John Goldsberry (American football)

John Gerard Goldsberry (November 22, 1926 – January 23, 1972) was an American football defensive tackle and tackle.

John Goldsberry

John Goldsberry, 1947
Personal information
Born:	(1926-11-22)November 22, 1926 Indianapolis
Died:	January 23, 1972(1972-01-23) (aged 45) South Bend, Indiana
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school:	John Adams (IN)
College:	Indiana
Position:	Tackle, guard
NFL Draft:	1949 / Round: 4 / Pick: 40
Career history
Chicago Cardinals (1949-1950)
Career NFL statistics
Games: 20
Player stats at PFR

Goldsberry was born in 1926 in Indianapolis. As a boy, Goldsberry's father, Alonzo Goldsberry, coached various Indiana football teams, including Wabash College.[1] The younger Goldsberry attended John Adams High School in South Bend, Indiana.[2] In April 1945, he became only the third Indiana high school athlete to exceed 53 feet in the 12-pound shot put.[3] He also won the state shot put title in both his junior and senior years and starred in football and basketball in high school.[1]

He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers from 1945 to 1948.[2] He was the regular right tackle on the 1945 Indiana team that won the Big Ten Conference championship. He missed the last half of the 1947 after suffering a knee injury and undergoing surgery to repair the knee.[4] He was selected as captain of the 1948 Indiana Hoosiers football team.[5][6]

Goldsberry was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the fourth round (40th overall pick) of the 1948 NFL Draft.[7] He played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Cardinals in the 1949 and 1950 seasons, appearing in a total of 21 NFL games at the guard and tackle positions.[2]

After retiring from football, he worked as an agent for Jefferson National Life Insurance Co. for 22 years. He died in 1972 at age 45.[8]