Sidney "Sunshine" Gepford (December 15, 1896 – September 9, 1924) was an American football halfback who played one season in the American Professional Football Association (APFA) with the Decatur Staleys. He is considered one of the first APFA/NFL players to die, since the league's formation in 1920, and the first as a result of football-related head injuries.[1][2]
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | December 15, 1896 Decatur, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died: | September 9, 1924 (aged 27) Marion, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight: | 152 lb (69 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Decatur (IL) Stephen Decatur |
| College: | Millikin Bethany |
| Position: | Halfback |
| Career history | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life and education
editGepford was born in Decatur, Illinois, the youngest child of Capitola (Knight) and John F. Gepford, the custodians of the Decatur Poor Farm.[3] He attended Stephen Decatur High School in Decatur. He first enrolled at Millikin University before attending Bethany College.
Football career
editWith the Millikin Big Blue, Gepford played halfback and quarterback for the football team whilst captaining and playing running guard for the basketball team.[4] In November 1919, he and teammate Roy Adkins joined the Staleys for their game against the Taylorville Independents, which the Staleys won. However, the two were exposed by Millikin head coach Norman Wann and banned from Millikin athletics for violating their amateur athlete statuses, though they were allowed to remain in school.[5][6] They permanently joined the Staleys for the remainder of the year and into 1920, with Gepford playing quarterback/halfback for the football team and was a member of the basketball team.[7][8] He also worked for A. E. Staley in the summer.[1]
In 1922, Gepford and Adkins enrolled at Bethany College on the advice of a former Millikin coach. As Bethany did not have rules regarding amateur eligibility, the two were also joined by players from the Staleys.[9] During a 1923 game against Butler, Gepford suffered multiple concussions but continued to play. Due to the injury, he began experiencing headaches that persisted while he worked at Staley and prepared for his new job as athletic director and high school history teacher at Marion High School in Marion, Illinois. On September 9, 1924, he committed suicide by gunshot, which his mother attributed to his concussion (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).
References
edit- ^ a b "Sidney H. Gepford". Staley Museum. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ "Sidney Gepford". oldestlivingprofootball.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ Sorensen, Mark W. (September 21, 2022). "The Life, Death And Legacy of 'Sunshine' Sidney Gepford". Decatur Tribune. Osborne Publications. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "2,000 persons see Charleston humbled". The Decatur Herald. November 9, 1919. Retrieved November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Two Millikin men out of athletics". Decatur Daily Review. November 13, 1919. Retrieved November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "May dismiss Millikin men from school". The Decatur Herald. November 13, 1919. Retrieved November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Arcola team falls to Staleys by score 41-0". The Decatur Herald. November 24, 1919. Retrieved November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Star players try out for Staley quintet". The Decatur Herald. November 19, 1919. Retrieved November 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Roy Adkins". Staley Museum. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
Further reading
edit- Cassidy, Alex (2022). Sunshine: The Tragic True Story of the NFL's First Suicide, ASIN: B0B3F48B7W
