Chief Elkins

Fait Vernon "Chief" Elkins (August 16, 1899 – August 9, 1966) was an American football player and decathlete.

Chief Elkins
Personal information
Born:(1899-08-16)August 16, 1899
Utica, New York
Died:August 10, 1966(1966-08-10) (aged 67)
Philadelphia
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Haskell (KS)
College:Haskell, Southeastern State Teachers (Durant, Oklahoma), Dallas University, Nebraska
Position:Back
Career history

Elkins was born in Utica, New York, in 1899. He enrolled at the Haskell Indian School at age 15.[1] He played college football at Haskell (1921-1923), Southeastern State Teachers College, Dallas University, and Nebraska (1926-1927).[1][2] He held the national decathlon record in 1928 while attending Nebraska.[3][4] He pulled a tendon that prevented him from competing in the 1928 Summer Olympics.[1][5]

Elkins also played professional football the National Football League (NFL) as a back for the Frankford Yellow Jackets (1928-1929), Chicago Cardinals (1929), and Cincinnati Reds (1933). He appeared in 20 NFL games, 10 as a starter.[6]

Elkins died in Philadelphia in 1966.[6][7]

He was posthumously profiled by Sports Illustrated in 1991 as "among the greatest athletes ever seen in this country — a golden sportsman during sport's golden age."[1]

References
  1. Bob Gilbert (October 16, 1991). "The Twists of Fait". Sports Illustrated.
  2. "Packers Expect Stiff Opposition From Cardinals". The Post-Crescent. October 3, 1929 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Lo! Another Indian Hope". Fort Worth Record-Telegram. June 14, 1928.
  4. "Decathlon Star Plans Hard Work: 'Chief' Elkins Quits College To Train For Olympics; Now In New York". News and Observer. February 19, 1928 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Elkins Probably Lost to U.S. Olympic Squad". The Lincoln Star. July 3, 1928. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Chief Elkins". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  7. "Fait Elkins obituary". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 12, 1966.
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