September 24, 1948: Stan Mauldin of the Chicago Cardinals dies as a result of a heart attack suffered during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Comiskey Park in Chicago. He was 27 years old, and the 1st player to die as a result of his participation in a major league professional football game.
Stanley Hubert Mauldin was born on December 27, 1920 in Amarillo, Texas. He played tackle, both offensive and defensive, at the University of Texas, and was one of the "Immortal 13" who upset defending National Champion Texas A&M in 1940. He was chosen the school's outstanding athlete of 1942. He was chosen by the Cardinals in the 7th round of the 1943 NFL Draft. But he missed the 1943, '44 and '45 seasons while serving in World War II flying 35 combat missions for the U.S. Army Air Corps.
He made his debut with the Cardinals in 1946, and was a member of their 1947 NFL Champions. That team, coached by Jimmy Conzelman (previously player-coach of the 1928 NFL Champions, the Providence Steam Roller), featured the Million Dollar Backfield: Quarterback Paul Christman; halfbacks Elmer Angsman, Marshall Goldberg and Charley Trippi; and fullback Pat Harder. Mauldin was hailed for "hard but clean play": In 2 seasons, he was never flagged for a single penalty.
The Cardinals beat the Eagles in the 1947 NFL Championship Game, at Comiskey. It was their 2nd title, having won it previously in 1925, under controversial circumstances. In the style of European soccer's "super cups," pitting the previous season's league champion against the cup winner, including England's Charity Shield (now known as the Community Shield), the 1948 season opener was set up as a rematch of the Championship Game.
The Cardinals won it, 21-14. Trippi ran 8 yards for a touchdown in the 1st quarter. In the 2nd, Christman threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mal Kutner, and the Eagles closed to within 14-7 on a 34-yard pass from Tommy Thompson to Bosh Pritchard. The Eagles tied it in the 3rd quarter, on a 42-yard pass from Thompson to Pete Pihos. But in the 4th quarter, Trippi -- the only member of the '47 Cardinals to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- threw an option pass, 64 yards to Kutner for a game-winning touchdown. Cardinals 28, Eagles 21.
Mauldin had complained of a headache before the game, but seemed to be fine during it, and immediately after. But after his postgame shower, he turned to assistant coach Phil Handler, said, "Coach, I feel a little dizzy," and collapsed. He was carried to the training table, but could not be revived. The coroner determined that he'd suffered "an acute heart attack," and that there was no brain trauma, or anything to connect his death to his earlier headache.
He left behind a wife and a 5-year-old son, Stanley Jr., who also went on to play football at Texas, and became a renowned high school coach. Stan Sr. was buried in Llano Cemetery in Amarillo. He was elected to the University of Texas' Longhorn Hall of Honor, and the Cardinals, now in Arizona, have retired his Number 77 and named him to their Ring of Honor at State Farm Stadium.
The '48 Cardinals seemed to do better without him. Their 11-1 record remains the best in franchise history, but they lost a Championship Game rematch to the Eagles at a snowy Shibe Park.
Mauldin was the 1st of 4 NFL players (including AFL players) to have died as a result of an in-game condition. He has been followed by Aaron Glenn of the 1960 New York Titans (Jets), Stone Johnson of the 1963 Kansas City Chiefs, and Chuck Hughes of the 1971 Detroit Lions.
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September 24, 1948 was a Friday. All other pro football games that weekend -- in the NFL and in the AAFC, the All-America Football Conference -- were played the following Sunday.
Only 5 games were played in what would later be called Major League Baseball:
* The New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-6 at Yankee Stadium. Joe Page was the winning pitcher, in relief of Vic Raschi. Billy Johnson hit a home run, and Joe DiMaggio went 1-for-2 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs. Ted Williams went 2-for-3 with 2 walks and 3 RBIs.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Ralph Kiner went 1-for-3 with a walk.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians, 4-3 at Briggs Stadium. Fred Hutchinson outpitched Bob Lemon. Briggs, which was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961, got its lights this season, making it the last American League ballpark to get lights, and leaving the next ballpark as the last in the majors without them:
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-1 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Stan Musial went 2-for-3 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs.
* And the Chicago White Sox beat the St. Louis Browns, 4-3 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.
And comedian and actor Phil Hartman was born on this day.
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