Dennis Claridge

Dennis Claridge
No. 10
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born:(1941-08-18)August 18, 1941
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Died:May 1, 2018(2018-05-01) (aged 76)
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:Robbinsdale (MN)
College:Nebraska
NFL draft:1963 / round: 3 / pick: 39
AFL draft:1963 / round: 26 / pick: 201 (Oakland Raiders)
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Pass attempts:71
Pass completions:41
Percentage:57.7
TD–INT:2–2
Passing yards:484
Passer rating:76.3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Dennis Bert Claridge (August 18, 1941 – May 1, 2018) was an American football player, a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.[1] He played college football at the University of Nebraska under head coaches Bill Jennings and Bob Devaney,[2] and later attended its dental school.[3]

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Claridge played high school football in Minnesota at Robbinsdale, a suburb northwest of Minneapolis. As a senior in college in 1963, he led Nebraska to an undefeated season in the Big Eight Conference, a 9–1 regular season, and a victory over Auburn in the Orange Bowl.

Selected in third round of the 1963 NFL draft as a junior eligible, Claridge stayed in college and joined the Packers in 1964. He was a member of the NFL championship team in 1965, playing behind Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr and Zeke Bratkowski under head coach Vince Lombardi.[1][4] Claridge was selected in the 1966 expansion draft by the Falcons.[5] Green Bay was interested in reacquiring him for the 1967 season, but he left the NFL after three seasons to complete dental school.[3]

Claridge later worked as an orthodontist in Lincoln, Nebraska. He died in 2018 of bladder cancer at the age of 76.[6]

  1. ^ a b "Claridge gets his chance". St. Petersburg Independent. Florida. Associated Press. July 8, 1966. p. 15A.
  2. ^ "Packer rookie still aims at dentistry". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. July 26, 1964. p. 3, section 4.
  3. ^ a b "Claridge said no". Milwaukee Journal. October 5, 1967. p. 16, part 2.
  4. ^ Lea, Bud (August 25, 1965). "Scrambler? No!". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 3, part 2.
  5. ^ "Falcons surprise Lombardi, pick up Packers' Claridge". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida. Associated Press. February 17, 1966. p. 31.
  6. ^ Sipple, Steven M. (May 2, 2018). "Ex-Husker quarterback Claridge, a mainstay under Devaney, dies at age 76".