|
 Jug
Girard Inducted
MILWAUKEE, WI,. April 25 --- Earl "Jug" Girard , freshman
gridiron wizard at U. of Wisconsin last season, has been inducted into
the Army.
{The Stars and Stripes Thursday, April 26, 1945,
page 6]
 Marinette
Player Star
of GI 'World Series'
Frankfurt --- (AP) --- The
60th Infantry regiment of the Ninth division won the "GI World Series:
for the baseball championship of occupied Germany yesterday defeating
the 508th parachute infantry regiment 6-0 for its fourth series victory
against two defeats.
Earl (Jug) Girard of Marinette, Wis., former University of
Wisconsin football star, was the leading batter for the parachute team.
The championship series pitted the winners of two army leagues.
|
 Earl 'Jug' Girard
former Lions player
By Anjah J Sekhar
The Detroit News
Earl
"Jug"
Girard was not an overpowering halfback by today's National
Football League standards But those who knew him said the former Detroit
Lion worked hard .during the team's glory
years.
"Jug" was just one heck of a fine ballplayer," said Jim David, a
former teammate.
What made him stand out was, for his size, he was a scrapper," »aid
Bob Reynolds, who broadcast Lions games from 1952 to 1982. "He
didn't back down far for nobody."
Mr. Girard, who played with the Lion» from 1952 to 1956, died
Friday, Jan. 17, 1997, of cancer in his Rochester Hills home.
He wa» 69.
Visitation will be from 4-9 pm today in the Sawyer-Fuller Funeral
Home. 2125 W 12 Mile in Berkley and 10:30-11 am Monday at St Mary's on
the
Hill, 2875
John R in
Rochester Hills. Services will be at 11 am Monday in Mary's.
Mr. Girard was
born in Marinette. Wis. He was the starting left halfback for tin Lions
in 1952, the start of the
Lions'
championship dynasty. The Lions traded for him as insurance against an
injury to Hall of Famer Doak Walker In 1954, Mr. Girard played end, kick
returner and punter.
Mr. Girard'« NFL career began as a defensive back for the Green Bay
Packers from 1948-52. He retired in 1957, after a year with the
Pittsburgh Stealers.
He served in the Army during World War II and was a manufacturers
representative He held memberships with the NFL Alumni, the NFL Players
Association, and the Canadian League,
His survivors incude his wife. Joan A; his daughter, Jody Gleason;
and his son, Jeff.
Memorials may be sent to Hospice of Southeaster Michigan, 16250
Northland. Suite 214, Southfield, Mich. 48075, or the Make'-a-Wish
Foundation, 202 E Grandview Parkway, P.O, Box 387, Traverse City. Mich.
49684
|
|
While still in high school,
Jug received offers to play baseball for five major league teams but
after graduation he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin where he
played football.
Before even playing his
first college game he was considered the greatest passer ever to play
for the Wisconsin team and became a star player as a 17-year-old
freshman. At the end of the 1944 season, he was selected by Look
magazine as a first-team All-American at the halfback position.
Girard was inducted into the United States Army in
April 1945. In November 1945, Girard was discharged from the Army, but
reenlisted a day later to continue in the military for another year.
 Jug
signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers in 1951. despite a
standout season with multiple intercepts and touchdowns scored, he was
traded to the Detroit Lions in 1952 in exchange for two players..
 At
the end of his first season with the Lions the club won the NFL
Championship, the first of three consecutive championships.
He retired from football in 1958 |
