George Shaw (American football)

George Shaw
refer to caption
Shaw ahead of the 1957 season
No. 14, 15, 17
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born:(1933-07-25)July 25, 1933
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Died:January 3, 1998(1998-01-03) (aged 64)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:183 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school:Grant (Portland, Oregon)
College:Oregon
NFL draft:1955 / round: 1 / pick: 1
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:71
Starts:31
Passing yards:5,829
Completion percentage:50.5
TDINT ratio:41 – 63
Rushing touchdowns:6
Stats at Pro Football Reference

George Howard Shaw (July 25, 1933 – January 3, 1998) was an American football quarterback who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the rival American Football League (AFL). He was the first overall selection of the 1955 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts, for whom he started 17 consecutive games.

A leg injury to Shaw in 1956 forced the Colts to insert free agent backup Johnny Unitas at quarterback, launching the latter on what would become a Hall of Fame career.

Shaw was part of the Colts team which won the 1958 Championship Playoff over the New York Football Giants in sudden death overtime, long regaled in football lore as "the Greatest Game Ever Played."