Jim Spavital
| No. 76 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | FB / LB | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | September 15, 1926 | ||
| Place of birth: | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | ||
| Date of death: | March 7, 1993 (aged 66) | ||
| Career information | |||
| College: | Oklahoma A&M | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1948 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at NFL.com |
James J. Spavital (September 15, 1926 – March 7, 1993) was a gridiron football fullback, coach and general manager in six different professional football leagues.
He played for the All-America Football Conference's Los Angeles Dons in 1949 and the National Football League's Baltimore Colts during the 1950 season. As a starter in 1950 he had 246 rushing yards and 238 receiving. His 96-yard rush against the Green Bay Packers on November 5, 1950 is the fourth longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. As an Airborne reservist, Spavital was called up in 1951 to serve in the Korean War. His reporting date prevented him from playing a full NFL season so he moved north of the border to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League enabling him to play a complete season prior to reporting for duty. Wear and tear on his feet effectively ended his playing career. He was also drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1951 NFL Draft after the Baltimore Colts folded.
In 1957, he joined the Oklahoma State coaching staff under coach Cliff Speegle. In 1967 he joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an assistant. In 1970 he was hired by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as head coach. In four seasons as Bombers head coach, he had a 23-39-2 record and two playoff appearances.
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