John "Paddy" Driscoll
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| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | W | L | T | PCT | W | L |
| 1956 | 9 | 2 | 1 | .750 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 14 | 9 | 1 | .583 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 14 | 10 | 1 | .560 | ||
Born: January 11, 1895 in Evanston, IL
Died: June 29, 1968 in Chicago, IL
Paddy Driscoll became the Chicago Bears 5th head coach in 1956. George Halas stepped down as Head Coach and promoted Driscoll from his Bears Assistant Coach position, a post he held for 15 years. Driscoll, counting his playing days with the Bears, had been part of the Bears organization for 19 years. Halas and Driscoll were teammates in the 1919 Rose Bowl. Driscoll accounted for 236 total yards including a 32-yard pass to game MVP George Halas.
Driscoll starred for the Chicago Cardinals and Chicago Bears during the 1920s when the NFL was forming. Driscoll held his own as a player and was considered on of the best in his day along with Harold “Red” Grange and George Halas. Driscoll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the summer of 1963. That same year, Driscoll had retired from coaching but remained with the Bears as Director of Research and Planning. He held that position until his death in the summer of 1968 at the age of 73.
Coaching Career
Driscoll retired as an active player after the 1929 season but remained in football for the remainder of his life. He turned to coaching, first at St. Mel's High School in Chicago and then at Marquette University before returning to the Bears as a backfield coach in 1941. He remained as an assistant coach until 1956, when he was named head coach. He held the position for two seasons before returning to an Assistant position when George Halas decided to return as head coach in 1958.
• 1958-1963—Chicago Bears Assistant (George Halas returned to the sideline in 1958)
• 1956-1957—Chicago Bears Head Coach
• 1941-1955—Chicago Bears Assistant Coach
• 1937-1940 Marquette University Head Coach
• 1930-1936 St. Mel’s HS (Chicago) Head Coach
Playing Career
Driscoll captained Northwestern in his junior year and scored a touchdown and a field goal in a 10-0 win over the University of Chicago. He entered the Navy in 1917, shortly after the U. S. got involved in World War I, and played for the Great Lakes Naval Training Station team. In 1918, his team was undefeated as Driscoll starred in a 17-0 victory over the Mare Island Marines in the 1919 Rose Bowl game. He gained 236 yards in total offense, including a 32-yard touchdown pass to George Halas.
After playing for the independent Hammond, IN, Pros in 1919, Driscoll joined the Chicago Cardinals of the American Professional Football Association (now the NFL) in 1920. Driscoll was the Cardinals' starring quarterback and main gate attraction. Cardinal owner Mr. O'Brien had hired Driscoll at the eye-popping sum of $300 a game.
Driscoll was not a big football player even by 1920 standards-just 5-11 and 160 pounds. However, what he lacked in size he made up for in skill. Driscoll was a brilliant on-field leader who was a threat to score at any moment because he was a skilled runner, passer, receiver, defensive ball hawk, and kicker. He was both as a punter and a drop-kicker. Statistics were not kept in the NFL until 1932 so it’s near impossible to determine how many yards Driscoll amassed. However, his scoring records and drop-kicking feats are well documented.
• 1926-1929—Chicago Bears via trade from Cardinals.
• 1920-1925—Chicago Cardinals (American Professional Football Association—now the NFL)
• 1919—Hammond Pros (Hammond, IN)
• 1917-1919—Great Lakes Naval Training Station (U.S. Navy)
• 1914-1917—Northwestern University Tailback/Quarterback/Punter/Kicker
