Forrest Blue Explained

Forrest Blue
Number:	75, 50
Position:	Center
Birth Date:	7 September 1945
Birth Place:	Marfa, Texas, U.S.
Death Place:	Carmichael, California, U.S.
Height Ft:	6
Height In:	6
Weight Lb:	261
High School:	Chamberlain (Tampa, Florida)
College:	Auburn (1965–1967)
Draftyear:	1968
Draftround:	1
Draftpick:	15
Pastteams:	San Francisco 49ers Baltimore Colts
Highlights:	3× First-team All-Pro (1971–1973) 4× Pro Bowl (1971–1974) Second-team All-SEC (1965) Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Tampa Sports Hall of Fame
Statlabel1:	Games played
Statvalue1:	148
Statlabel2:	Games started
Statvalue2:	82
Statlabel3:	Fumble recoveries
Statvalue3:	5
Pfr:	B/BlueFo00

Forrest Murrell Blue Jr. (September 7, 1945 – July 16, 2011) was an American football center who spent eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers (1968–1974) and Baltimore Colts (1975–1978).

Early years

Blue was born in Marfa, Texas on September 7, 1945. He spent his teenage years in Tampa, Florida where his family moved after his father, a United States Army captain, retired there. A 1963 graduate of George D. Chamberlain High School, he made the National Honor Society and starred on the varsity teams in football, baseball, track and basketball. He was a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class AA football champions in 1961. He eventually was inducted into the Tampa Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and named the sixth-best football player ever from Hillsborough County, Florida by the St. Petersburg Times in 1999.^{[1] [2]}

College career

Blue was a three-year letterman as a center for the Auburn Tigers from 1965 through 1967 under head coach Ralph Jordan.^[3] He played for the College All-Stars in its 34–17 defeat to the Green Bay Packers on August 2, 1968.^{[4] [5]}

In May 2013, he was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Blue was selected 15th overall in the 1968 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Blue helped the team win three straight division titles, and was named an All-Pro team three times.^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

Death

Blue died at an assisted living facility in Carmichael, California of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).^[10] He was one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with this disease, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.^{[11] [12]}

External links

• Gallery of Forrest Blue football cards
• Forrest Blue at Pro Football Reference
• Forrest Blue at Database Football

Notes and References

1. http://tampabayonline.net/reports/top100/no21.htm Pugliese, Nick. "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 21 Forrest Blue," The Tampa Tribune.
2. Web site: Chamberlain star Forrest Blue went on to shine in the NFL . Meacham . Andrew . St. Petersburg Times . July 24, 2011 . December 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040616/http://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/chamberlain-star-forrest-blue-went-on-to-shine-in-the-nfl/1182156 . March 4, 2016 . dead.
3. Web site: 2011 Auburn Football Fact Book . Auburn University Athletics . December 25, 2011 . dead . March 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110617/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/aub/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/2011-supplement.pdf.
4. Web site: 1968 College All-Stars roster . mmbolding.com . December 25, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224236/http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/The_Chicago_All-Star_Game_Roster_1968.htm . March 3, 2016 . dead.
5. Web site: The 1968 College All-Star Game . mmbolding.com . December 25, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120501111042/http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/The_Chicago_All-Star_Game_1968.htm . May 1, 2012 . dead.
6. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1971/allpro.htm "1971 NFL All-Pros" pro-football-reference.com
7. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1972/allpro.htm "1972 NFL All-Pros" pro-football-reference.com
8. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1973/allpro.htm "1973 NFL All-Pros" pro-football-reference.com
9. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1974/allpro.htm "1974 NFL All-Pros" pro-football-reference.com
10. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/20/SPN51KCHLM.DTL "Forrest Blue Dies After Years of Dementia" San Francisco Chronicle
11. News: The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) . Concussion Legacy Foundation . July 2, 2023 . July 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230702123543/https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts . dead .
12. News: Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller . Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease. . . June 20, 2023 . July 2, 2023 .