Jerry Niles

Jerry Niles
Niles, circa 1945
No. 22, 46[1]
PositionQuarterback
Personal information
Born(1919-05-01)May 1, 1919
East Moline, Illinois, U.S.
DiedDecember 27, 1950(1950-12-27) (aged 31)
Sumter, South Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolClinton (Clinton, Iowa)
CollegeIowa
Career history
Awards and highlights
  • ACFL champion (1946)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jerry Maynard Niles Jr. (May 1, 1919 – December 27, 1950) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Early life

Jerry Maynard Niles Jr. was born on May 1, 1919, in East Moline, Illinois.[1] He played high school football at Clinton High School in Clinton, Iowa.[1][2]

College career

Niles enrolled at the University of Iowa to play college football for the Hawkeyes. He was on the freshman team in 1937.[3] He played fullback for the varsity team in 1938, and led the team in rushing yards with 51 carries for 176 yards and two touchdown.[4] Niles also led the Hawkeyes in scoring that year with 16 points (two touchdowns and four extra points).[4] In March 1939, Iowa head coach Eddie Anderson said that Niles would likely play center during the 1939 season.[5] Before the start of the 1939 season, Niles left the team for an unclear reason.[6]

Niles was on the freshman team at Saint Louis University in 1940.[7] He also played hockey for the Billikens.[8] He then served in the United States Navy during World War II as a dive bomber and company commander.[9][2] Niles saw action in the Pacific Theater.[10]

In 1945, Niles returned to the University of Iowa to captain, and quarterback, the Hawkeyes football team.[9] He completed 63 of 177 passes for 889 yards and seven touchdowns.[10] His 889 yards and 177 attempts were both school records while his 63 completions were the third most in the country that year.[10][11]

Professional career

Niles signed with the New York Giants of the National Football League on June 15, 1946.[1] He played for the Giants' farm team, the Jersey Giants of the Atlantic Coast Football League, in 1946 as a left halfback.[1][12] He appeared in five games, starting three, during the 1946 season, completing 16 of 41 passes (39.0%) for 239 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions.[1] He scored 20 points overall during the 1946 season (three touchdowns and two extra points).[1] On December 8, 1946, the Giants played the Akron Bears in the league championship game.[13] Niles threw one touchdown as the Giants won 14–13.[12]

Niles played in four games at quarterback for the New York Giants during the 1947 NFL season before suffering a season-ending injury (two cracked ribs which pinched a nerve, causing neuritis).[14] Overall during the 1947 season, he recorded 19 completions on 57 passing attempts (33.3%) for 269 yards, one touchdown, and seven interceptions while also rushing eight times for 24 yards.[15]

Personal life

Niles was later a district sales organizer for Pillsbury Mills in Florence, South Carolina.[10] He died on December 27, 1950, in Sumter, South Carolina, of injuries suffered in a car accident.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jerry Niles". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Jerry Niles, Former Iowa Athlete, Is Company Commander at Naval Reserve Air Base, Robertson, Mo". Quad-City Times. April 9, 1942. p. 26. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Hawkeyes Start Work For Game With Michigan". The Courier. Associated Press. October 19, 1937. p. 11. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Iowa Hawkeyes' year-by-year statistical leaders". Hawkive.com. July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Jerry Niles Will Play Center For Anderson on 1939 Eleven". Iowa City Press-Citizen. March 22, 1939. p. 11. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Niles Quits Iowa U.; Two Other Gridders On "Absent" List". The Gazette. September 29, 1939. p. 21. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  7. ↑ Tietjen, W. Vernon (November 27, 1940). "Washington U. Star Is Impersonated By Niles Of Frosh Team". The St. Louis Star and Times. p. 19. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Billiken Hockey Player Break the Ice". The St. Louis Star and Times. December 7, 1940. p. 5. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Jerry Niles Defies Axiom; Returns To Gridiron Warfare After Service In Navy; Wins Praise From Mentor". The Daily Times. October 18, 1945. p. 21. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jerry Niles, Former Football Star, Killed". The Daily Times. December 27, 1950. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  11. ↑ W.J. Bingham, ed. (1946). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1946. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 35.
  12. 1 2 Jurgens, Jerry (December 11, 1946). "Sport-O-Scope". The Daily Times. p. 24. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  13. ↑ "1946 Jersey City Giants (AFL)". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Jerry Niles Hurt And Removed From Game for Season". The Daily Times. November 13, 1947. p. 28. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Jerry Niles". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.