 Phelps at Kentucky in 1948 | |||||||||
| No. 21, 94, 44 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Halfback, Defensive back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | January 7, 1924 Richmond, Kentucky, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | June 11, 1982 (aged 58) Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Danville (KY) | ||||||||
| College: | University of Kentucky | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1950 / round: 5 / pick: 65 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Don Cooper "Dopey" Phelps (January 7, 1924 – June 11, 1982) was an American football halfback and defensive back who played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL) in the early 1950s.
Phelps was born in Kentucky and played football at his local high school. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he attended the University of Kentucky and continued to play football under head coach Bear Bryant starting in 1946. He led the nation that year in kickoff and punt returns and set a Kentucky single-season return yardage record. Phelps was suspended for most of the 1948 season for breaking team rules, but he returned in 1949, when Kentucky played in the Orange Bowl.
The Browns selected Phelps in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Cleveland won the NFL championship in 1950, when Phelps served mainly as a punt and kickoff return man. The Browns reached the championship game in the following two seasons but lost to the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions. Phelps retired before the 1953 season. He worked for the state of Kentucky after leaving football.