Len Sedbrook

Len Sedbrook
No. 14
PositionHalfback
Personal information
Born(1905-01-13)January 13, 1905
Goltry, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedApril 22, 1986(1986-04-22) (aged 81)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight174 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolGoltry (Goltry, Oklahoma)
CollegePhillips (1924–1927)
Career history
* Offseason or practice squad member only
Career statistics
Touchdowns25 or 28[a]
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Leonard Roy Sedbrook (January 13, 1905 – April 22, 1986) was an American professional football halfback. He played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Wolverines and New York Giants and jointly led the league in touchdowns along with Ernie Nevers in 1929.[3][4]

Early life

Sedbrook was born on January 13, 1905, in Goltry, Oklahoma.[5] He grew up competing in multiple sports, including football, basketball, baseball,[6] and track,[7] and attended Goltry High School.[8][9][10] In baseball, he was a member of the Enid Harvesters minor league team in 1924, appearing at center field and pitcher.[11][12] Sedbrook enrolled at Phillips University in Enid, where he became a top player for the football, basketball and baseball teams.[13][14][15] He played football from 1924 to 1927.[16][17] In 1925, he was a second-team all-state selection and reported in The Enid Daily Eagle to be "without a doubt" one of their top two stars.[18] Sedbrook was described as "one of the best broken field runners" in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference.[19]

Sedbrook captained the 1925–26 Phillips basketball team after their original captain did not report.[20] He helped them to their first conference title in basketball and afterwards was re-elected captain for the following season.[21] He also was named second-team all-conference and third-team all-state for the 1926 football season.[22][23] He repeated as an all-state football selection in 1927, then played a final season with the basketball team in 1927–28.[24][25] In his last football season, Sedbrook "almost single-handedly" led Phillips to a defeat of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, the latter's only loss of the year, and which prevented them from winning the state title.[26][27] One local paper described him as "one of the most versatile athletes that ever wore the colors of Phillips".[28] After leaving school, Sedbrook began working for the Comar Oil Company and signed with their baseball team, the Comar Oilers, in 1928.[29] He also spent time with the Enid Independents.[30]

Professional career

Detroit Wolverines

After college, Sedbrook signed to play professional football for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL), but was sold to the Detroit Wolverines in August 1928, before the regular season.[31] In the first exhibition game of the season, he scored a 55-yard rushing touchdown.[32] During the regular season, Sedbrook served as one of the Wolverines' backs and saw significant action as a runner.[33] He helped the Wolverines win their first three games of the season, after which they were defeated for the first time by the Frankford Yellow Jackets.[34]

Against the Yellow Jackets, Sedbrook scored his first NFL touchdown and his team's only score of the game, returning an interception 61 yards for the touchdown.[35] He later was one of the team's stars in a 13–0 win against the New York Yankees, catching a 35-yard touchdown pass from Benny Friedman and catching a 25-yard pass to set up another touchdown; the Detroit Free Press commented that "Friedman and Sedbrook were almost the whole show ... Sedbrook [was] here, there and everywhere on the field, intercepted passes thrown by Red Smith and Wild Bill Kelly or snared those thrown by his team-mates".[36] The Wolverines won their last four games of the season to finish with a record of 7–2–1, 3rd place in the NFL.[37] Sedbrook scored one rushing touchdown and one other receiving touchdown during the season; Pro Football Reference credits him with one other touchdown, for five total, while Pro Football Archives lists him with four on the year.[38][39] He was third on the team in scoring and had their only interception return touchdown of the season.[40] After the season, Sedbrook appeared for an NFL all-star team that defeated the Hominy Indians 27–0, and he posted two touchdowns in the game.[41]

An article about Sedbrook's first professional season in The Enid Morning News said, "Sedbrook, Haymaker back, who is doing good work in professional football this year, tells the Enid boys that they sure sock you in the big time circuits. Sometimes, says Sedbrook, they open a hole purposely, hoping that the back will step into it. Sedbrook makes his yardage in a broken field principally, but declares they sure know how to tackle."[42]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sources conflict.[1][2]

References

  1. ↑ "Len Sedbrook Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Len Sedbrook Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
  3. ↑ ""Pro" Football Growing Fast in East, Says N. Y. Giant Ace". The Wichita Eagle. December 17, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "1929 NFL Scoring Summary". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Len Sedbrook Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Haymaker Cage Captain Is All 'Round Athlete". The Daily Oklahoman. January 17, 1926. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Sedbrook To Comar Oilers". Cherokee Messenger. April 24, 1928. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Len Sedbrook Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Boy's Teams". The Cherokee Republican. February 16, 1923. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Ball Tossers Ready To Go". The Enid Morning News. March 30, 1924. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Ball Tossers Ready To Go". The Enid Morning News. March 30, 1924. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Errors, Walks Defeat Locals". The Enid Daily Eagle. July 18, 1924. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Haymaker Cage Captain Is All 'Round Athlete". The Daily Oklahoman. January 17, 1926. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Enid Athletes Get Places On Star Elevens". The Enid Daily Eagle. December 7, 1925. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Strauss, Dutch (March 27, 1928). "Sport Chaff". The Enid Morning News. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Haymaker Cage Captain Is All 'Round Athlete". The Daily Oklahoman. January 17, 1926. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Strauss, Dutch (December 1, 1927). "Sport Chaff". The Enid Morning News. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Enid Athletes Get Places On Star Elevens". The Enid Daily Eagle. December 7, 1925. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Len Sedbrook Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Haymaker Cage Captain Is All 'Round Athlete". The Daily Oklahoman. January 17, 1926. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Haymakers Elect Leonard Sedbrook". The Enid Morning News. March 25, 1926. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Oklahoma Collegiate Conference All-Star Selections". The Wichita Eagle. December 6, 1926. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "World Names All-State Coolege Team [sic]". Morning Examiner. Associated Press. December 5, 1926. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ Strauss, Dutch (December 1, 1927). "Sport Chaff". The Enid Morning News. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Phillips Quintet On Trip To Coast". The Wichita Eagle. December 12, 1927. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Professional Elevens Clash in Gridiron Finale Here Today". The Tulsa Tribune. December 30, 1928. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Tulsa Yearly Results (1925-1929)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  28. ↑ Strauss, Dutch (March 27, 1928). "Sport Chaff". The Enid Morning News. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "Sedbrook Quits School". The Enid Morning News. April 18, 1928. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ "Sedbrook To Play Here". The Enid Morning News. June 13, 1928. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ "Benny And Sed". The Enid Morning News. August 18, 1928. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ "Sedbrook And Owens". The Enid Morning News. September 26, 1928. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Former State Gridmen Star On Pro Grids". Tulsa World. October 28, 1928. p. 62 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "1928 Detroit Wolverines (NFL)". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Frankford Yellow Jackets Jolt Wolverines, 25 to 7". Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette. November 4, 1928. p. 38 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "Bennie's Arm Beats Yankees". Detroit Free Press. November 19, 1928. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "1928 Detroit Wolverines (NFL)". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Len Sedbrook Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Len Sedbrook Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
  40. ↑ "1928 Detroit Wolverines (NFL)". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
  41. ↑ "All-Stars Take Easy Pro Grid Win Over Injuns". Tulsa World. December 31, 1928. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ↑ "Sock". The Enid Morning News. November 17, 1928. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
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