In 1963, 17 charter members were inducted into the newly established Pro Football Hall of Fame. Joining the likes of Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, George Halas, and Sammy Baugh was Detroit Lions quarterback Dutch Clark. A bona fide superstar for the NFL in the 1930s, Clark led the Lions to success on the gridiron and helped establish the NFL in one of America's most passionate sports cities. Throughout his seven-year NFL career (1931-1932, 1934-1938), Clark was selected first team NFL All-Pro six times, led the league in scoring three times, was team captain of the Detroit Lions, and helped the Lions win the 1935 NFL Championship in their second season in Detroit. The triple-threat star could do everything-he could run, he could pass, and he could kick. In Dutch Clark: The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions, Chris Willis tells the remarkable story of an athlete from a small town in Colorado who would become one of the NFL's greatest players. To recount the story of this sports pioneer, Willis had complete cooperation from the Clark family and unlimited access to personal letters, the Dutch Clark Scrapbooks, and family photos. Appendixes include Clark's football statistics and a list of his honors and awards. Supplemented with archival interviews, never-before-seen photos, newspaper quotes, and anecdotes, Dutch Clark tells the rags-to-riches story of one of the NFL's first stars.
Foreword: by Steve Sabol, President, NFL Films Preface Acknowledgements Introduction: "The Lion King" Chapter 1: The NFL Arrives and Fails in the Motor City Chapter 2: Two Families Move to Colorado Chapter 3: Dutch Chapter 4: Pueblo Chapter 5: Central High School Chapter 6: Dorothy Chapter 7: High School Football Glory Chapter 8: College Dreams Chapter 9: Picking a College Chapter 10: Coach "Bully" Van De Graaff Chapter 11: Hello, Colorado College Chapter 12: Setting the Stage Chapter 13: Mr. All-American Chapter 14: Senior Year Chapter 15: June 11, 1930 Chapter 16: Heading to the NFL Bonus Chapter- State of the National Football League Chapter 17: Portsmouth Spartans Chapter 18: A Missed Opportunity Chapter 19: Unfinished Business Chapter 20: George A. Richards Chapter 21: Birth of the Detroit Lions Chapter 22: A Famous Photo and A New Born Baby Chapter 23: NFL Champions!! Chapter 24: Hollywood and Retirement Talk Chapter 25: Greatest All-Around Football Player Chapter 26: Player-Coach Chapter 27: Big Crowds in the Motor City Chapter 28: Dutch Leaves Detroit Chapter 29: Building the Cleveland Rams Chapter 30: Tough Days Chapter 31: Dutch Says Good-Bye to the NFL Chapter 32: Seattle Bombers Chapter 33: Los Angeles Dons Chapter 34: University of Detroit Chapter 35: An Unexpected Death Chapter 36: A New Job, A New Love Chapter 37: Pro Football Hall of Fame Chapter 38: Watching the Lions Chapter 39: Back Home to Colorado Chapter 40: Legacy of Dutch Clark Appendix: Dutch Clark Honors and Awards Notes Bibliography Index About the Author
