to a high school in
Tulsa
Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...
, where he was a football star.
He was nicknamed "Red" because of his red hair.
College and professional career
Conkright attended the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
and played varsity
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 ...
during the 1934, 1935, and 1936 seasons. He was the team's captain as a senior in 1936, and was named a first-team All-
Big Six Conference center.
Conkright was missed when he graduated;
sportswriter
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism has its roots in coverage of horse racing and boxing in the early 1800s, mainly targeted towards elites, and into t ...
Federick Ware wrote in the 1937 edition of ''Football Illustrated Annual'' that "finding a center to replace the great Red Conkright" would be one of Sooners head coach
Tom Stidham's "main headaches."
Conkright was selected in the fifth round of the
1937 draft by 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 ...
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 was a third-string center for the Bears behind
Frank Bausch and Frank Sullivan with the Bears, and saw little action in the two years he played for the team.
He was, however, occasionally used as an
end in his first season.
Conkright was sold to the
Cleveland Rams ahead of the 1939 season in a cash deal that did not involve any other players.
He became the regular starter at center for the Rams midway through 1939, replacing
Chuck Cherundolo.
The Rams finished the season with a 5–5–1
win-loss-tie record under coach
Dutch Clark.
Conkright broke his leg in the second game of the 1940 season and sat out the rest of the year. In October, he married his girlfriend Imogene, who he met at the University of Oklahoma and with whom he had a four-month-old son.
Conkright came back to play full seasons for the Rams in 1941 and 1942.
He split the 1943 season between the NFL's
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
and the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
.
Conkright returned to the Rams in 1944 and was expected to be used as a regular left end.
He saw action in only one game, however, his final appearance in the NFL.
He was then placed on the inactive list and converted into an assistant coach and scout for the Rams.
Coaching career
Conkright remained with the Rams through the 1945 season, when the team won the
NFL championship
Throughout its history, the National Football league (NFL) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups to determine a true national ...
.
Rams owner
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American professional football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third ...
moved the team to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
after the season, but Conkright decided to stay in Cleveland, where he and his family lived.
He took a job as a scout and coach for the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, a team that was to start play in 1946 in the new
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many ...
(AAFC).
Conkright was joined by five former Rams players who switched to the Browns when the Rams moved, including center
Mike Scarry
Michael Joseph "Mo" Scarry (February 1, 1920 – September 9, 2012) was an American football player and coach. He grew up in Pennsylvania, and played football in college at Waynesburg University, Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania a ...
,
tackle Chet Adams and backs
Gaylon Smith,
Tommy Colella and
Don Greenwood. Before the 1946 season started, Reeves sought an
injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a special court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. It was developed by the English courts of equity but its origins go back to Roman law and the equitable rem ...
in
federal court to prevent Adams from signing with the Browns and force the tackle to honor his contract with the Rams.
Adams argued that his contract described a team in Cleveland, and the move to Los Angeles invalidated it.
Then acting as an agent for the Rams, Conkright had signed Adams to a new contract in October 1945.
Conkright was named as a defendant in the suit, which was decided in August in Adams's favor.
Conkright spent a year as Cleveland's end and center coach under head coach
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 – August 5, 1991) was an American American football, football coach and executive in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), the National Football League (NFL), and the American Football League (AFL). ...
as the team won the 1946 AAFC championship.
While with the Browns, he coached ends
Mac Speedie
Mac Curtis Speedie (January 12, 1920 – March 5, 1993) was an American professional football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL) for seven years before ...
and future
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
member
Dante Lavelli
Dante Bert Joseph Lavelli (February 23, 1923 – January 20, 2009), nicknamed "Gluefingers", was an American professional football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football ...
, who he praised for his "uncanny way of getting into the open" to receive passes from
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American professional American football, football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League ...
.
Conkright signed as an end and center coach for the AAFC's
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
in April 1947.
In moving to the Bills, he rejoined Tom Stidham, his old head coach at Oklahoma. Stidham was working as the Bills' line coach.
Conkright convinced the Bills to put into place Brown's version of the
T formation offense, and the team improved in the 1947 and 1948 seasons.
The Bills advanced to the 1948 AAFC championship, but lost the game to the Browns.
Conkright was hired as an assistant coach by 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 ...
in 1949, and spent one season with the team.
He took a job as an end and center coach for
Mississippi State College in 1950 and spent two seasons there.
After five years away from football, Conkright in 1957 became a defensive line coach at the
University of Houston
The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...
.
Two years later, he was named the head football coach at
Stephen F. Austin State University in
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches ( ) is a city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Stephen F. Austin State University is located in Nacogdoches and special ...
.
In three seasons as coach there, his football team did not have a winning season and posted an overall
win-loss-tie record of 6–25–1.
Conkright resigned as Austin's head coach late in November 1961.
The following April, he was hired by the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
of the
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
(AFL) as defensive line coach and director of player personnel on the staff of head coach
Marty Feldman
Martin Alan Feldman (8 July 1934 – 2 December 1982) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was known for his exophthalmos, prominent, strabismus, misaligned eyes.
He initially gained prominence as a writer with Barry Took on th ...
.
Following a 2–10 season in 1961, the Raiders opened the 1962 season with five straight losses, leading to Feldman's dismissal and his replacement by Conkright as head coach on October 16, 1962.
The Raiders finished the season with a 1–13 record under Conkright, and he was replaced in January 1963 by
Al Davis
Allen R. Davis (July 4, 1929 – October 8, 2011) was an American professional football executive and coach. He was the managing general partner, principal owner and ''de facto'' general manager of the National Football League (NFL) Oakland Rai ...
.
After his firing by the Raiders, Conkright joined the coaching staff of the AFL's
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...
.
He was an assistant for the Oilers in 1963 and 1964.
Death
Conkright died in 1980 in
Houston, Texas
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
. He was 66 years old.
Head coaching record
College
NFL
References
Bibliography
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External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conkright, Red
1914 births
1980 deaths
American football centers
American football ends
Baltimore Colts coaches
Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players
Chicago Bears players
Cleveland Browns coaches
Cleveland Rams coaches
Cleveland Rams players
Houston Cougars football coaches
Houston Oilers coaches
Mississippi State Bulldogs football coaches
Oakland Raiders coaches
Oakland Raiders head coaches
Oklahoma Sooners football players
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football coaches
Washington Redskins players
People from Beggs, Oklahoma
Sportspeople from Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
Coaches of American football from Oklahoma
Players of American football from Tulsa, Oklahoma