Bill Daley (American football)
Encyclopedia
William Edward "Bullet" Daley (born September 16, 1919) was an All-American
fullback
who played for the University of Minnesota
Golden Gophers
from 1940–1942 and for the University of Michigan
Wolverines
in 1943. The Gophers were National Champions in his freshman and sophomore years. He enlisted in the United States Navy
in 1943 and was assigned to the V-12 Navy College Training Program
at the University of Michigan. He played football for the Wolverines in 1943 where he rushed
for 817 yards in just six games before being reassigned by the Navy. Based on his performance in 1943, he was named an All-American and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy
voting. Daley has the unique status of having played in and won Little Brown Jug
games for both Minnesota and Michigan, compiling a record of 4-0 in those contests. After active service in the Pacific Theater
during World War II
, Daley played professional football for three years in the All-America Football Conference
with the Brooklyn Dodgers
(1946), the Miami Seahawks
(1946), the Chicago Rockets
(1947), and the New York Yankees
(1948). He later was one of the radio announcers for Minnesota Golden Gophers football
for ten years and for the Minnesota Vikings
when they first arrived in Minnesota. Since 1973, he has owned and operated the Daley Illustration Gallery in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota
.
. After graduating from high school in St. Cloud, Minnesota
, Daley moved to Chicago
, Illinois
to pursue a career as a boxer
. Daley attended DePaul University
in Chicago, where he met a track and field coach
who persuaded him to pursue football.
where he played football from 1940-1942. He played on two National Championship teams at Minnesota in 1940 and 1941, and the Gophers narrowly missed a third national championship in 1942. The Gophers beat Michigan in the Little Brown Jug
game all three years Daley played there. In 1940, the Gophers beat Tom Harmon
's Wolverines 7-6. Harmon missed an extra point
that cost Michigan the game.
. Because of his college background, Daley was selected to attend a midshipman
academy at Columbia University
in New York City
. He was ordered to report to the University of Michigan because it had a V-12 Navy College Training Program
. He stayed in Ann Arbor
for only six months while waiting for an opening in the program at Columbia. While in Ann Arbor, recruits were required to remain in good physical shape and were given two choices: either participate in Navy fitness classes or work out with the Michigan football team. Michigan's football coach Fritz Crisler
took advantage of the opportunity and convinced Daley to play for his football team, as Daldy had one year of eligibility remaining.
He played for Michigan in 1943 where he was the nation's fourth best groundgainer despite playing in only six games. Daley's speed and power helped the Wolverines tie Purdue
for the Big Ten Conference
title. Daley averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored nine touchdown
s. He carried the ball 120 times, rushed for 817 yards and added another 119 yards on six punt returns. In addition to his six touchdowns, he kicked three extra points
, for a total of 57 points scored. His best game came on October 2, 1943 at Evanston, Illinois
, as Michigan beat Northwestern
, 21-7 win. In that game, Daley gained 216 yards and scored two touchdowns in 26 carries.
In his final college football game, he helped the Wolverines win back the Little Brown Jug
that he had helped the Gophers secure from 1940-1942. He holds the distinction of being the only player to win Little Brown Jug games playing for both Minnesota and Michigan. Asked at the time about having the opportunity to battle for the Little Brown Jug from the other side of the fence, Daley denied having qualms about playing his former teammates: "It will have to be just another game. I look at it just as though it were an intrasquad scrimmage
. There won't be any qualms about how hard I hit my teammates or how hard they hit me." He did note, though, that he wanted his last college football game to be memorable: "If this is going to be my last game, I'd really like it to be one I can remember."
Daley later recalled the significance of the Little Brown Jug in the years he played: "We were always told to never lose this game. Winning the Little Brown Jug was very important to us. Fortunately I was able to go 4-0 in Little Brown Jug games while playing for both teams." Daley recalled that it was strange playing against his former Gopher teammates in the 1943 Jug game: "It was strange as I was playing against my teammates and friends, but I think it was the idea of winning the Little Brown Jug that motivated me. We beat Minnesota 49-6 and the Jug came to Michigan. It was a wild story." The Michigan victory snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Gophers.
In addition to Daley, the 1943 Michigan team also benefited from the arrival of another wartime transfer, Pro Football Hall of Famer Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch
from Wisconsin. The press referred to Daley and Hirsch as "a pair of 'lend-lease' satellites."
He was named an All-American by the Associated Press
and Collier's
/Grantland Rice
, and he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. When Daley was named an All-American along with Otto Graham
in the backfield, one reporter referred to Daley as "Minnesota's gift to Michigan by way of the Navy V-12 class." The article noted that Daley was a speedster who could run 100 yards in 10 seconds. He gained 817 yards in just six games before being moved elsewhere by the Navy.
Though he never planned to play for Michigan, Daley looked back on the opportunity as a stroke of luck. "I was a lucky guy. I got to play for two great schools, but playing at Michigan was one of the greatest thrills I could have had. When I was at Michigan, I was the happiest guy in the world." Asked what it means to have played an important part in the football traditions at both Minnesota and Michigan, Daley said: "It means a lot to me. Both programs have been so wonderful to me long after I played. I am a member of both Hall of Fames and that is very special."
Daley said his one disappointment about his college football career was that he never played on a team that beat Notre Dame
. In 1943, Michigan lost to Notre Dame, 35-12. Despite 135 yards on 24 carries by Daley (the most yards gained on Notre Dame by any back in 1943), Michigan suffered its only loss to Notre Dame. Said Daley, "I wanted to beat them so bad, and I played one of the best games of my life, but it wasn't to be."
In 1983, A Century of All Americans chose Daley as one of the All Time Football Fullbacks. In 2005, Daley was selected as one of the 100 greatest Michigan football players of all time by the "Motown Sports Revival," ranking 63rdt on the all-time team.
, China
.
as the seventh overall selection of the 1943 NFL Draft
, but he never played for the team.
After the war, Daley signed a $30,000 contract to play professional football in the new All-America Football Conference
. He played four seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers
, the Miami Seahawks
the Chicago Rockets
, and New York Yankees
. Daley recalled that football players "didn't get paid much during those days, but did it for the love of the game." In comparing college and professional football in the 1940s, Daley noted: "I think most of us enjoyed the college days better." Daley's best season in professional football was 1947, when he played with Chicago. He played in 14 games for the Rockets and had 633 yards of total offense: 447 yards rushing (including a 52-yard run) in 121 carries; 116 yards receiving on 12 catches; and 70 yards passing with three completions in six passes.
and got his degree in education. He spent ten years in the broadcast booth for the Minnesota Golden Gophers
with Dick Enroth and Ray Christensen. He also did a few years of color analysis on radio broadcasts of the Minnesota Vikings
when the franchise began in the early 1960s.
Daley had always been passionate about art, but according to Daley, he "never had the talent to paint or draw at a high level." He became an art collector. In the early 1970s, Daley and his wife, Melba, opened their first studio. In approximately 1974, they then opened the Daly Illustration Art Gallery in the Hyatt Regency Hotel
in downtown Minneapolis. Since 1974, Daley has owned and operated Daley Illustration Gallery located in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1300 Nicollet Mall
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. The Daley Illustration Gallery has 500 original illustrations, making it one of the finest illustration painting collections in the world. In a 1993 interview, Daley said, "Some people just come in to talk football, but don't know much about painting."
and still active in their art gallery in downtown Minneapolis.
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
who played for the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
from 1940–1942 and for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
in 1943. The Gophers were National Champions in his freshman and sophomore years. He enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1943 and was assigned to the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
at the University of Michigan. He played football for the Wolverines in 1943 where he rushed
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
for 817 yards in just six games before being reassigned by the Navy. Based on his performance in 1943, he was named an All-American and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting. Daley has the unique status of having played in and won Little Brown Jug
Little Brown Jug (football)
The Little Brown Jug is an earthenware jug that serves as a trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played annually by the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the university of Minnesota and the Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan...
games for both Minnesota and Michigan, compiling a record of 4-0 in those contests. After active service in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Daley played professional football for three years in the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
with the Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)
The Brooklyn Dodgers was an American Football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1948. The team is unrelated to the Brooklyn Dodgers that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943...
(1946), the Miami Seahawks
Miami Seahawks
The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference for one season, 1946, before folding...
(1946), the Chicago Rockets
Chicago Rockets
The Chicago Rockets was an American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During the 1949 season, the team was known as the Chicago Hornets...
(1947), and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (AAFC)
The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...
(1948). He later was one of the radio announcers for Minnesota Golden Gophers football
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
for ten years and for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
when they first arrived in Minnesota. Since 1973, he has owned and operated the Daley Illustration Gallery in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
.
Early years
Daley was born and raised in Melrose, MinnesotaMelrose, Minnesota
Melrose is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,598 at the 2010 census. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. After graduating from high school in St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
, Daley moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
to pursue a career as a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. Daley attended DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
in Chicago, where he met a track and field coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
who persuaded him to pursue football.
University of Minnesota
Daley enrolled at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
where he played football from 1940-1942. He played on two National Championship teams at Minnesota in 1940 and 1941, and the Gophers narrowly missed a third national championship in 1942. The Gophers beat Michigan in the Little Brown Jug
Little Brown Jug (football)
The Little Brown Jug is an earthenware jug that serves as a trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played annually by the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the university of Minnesota and the Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan...
game all three years Daley played there. In 1940, the Gophers beat Tom Harmon
Tom Harmon
Thomas Dudley Harmon was a star player in American college football, a sports broadcaster, and patriarch of a family of American actors...
's Wolverines 7-6. Harmon missed an extra point
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
that cost Michigan the game.
University of Michigan
After the 1942 season, Daley enlisted in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Because of his college background, Daley was selected to attend a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
academy at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was ordered to report to the University of Michigan because it had a V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
. He stayed in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
for only six months while waiting for an opening in the program at Columbia. While in Ann Arbor, recruits were required to remain in good physical shape and were given two choices: either participate in Navy fitness classes or work out with the Michigan football team. Michigan's football coach Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
took advantage of the opportunity and convinced Daley to play for his football team, as Daldy had one year of eligibility remaining.
He played for Michigan in 1943 where he was the nation's fourth best groundgainer despite playing in only six games. Daley's speed and power helped the Wolverines tie Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
for the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title. Daley averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored nine touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. He carried the ball 120 times, rushed for 817 yards and added another 119 yards on six punt returns. In addition to his six touchdowns, he kicked three extra points
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
, for a total of 57 points scored. His best game came on October 2, 1943 at Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, as Michigan beat Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
, 21-7 win. In that game, Daley gained 216 yards and scored two touchdowns in 26 carries.
In his final college football game, he helped the Wolverines win back the Little Brown Jug
Little Brown Jug (football)
The Little Brown Jug is an earthenware jug that serves as a trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played annually by the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the university of Minnesota and the Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan...
that he had helped the Gophers secure from 1940-1942. He holds the distinction of being the only player to win Little Brown Jug games playing for both Minnesota and Michigan. Asked at the time about having the opportunity to battle for the Little Brown Jug from the other side of the fence, Daley denied having qualms about playing his former teammates: "It will have to be just another game. I look at it just as though it were an intrasquad scrimmage
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
. There won't be any qualms about how hard I hit my teammates or how hard they hit me." He did note, though, that he wanted his last college football game to be memorable: "If this is going to be my last game, I'd really like it to be one I can remember."
Daley later recalled the significance of the Little Brown Jug in the years he played: "We were always told to never lose this game. Winning the Little Brown Jug was very important to us. Fortunately I was able to go 4-0 in Little Brown Jug games while playing for both teams." Daley recalled that it was strange playing against his former Gopher teammates in the 1943 Jug game: "It was strange as I was playing against my teammates and friends, but I think it was the idea of winning the Little Brown Jug that motivated me. We beat Minnesota 49-6 and the Jug came to Michigan. It was a wild story." The Michigan victory snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Gophers.
In addition to Daley, the 1943 Michigan team also benefited from the arrival of another wartime transfer, Pro Football Hall of Famer Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch
Elroy Hirsch
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was an American football running back and receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Rockets, nicknamed for his unusual running style.-Early life:...
from Wisconsin. The press referred to Daley and Hirsch as "a pair of 'lend-lease' satellites."
He was named an All-American by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and Collier's
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
/Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
, and he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. When Daley was named an All-American along with Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
in the backfield, one reporter referred to Daley as "Minnesota's gift to Michigan by way of the Navy V-12 class." The article noted that Daley was a speedster who could run 100 yards in 10 seconds. He gained 817 yards in just six games before being moved elsewhere by the Navy.
Though he never planned to play for Michigan, Daley looked back on the opportunity as a stroke of luck. "I was a lucky guy. I got to play for two great schools, but playing at Michigan was one of the greatest thrills I could have had. When I was at Michigan, I was the happiest guy in the world." Asked what it means to have played an important part in the football traditions at both Minnesota and Michigan, Daley said: "It means a lot to me. Both programs have been so wonderful to me long after I played. I am a member of both Hall of Fames and that is very special."
Daley said his one disappointment about his college football career was that he never played on a team that beat Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
. In 1943, Michigan lost to Notre Dame, 35-12. Despite 135 yards on 24 carries by Daley (the most yards gained on Notre Dame by any back in 1943), Michigan suffered its only loss to Notre Dame. Said Daley, "I wanted to beat them so bad, and I played one of the best games of my life, but it wasn't to be."
In 1983, A Century of All Americans chose Daley as one of the All Time Football Fullbacks. In 2005, Daley was selected as one of the 100 greatest Michigan football players of all time by the "Motown Sports Revival," ranking 63rdt on the all-time team.
Military service
After spending six months in Ann Arbor, Daley went on to Columbia University where he was a Regimental Commander for Columbia University's Naval unit. After graduating from midshipman school, Daley went to Florida for amphibious training. He was on his way to the Pacific Theater when the war ended in August 1945. He remained overseas for a time, and played in an Army-Navy football game in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Professional football
Daley was selected by the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as the seventh overall selection of the 1943 NFL Draft
1943 NFL Draft
The 1943 National Football League Draft was held on April 8, 1943.This draft is the first and oldest NFL Draft not to produce a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:...
, but he never played for the team.
After the war, Daley signed a $30,000 contract to play professional football in the new All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
. He played four seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)
The Brooklyn Dodgers was an American Football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1948. The team is unrelated to the Brooklyn Dodgers that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943...
, the Miami Seahawks
Miami Seahawks
The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference for one season, 1946, before folding...
the Chicago Rockets
Chicago Rockets
The Chicago Rockets was an American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During the 1949 season, the team was known as the Chicago Hornets...
, and New York Yankees
New York Yankees (AAFC)
The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...
. Daley recalled that football players "didn't get paid much during those days, but did it for the love of the game." In comparing college and professional football in the 1940s, Daley noted: "I think most of us enjoyed the college days better." Daley's best season in professional football was 1947, when he played with Chicago. He played in 14 games for the Rockets and had 633 yards of total offense: 447 yards rushing (including a 52-yard run) in 121 carries; 116 yards receiving on 12 catches; and 70 yards passing with three completions in six passes.
Broadcasting career
Following a career in professional football, Daley returned to the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and got his degree in education. He spent ten years in the broadcast booth for the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
with Dick Enroth and Ray Christensen. He also did a few years of color analysis on radio broadcasts of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
when the franchise began in the early 1960s.
Daley Illustration Gallery
Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corporation , is an international operator of hotels.Hyatt Center is the headquarters for Hyatt corporation...
in downtown Minneapolis. Since 1974, Daley has owned and operated Daley Illustration Gallery located in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1300 Nicollet Mall
Nicollet Mall
Nicollet Mall is a portion of Nicollet Avenue running through downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Working as a pedestrian and transit mall, it is also an upscale shopping and dining district...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The Daley Illustration Gallery has 500 original illustrations, making it one of the finest illustration painting collections in the world. In a 1993 interview, Daley said, "Some people just come in to talk football, but don't know much about painting."
Family
Daley married his wife, Melba, in 1972. As of 2004, they were living in Edina, MinnesotaEdina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
and still active in their art gallery in downtown Minneapolis.