George Mrkonic
Encyclopedia
George Ralph Mrkonic is a former American football
offensive tackle in the National Football League
for the Philadelphia Eagles
. He also played in the Canadian Football League
for the BC Lions
.
at the University of Kansas
from 1950 to 1952. During that period, the Jayhawks had a 21-9 record. They finished 8-2 in 1951, the year he was selected as an All-America
n. Mrkonic was selected on the all-conference team in 1950 and 1951. He was also the punter for the Jayhawks, and led Kansas in punting stats in 1951.
in the fourth round (45th overall) in the 1953 NFL Draft
by the Philadelphia Eagles
and played ten games with them that season. In 1956 he tried the Canadian Football League
, playing only one game with the BC Lions
. He later retired and moved to Shawnee Mission Kansas, where he lived with his wife Ruth. He had six grandchildren.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive tackle in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He also played in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
.
College career
Mrkonic played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
from 1950 to 1952. During that period, the Jayhawks had a 21-9 record. They finished 8-2 in 1951, the year he was selected as an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n. Mrkonic was selected on the all-conference team in 1950 and 1951. He was also the punter for the Jayhawks, and led Kansas in punting stats in 1951.
Professional career
Mrkonic was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the fourth round (45th overall) in the 1953 NFL Draft
1953 NFL Draft
The 1953 National Football League Draft was held on January 22, 1953.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:...
by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and played ten games with them that season. In 1956 he tried the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, playing only one game with the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
. He later retired and moved to Shawnee Mission Kansas, where he lived with his wife Ruth. He had six grandchildren.