Charles Arthur Pharmer (July 21, 1908 – February 1, 1970) was an American football player who played at the halfback and fullback positions. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1927 to 1929. He also played in the National Football League (NFL) for the 1930 Minneapolis Red Jackets and the 1930 and 1931 Frankford Yellow Jackets.
| No. 2 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Halfback, fullback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 21, 1908 Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Died: | February 1, 1970 (aged 61) Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 186 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Gonzaga (WA) |
| College: | Minnesota |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early years and college
editPharmer was born in Spokane, Washington, in 1908.[1] He attended Gonzaga High School. He was captain of the Gonzaga High football team in 1925.[2]
He played college football for Minnesota from 1926 to 1929.[3] On October 27, 1929, he scored 22 points in a victory over Ripon.[4] He tied for the Big Ten Conference scoring title during the 1929 season.[5]
In early 1930, he also played basketball on an independent barnstorming team organized by his University of Minnesota teammate, Bronko Nagurski.[6]
Professional football
editMinneapolis Red Jackets
editIn September 1930, Pharmer joined the Minneapolis Red Jackets of the NFL. He appeared in a total of eight games for the Red Jackets, five of them as a starter.[1] On September 21, he kicked five extra points in the Red Jacket's season opener against the Northland Oils.[7] On October 12, as the team's starting halfback, he intercepted two passes in 13–0 victory over the Portsmouth Panthers.[8]
Frankford Yellow Jackets
editIn mid-November 1930, Pharmer joined the Frankford Yellow Jackets of the NFL. He appeared in the final five games of the 1930 season for the Frankford team.[1] On November 15, he kicked the game-winning extra point in a 7–6 victory over Portsmouth.[9] He returned to the Yellow Jackets for the 1931 season, starting two games.[1]
During two seasons in the NFL, Pharmer appeared in a total of 15 games, 12 as a starter.[1]
Minor league football
editAfter his NFL career ended, Pharmer continued to play for minor league teams. During the 1931 season, he played for the Clifton Heights Orange & Black. He was described as the team's "big gun", scoring 13 points in the first half of a game against the Bethlehem Panthers.[10] He moved to the Eastern United States and played at the fullback position for the Pittsfield Professionals of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.[11][12] In 1933, he played for the Albany Knickerbockers of Albany, New York.[13] He returned to Minnesota in 1934, playing for the University of Minnesota All Stars and Ken Haycraft's St. Paul All Stars.[14][15]
Later years
editAfter retiring from football, he worked at a Minneapolis sporting good store, specializing in fishing.[16][17] In 1939, he pursued, tackled, and captured a shoplifter who attempted to steal and then ran from the store.[18] After tackling the shoplifter, Pharmer delivered him to the police.[18] He later moved to White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and later still to Dayton, Ohio. He died in Dayton in 1970 at age 61.[19]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Art Pharmer". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ "Bullpups Given Signal Practice". Spokane Chronicle. September 21, 1925. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Art Pharmer Expected To Become Star". The Dayton Herald. October 24, 1929. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Art Pharmer Has Big Day". The Spokesman Review. October 28, 1929. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Art Pharmer Shares Lead". The Minneapolis Star. November 25, 1929. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Nagurski Team Battles Foley Outfit Sunday". St. Cloud Times. January 22, 1930. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Red Jacket Team Drubs Oilers, 90–0". The Minneapolis Tribune. September 22, 1930. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Red Jackets Meet Unbeaten Team Sunday". The Minneapolis Star. October 13, 1930. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jackets Beat Spartans 7 To 6". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 16, 1930. p. 38 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Clifton Heights Eleven Defeats Bethlehem Panthers Before 3000 Spectators: Former Frankford Stars Play Major Roles for Clifton". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 16, 1931. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pro Eleven Scores Win". The Berkshire Eagle. November 7, 1932. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pros Lose Home Contest". The Berkshire Eagle. October 17, 1932. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pharmer Stars in Grid Victory on Albany Field". The Berkshire Eagle. December 4, 1934. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marines To Play All Stars Sunday". Leader-Telegram. September 19, 1935. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Former Gopher to Face Local Eleven". The Minneapolis Star. October 12, 1935. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Welcome Help For Fishermen". The Minneapolis Star. May 14, 1936. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Referee's Sporting Chat". The Berkshire Eagle. April 13, 1940. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Blocks That Theft". The Minneapolis Tribune. February 25, 1939. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rites Wednesday for Art Pharmer". The Minneapolis Star. February 9, 1970. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.