American football player and shot putter (1920?1961)
Stephen John Lach
(August 6, 1920 ? July 12, 1961) was an
American football
player. Lach was among a list of sixty-one nominees to the
College Football Hall of Fame
in March 1960.
[1]
He was elected in 1980.
Track and field athlete
[
edit
]
Lach competed in the 5th annual National
AAU
high school and prep school indoor track and field championships at
Madison Square Garden
, in February 1938. He placed 4th in the 12-pound
shot put
, with a distance of 40 feet and 6 inches.
[2]
While a Duke student, Lach took part in the shot put and
discus
events in the April 1941 Penn Relay Carnival, held on
Franklin Field
at the
University of Pennsylvania
.
[3]
He came in 4th in the discus competition, with a throw of 140 feet, 11
3
⁄
4
inches.
[4]
In the April 1942 Penn Relay Carnival Lach placed 5th in the shot put with a distance of 46 feet, 9
3
⁄
4
inches. He was also 5th in the discus throw, with a distance of 138 feet.
[5]
Duke halfback (1939?1942)
[
edit
]
He played
running back
as a member of the varsity football team at
Duke University
.
[6]
As a senior, he was a
wingback
, which allowed his team to take advantage of his fine blocking ability. His playing weight was 190 pounds.
[7]
Lach scored from a half yard out in a 37-0 Duke pasting of
Colgate University
at
Wallace Wade Stadium
, in October 1939. He carried three times after
George McAfee
set up the Blue Devils at the Red Raiders 8-yard-line.
[8]
Lach passed 42 yards to
Tommy Prothro
for the final touchdown in a 33?6 win over
Syracuse University
on October 21.
[9]
On the 7th play after halftime, Lach broke a 61-yard run for a touchdown at
Groves Stadium
, against
Wake Forest University
, on October 26.
[10]
Wes McAfee tossed a 13-yard pass to Lach against
Georgia Tech
in the second quarter to complete a 54-yard drive.
[11]
Lach was one of four Blue Devils selected to the eleven man
Southern Conference
1940
Associated Press
honor team.
[12]
Lach caught two passes from Moffat Storer for touchdowns at
Pitt Stadium
on October 25, 1941. Duke triumphed over
Pittsburgh Panthers
27?7.
[13]
Lach caught a high pass from Tom Davis at the three yard line, which he converted for a touchdown against Georgia Tech in November. This reception, together with a number of fine kicks, helped Duke beat the Engineers in
Atlanta
.
[14]
He ran just eight times versus the
University of North Carolina
, but escaped for 23 and 17 yard runs in the third quarter. He punted the Tar Heels into a hole at their own 5 yard line late in the 3rd quarter. In all he accounted for 61 of Duke's 194 rushing yards. Lach returned in the fourth quarter after leaving the field near the end of the third period. He appeared still shaken after slipping and being hit while off-balance as he attempted a cutback play. As he walked slowly to the sidelines the Duke fans began to chant
a touchdown for Lach
. Only moments later a Blue Devil teammate got into the end zone.
[7]
By the end of 1950
Wallace Wade
had included only five sophomores as varsity starters in twenty-five years as a coach at the
University of Alabama
and Duke.
Pooley Hubert
and
Johnny Mack Brown
were the exceptions who played first team at Alabama. The Duke sophomores who played regularly for the varsity were
Ace Parker
, Lach, and Billy Cox.
[15]
Chicago Cardinals (1942)
[
edit
]
Lach was selected as the #4 pick in the 1st Round of the 1942 N.F.L. Draft by the
Chicago Cardinals
.
[16]
He was sworn into the
U.S. Navy
in
Evanston, Illinois
as a member of the Flying Cadets, in August 1942. At the time he was in
Chicago
training as a member of the College All Stars.
[17]
On September 14, 1942, Lach caught a pass from Bud Schwenk to account for the game's only touchdown, in the Cardinals' 7?0 victory over the
Cleveland Rams
, at
Civic Stadium
in
Buffalo, New York
. The 6-yard toss was batted by Lach with his left hand and then caught by him behind
Bill Conkright
.
[18]
Against the
Detroit Lions
at
Comiskey Park
, Schwenk pounced on a loose ball fumbled by
Harry Hopp
on the last play of the third quarter. Schwenk then found right halfback Lach from the Lions' 20-yard-line for a touchdown, on the first play of the last period.
[19]
The
Green Bay Packers
defeated the Cardinals despite trailing 13-10 midway through the fourth quarter in Chicago, on October 4. Once again the aerial combination of Schwenk passing to Lach dominated the highlights. Lach received a 20-yard pass and then raced in from the 15 in the first quarter.
[20]
Lach accounted for one of two touchdowns the Cardinals made during a lopsided loss to the
Chicago Bears
on October 11.
Schwenk lofted a 47-yard strike to Lach in the first quarter of a game witnessed by 38,500 fans.
[21]
In July 1943 Lach was scheduled to play with the College All-Star team against the N.F.L. champion
Washington Redskins
, at
Dyche Stadium
in Evanston.
Otto Graham
and
Charley Trippi
were other backs on the collegiate squad.
[22]
Lach was kept from suiting up for the game by a directive preventing Navy athletes from participating in off-station contests, except as members of Navy teams.
[23]
Great Lakes Blue Jackets (1943)
[
edit
]
Lach ran for touchdowns of 13 and 65 yards as a member of the Great Lakes Blue Jackets on October 2, 1943. The 40?0 defeat of the Pittsburgh Panthers was the third win in four tries for the team of sailors.
[24]
Lach scampered 28 yards for a third period touchdown in Great Lakes' 13?6 victory over
Ohio State Buckeyes
at the naval training stations' Ross Field Stadium, in
Great Lakes, Illinois
.
[25]
Lach played a key role in a last minute comeback upset of
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
on November 27. The Fighting Irish scored what seemed to be the winning touchdown against Great Lakes with merely one minute and six seconds left in the fourth quarter. Starting from his own 37-yard line Lach found
Emil Sitko
with a strike to the Notre Dame 46-yard line. He then took a snap from center, faded, was rushed, and abruptly lofted a high pass, directed to the far corner of the field. The football was caught by Paul Anderson, who had played the majority of the final period at quarterback. Anderson was running with intensity and was many yards behind the closest Irish defender. He gathered it in on the 7-yard line and ran into the end zone. With the extra point the Blue Jackets prevailed 19?14. It was
a finish no Hollywood script writer would dare to turn in to his boss.
A
New York Times
writer called the Great Lakes Naval Station victory over undefeated, 9-0 Notre Dame,
the biggest upset of this or any recent football season.
An audience of 23,000, composed primarily of sailors and naval officers, watched from wooden stands in close proximity to
Lake Michigan
.
[26]
Pittsburgh Steelers (1946?1947)
[
edit
]
He played with the
Pearl Harbor
All-Stars in 1944?1945. Lach signed to play with the
New York Yankees (AAFC)
on January 21, 1946.
[27]
In the fall of 1946 Lach was a
back (sports)
with the
Pittsburgh Steelers
after he was traded from the Cardinals.
[28]
In October against the
Boston Yanks
he scored two touchdowns during a 16-7 Steelers' triumph.
[29]
Lach scored from five yards out on the fifth play following
Charley Seabright
's interception of a
Sammy Baugh
pass, on November 3. Pittsburgh defeated the
Washington Redskins
14-7 before a record-setting home crowd of 39,060.
[30]
Lach, playing
fullback
, caught a 15-yard pass from Johnny Clement in a game with the Redskins at
Griffith Stadium
, in October 1947. The lead seesawed back and forth eight times before the Redskins won 27?26.
[31]
At
Fenway Park
on October 12 the Steelers gained 276 yards employing the
single wing
of
Jock Sutherland
, occasionally switching to a double wing set-up. Lach scored from six inches out following a 40-yard run by
Bob Cifers
, which set up the first touchdown. Pittsburgh defeated Boston 30?14 in front of 18,894 spectators.
[32]
Lach's nine touchdowns in 1947 set a Steelers' club record. He was Pittsburgh's second leading ground gainer with 372 yards in 129 carries. Lach tied for 9th in the
National Football League
in points scored, with 54.
[28]
Lach was one of eight members of the 1947 Pittsburgh Steelers team chosen as a pallbearer for the funeral of Coach Dr. John B. (Jock) Sutherland on April 13, 1948. Sutherland died following a brain operation in West Penn Hospital.
[33]
Lach was released without explanation by new Steelers' coach, John Michclosen, on September 21, 1948.
[28]
The Pittsburgh fullback job was awarded to
Jerry Shipkey
, who played collegiate football at
U.C.L.A.
[34]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"6 From Princeton To Be Considered",
New York Times
, March 23, 1960, Page 43
- ^
"School Track Aces Smash 8 Records",
New York Times
, February 27, 1938, Page 63
- ^
"N.Y.U.-Indiana Clash Marks Penn Relays Today",
New York Times
, April 25, 1941, Page 25
- ^
"Summaries of Penn Relay Carnival",
New York Times
, April 26, 1941, Page 11
- ^
"Summaries of Penn Relay Carnival",
New York Times
, April 25, 1942, Page 17
- ^
"Syracuse Picks 34 Men",
New York Times
, October 19, 1939, Page 28
- ^
a
b
"Lach Leads Duke To 20-0 Triumph!,
New York Times
, November 16, 1941, Page S6.
- ^
"Versatile and Deceptive Attack by Duke Crushes Colgate Eleven at Durham", October 8, 1939, Page 89
- ^
"Duke Tallies Five Touchdowns in Decisive Victory Over Syracuse in Durham",
New York Times
, October 22, 1939, Page 79
- ^
"Duke Overpowers Wake Forest, 23-0",
New York Times
, October 27, 1940, Page 80
- ^
"Duke Overwhelms Georgia Tech, 41-7",
New York Times
, November 3, 1940, Page 95
- ^
"Four From Duke On All-Star Team",
New York Times
, December 3, 1940, Page 39
- ^
"Duke Power Trips Pittsburgh, 27-7",
New York Times
, October 26, 1941, Page S4
- ^
"Duke Checks Georgia Tech, 14-0, To Continue Unbeaten and Untied", New York University, November 2, 1941, Page S8.
- ^
"This Morning With Shirley Povich",
Washington Post
, November 10, 1950, Page B5.
- ^
Duke University
,
http://www.drafthistory.com/colleges
, Steve Lach.
- ^
"Enlist As Royal Cadets", August 22, 1942, Page 9.
- ^
"Gridiron Cardinals Defeat Rams With Pass in First Quarter, 7-0",
New York Times
, September 14, 1942, Page 21
- ^
"Cardinal Passes Defeat Lions, 13-0",
New York Times
, September 21, 1942, Page 21
- ^
"Green Bay Rallies For 17-13 Triumph",
New York Times
, October 5, 1942, Page 24
- ^
"Bears Routs Cards For 16th Straight",
New York Times
, October 12, 1942, Page 22
- ^
"17 All-Stars Set To Face Redskins",
New York Times
, July 8, 1943, Page 26
- ^
"First All Star Group Reports At Evanston",
New York Times
, August 8, 1943, Page S2
- ^
"Great Lakes Routs Pittsburgh by 40-0",
New York Times
, October 3, 1943, Page S1
- ^
Great Lakes Trips Ohio State By 13-6, New York Times, October 10, 1943, Page S4.
- ^
"First Irish Defeat",
New York Times
, November 28, 1943, Page S1
- ^
"Burrus And Lach Signed",
New York Times
, January 22, 1946, Page 35
- ^
a
b
c
"Steve Lach Given Release",
Washington Post
, September 22, 1948, Page 15.
- ^
"Steelers Conquer Boston Yanks, 16-7",
New York Times
, October 14, 1946, Page 35
- ^
"Steelers Conquer Redskins, 14-7, By Intercepting 2 Baugh Passes",
New York Times
, November 4, 1946, Page 44
- ^
"Redskins Conquer Steelers, 27-26, Baugh Passes Highlighting Rally",
New York Times
, October 6, 1947, Page 30
- ^
"Steelers Subdue Boston By 30-14",
New York Times
, October 13, 1947, Page 33
- ^
"8 Steelers Pallbearers",
New York Times
, April 13, 1948, Page 37
- ^
"Redskins Release Two More, Reducing Roster To 36 Players",
Washington Post
, September 23, 1948, Page 21