John Joseph "Jack" Concannon, Jr. (February 25, 1943 – November 28, 2005) was an American football player. He played professionally as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) with the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions.[1][2]
Playing career
He played halfback and quarterback for Boston College and was the first selection of the 1964 American Football League draft, picked by the Boston Patriots on November 30, 1963. Concannon was the 16th overall selection in the 1964 NFL draft, taken in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed him to a $50,000 contract.[3]
He saw limited playing time behind Eagles starting quarterback Norm Snead. In 1966, Concannon led the Eagles to several early December wins that allowed Philadelphia to finish the season with a 9-5 record and a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference of the NFL. He played with Philadelphia from 1964 through 1966 and then was traded to the Chicago Bears for tight end Mike Ditka. He played for five years with the Bears. In 1967, Concannon rushed for a career-high 279 yards, but he was injured during the 1968 season and never put up significant rushing numbers again. His most productive season as a passer came in 1970, when he set career marks with 385 attempts, 194 completions, 2130 yards, and 16 TDs; as well as throwing 18 interceptions. His performance quickly dropped off after that, as he was limited to just three games due to an injury in 1971, his last season with the Bears. He was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, and played on the practice squad for two seasons. He was picked up by the Green Bay Packers in 1974 and ended his career as a backup in 1975 with the Detroit Lions.
Legal problems
In March 1981, Concannon was arrested on charges that he delivered a kilogram (2.2 lb) of cocaine to an undercover drug agent in Schaumburg, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago.[4][5] A year later in March 1982, he was acquitted.[6] He successfully argued entrapment after admitting he was in desperate financial straits, but Cook County Criminal Court Judge Earl Strayhorn admonished Concannon:[7]
"Seldom have I been confronted with a situation where a man has displayed such woeful lack of good judgment, particularly when that person has been in the limelight . . . has been supposedly a leader of men."[6]
Other work
During his NFL career, Concannon became a partner in a restaurant. He also dabbled in acting, with a cameo appearance in the original theatrical film MASH (1970), and as himself in the critically acclaimed TV movie Brian's Song (1971),[8][9] the story of Chicago Bears teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers.
Death
Concannon died at age 62 in 2005 of a heart attack in Newton, Massachusetts.[1][2][9] He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Waltham.
References
- 1 2 Fitzpatrick, Frank (December 1, 2005). "Jack Concannon dies at 62". Philadelphia Inquirer. (obituary). Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- 1 2 Pierson, Don (November 30, 2005). "Jack Concannon 1943-2005". Chicago Tribune. (obituary). Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Eagles land QB Jack Concannon". Daytona Beach Mourning Journal. Associated Press. December 14, 1963. p. 15.
- ↑ Wood, Henry (March 19, 1981). "Ex-Bear Concannon arrested on drug charge". Chicago Tribune. p. 3, section 4.
- ↑ "Concannon is arrested, charged for dealing dope". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. March 19, 1981. p. 1, part 2.
- 1 2 Brodt, Bonita (March 20, 1982). "Concannon freed in drug case". Chicago Tribune. p. 5, section 1.
- ↑ "Jack Concannon freed by judge". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. UPI. March 20, 1982. p. 12B.
- ↑ Marill, Alvin H. (1987). Movies Made For Television: The Telefeature and the Mini-series, 1964-1986. New York: Baseline/New York Zoetrope. pp. 53–4. ISBN 0-918432-85-5.
- 1 2 "Jack Concannon, former star QB at Boston College". The Boston Globe. November 30, 2005. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
External links
Jack Concannon at Find a Grave
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