Member Biography

He was slow afoot and not at all what you would expect a quarterback to be. But Paul Christman could throw the football, and that was all that mattered to Missouri coach Don Faurot. Christman led Mizzou to national prominence and 20 victories in his 28 varsity games. Along the way, the tall blond bomber established Missouri passing records which stood for nearly 30 years. "I knew I was awkward," Christman confessed later. "Coach Faurot knew I had to be able to run to make my passing effective, so he spent hours in the off- season, working with me on quick starts and short sprints. I actually improved my speed.� Christman ran the ball an average of 10 times a game and passed it 16 times. He made four All-America teams in 1939 and led the nation in touchdown passes, 13, in 1940. He played quarterback for the Chicago Cardinals 1945-49 and Green Bay 1950 and earned a nickname: �Pitchin� Paul.� Christman then became a star football broadcaster on national television. He was born March 5, 1918, in St. Louis and died March 2, 1970 in Lake Forest, Illinois