Paul Peter Naumoff(July 3, 1945 – August 17, 2018[1]) was anAmerican footballplayer. He playedcollege footballat theUniversity of Tennesseefrom 1964 to 1966 and was selected as a consensus first-team All-American at thelinebackerposition in 1966. He played professional football in theNational Football League(NFL) as a linebacker for theDetroit Lionsfrom 1967 to 1978. He was selected to play in thePro Bowlafter the 1970 season and was named the Lions' defensive most valuable player in 1975. He once played in 142 consecutive games for the Lions and missed only two games in 12 years with the club.
| No. 58, 50 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 3, 1945 Columbus, Ohio,U.S. |
| Died: | August 17, 2018(aged 73) Lenoir City, Tennessee,U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Tennessee |
| NFL draft: | 1967/ round: 3 / pick: 60 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| StatsatPro Football Reference | |
Early years
editNaumoff was born inColumbus, Ohio,in 1945, and attendedEastmoor Academythere.[2]He was the son of Macedonian immigrants.[3]
College football
editNaumoff enrolled at theUniversity of Tennesseeand playedcollege footballfor theTennessee Volunteers footballteam under coachDoug Dickeyfrom 1964 to 1966. He began as an offensive player in 1964 but was moved to defense in 1965. As adefensive end,he helped lead the1965 Tennessee teamto an 8–1–2 record, a #7 ranking in the finalAP Poll,and a victory over Tulsa in the1965 Bluebonnet Bowl.[4]
In 1966, Naumoff moved tolinebackerafter one of the team's starting linebackers, Tom Fisher, died in an automobile accident.[5]He helped lead the1966 Tennessee teamto an 8-3 record. He was awarded the game ball after the1966 Gator Bowl.Naumoff made a "jolting tackle" ofLarry Csonkalate in the game to preserve Tennessee's 18-12 victory over Syracuse.[6]
At the end of the 1966 season, Naumoff was selected as a consensus first-team linebacker on the1966 College Football All-America Team.[7]He also played in the 1967Chicago College All-Star Gameand the 1967Senior Bowl.[4]Naumoff received a bachelor's degree of education in 1967.[4]
Professional football
editNaumoff was selected by theDetroit Lionsin the third round, 60th overall pick, of the1967 NFL/AFL draft.He played 12 years for the Lions from 1967 to 1978.[2]He was selected to play in thePro Bowlafter the 1970 season.[2]In 1975, Naumoff had twointerceptionsand was voted by his teammates as the Lions' defensive most valuable player.[8]Naumoff once played in 142 consecutive games for the Lions and missed only two games in 12 years with the club. In July 1979, at age 33, Naumoff announced his retirement as a player, citing a foot injury that had required two surgeries and posed the risk of permanent damage.[9]At the time of his retirement, Naumoff had appeared in 168 games for the Lions, more than any other players in franchise history other thanWayne WalkerandDick LeBeau.[9][10]
Later years
editAfter retiring from the NFL, Naumoff opened a beer distributorship in Tennessee.[11]
References
edit- ^Mattingly, Tom (August 18, 2018)."UT Vols: Paul Naumoff, co-captain of 1966 Tennessee team, dies at 73".The News Sentinel.Knox News.RetrievedAugust 18,2018.
- ^abc"Paul Naumoff".Pro-Football-Reference.com.Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedFebruary 19,2015.
- ^Steve Williams (October 12, 2015)."Admiring grandson says it's cool to have a NFL great in family".The Knoxville Focus.
- ^abc"Hall of Fame Candidate Capsule: Paul Naumoff".National Football Foundation.RetrievedFebruary 19,2016.
- ^"Paul Naumoff".University of Tennessee.RetrievedFebruary 19,2016.
- ^"Vols Give Game Ball To Linebacker Naumoff".St. Louis Post-Dispatch.January 1, 1967. p. 2G.
- ^"2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections"(PDF).National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 7. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on November 26, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 19,2016.
- ^Jack Saylor (December 23, 1975)."3 Lions Are Standouts in Up-and-Down '75 Season".Detroit Free Press.p. 2C.
- ^abCurt Sylvester (July 19, 1979)."Lions' Naumoff retires".Detroit Free Press.pp. 1D, 9D.
- ^"Player Season Finder Query Results".Pro-Football-Reference.com.Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedFebruary 20,2016.
- ^Jack Saylor (December 31, 1979)."Beer seller Naumoff: Lions brewed own troubles".Detroit Free Press.p. 2C.