Merrill Douglas
Merrill George Douglas (born March 15, 1936 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Utah.
![]() Douglas, circa 1957 | |||||
No. 36, 34, 33 | |||||
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Position: | Running back | ||||
Personal information | |||||
Born: | Salt Lake City, Utah | March 15, 1936||||
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
Weight: | 204 lb (93 kg) | ||||
Career information | |||||
High school: | Olympus (UT) | ||||
College: | Utah | ||||
NFL Draft: | 1958 / Round: 6 / Pick: 65 | ||||
Career history | |||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Early years
Douglas attended Granite High School, before transferring to Olympus High School. He received All-state honors at fullback twice. He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Utah.
As a junior, he became a starter and had 83 carries for 504 yards (second on the team), with a 6.1-yard average and 7 touchdowns. As a senior, he posted 97 carries for 646 yards (second in the league), with a 6.7-yard average and 10 touchdowns, while also leading the conference in scoring.[1] He also lettered in baseball.
In 1988, he was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.[2]
Professional career
Chicago Bears
Douglas was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round (65th overall) of the 1958 NFL Draft. He was a backup fullback behind Rick Casares. He was released in 1961.
Dallas Cowboys
On September 7, 1961, he was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys and played in six games.[3] On April 22, 1962, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for offensive tackle Ed Nutting.[4]
Cleveland Browns
On September 10, 1962, he was waived by the Cleveland Browns.[5] He was one of the team's final two cuts as it trimmed its roster to 36, the regular season limit at the time.[6]
Philadelphia Eagles
On September 18, 1962, he was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles.[7] He was the third-string fullback.[8]
New York Jets
On September 3, 1963, he was released by the New York Jets.[9]
Personal life
Douglas was a side judge in the NFL for eleven seasons from 1981 through 1991, wearing uniform number 102.[10] He worked for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Department for 25 years.
References
- "Publicists Pick Five Utes On Skyline Team". Deseret News. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Utah Sports Hall Of Fame To Add Five Members". Deseret News. 1988-11-13. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Merrill Douglas Goes To Dallas". Deseret News. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Browns Swap Nutting to Dallas for Douglas". Park City Daily News. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Browns Ask Waivers On Back Field Men". The Gazette. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Esxtra Point". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- "Eagles Drop Two But Sign Pair". Star-News. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Hornung Faces Desperate Bears". Sarasota Journal. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Those Let Loose". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Douglas Went To Pros As A Player, Then Official". Deseret News. 1988-11-13. Retrieved February 3, 2018.