Chief Elkins

Fait Vernon "Chief" Elkins (August 16, 1899 – August 9, 1966) was an American football player and decathlete.

Chief Elkins
Personal information
Born:(1899-08-16)August 16, 1899
Utica, New York
Died:August 10, 1966(1966-08-10) (aged 67)
Philadelphia
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Haskell (KS)
College:Haskell, Southeastern State Teachers (Durant, Oklahoma), Dallas University, Nebraska
Position:Back
Career history

Elkins was born in Utica, New York, in 1899. He enrolled at the Haskell Indian School at age 15.[1] He played college football at Haskell (1921-1923), Southeastern State Teachers College, Dallas University, and Nebraska (1926-1927).[1][2] He held the national decathlon record in 1928 while attending Nebraska.[3][4] He pulled a tendon that prevented him from competing in the 1928 Summer Olympics.[1][5]

Elkins also played professional football the National Football League (NFL) as a back for the Frankford Yellow Jackets (1928-1929), Chicago Cardinals (1929), and Cincinnati Reds (1933). He appeared in 20 NFL games, 10 as a starter.[6]

Elkins died in Philadelphia in 1966.[6][7]

He was posthumously profiled by Sports Illustrated in 1991 as "among the greatest athletes ever seen in this country — a golden sportsman during sport's golden age."[1]

References

  1. Bob Gilbert (October 16, 1991). "The Twists of Fait". Sports Illustrated.
  2. "Packers Expect Stiff Opposition From Cardinals". The Post-Crescent. October 3, 1929 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Lo! Another Indian Hope". Fort Worth Record-Telegram. June 14, 1928.
  4. "Decathlon Star Plans Hard Work: 'Chief' Elkins Quits College To Train For Olympics; Now In New York". News and Observer. February 19, 1928 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Elkins Probably Lost to U.S. Olympic Squad". The Lincoln Star. July 3, 1928. p. 10 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Chief Elkins". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  7. "Fait Elkins obituary". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 12, 1966.
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