Chief Elkins Explained

Position:Back
Birth Date:16 August 1899
Birth Place:Utica, New York
Death Place:Philadelphia
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lbs:190
High School:Haskell (KS)
College:Haskell, Southeastern State Teachers (Durant, Oklahoma), Dallas University, Nebraska
Teams:
Pfr:ElkiCh20

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

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

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.[5]

Elkins died in Philadelphia in 1966.[5] [6]

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."[7]

Notes and References

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