J. C. Caroline
James C. Caroline (January 17, 1933 – November 17, 2017) was an American former gridiron football player. He played college football at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign where he was a consensus All-American in 1953. After a year in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes, Caroline played for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
| Born: | January 17, 1933 Warrenton, Georgia |
|---|---|
| Died: | November 17, 2017 (aged 84) Urbana, Illinois |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Defensive Back, halfback |
| College | Illinois |
| High school | Booker T. Washington High, Columbia, S.C. circa 1949 - 1952 |
| NFL draft | 1956 / Round: 7 / Pick 82 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1955 | Toronto Argonauts |
| 1955 | Montreal Alouettes |
| 1956–1965 | Chicago Bears |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Playing career
Caroline played college football at the Illinois, lettering in 1953 and 1954. A halfback, Caroline led the nation in rushing with 1256 yards in 1953 as a sophomore, and was named All-American.[1] The next year, he was ruled ineligible to play due to academic reasons, so instead of returning to college his senior year, Caroline chose to play Canadian football.
He initially signed with the Toronto Argonauts for $15,000 and played with them through September. They then stunned the league when he was placed on waivers; head coach Bill Swiacki, claimed he wasn’t good enough as a defensive back. The only team that could afford him was the division champion Montreal Alouettes. Caroline rushed for 575 yards on the season. He played in the 1955 Grey Cup game. Following that year, Caroline earned a physical education degree from Florida A&M University and was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 82nd overall pick in the 1956 NFL Draft .
Beginning in 1956, Caroline had a ten-year career with the Bears.[1] Playing primarily defensive back, Caroline finished his career with 24 interceptions and six total touchdowns—two rushing, one receiving, one fumble recovery, and two on interceptions. Caroline intercepted Johnny Unitas's first NFL career pass attempt and returned it for a touchdown. He was a two-way player for the Bears' 1956 Western Conference champions and a DB on the 1963 NFL Championship team.
Honors and later life
After his professional football career, Caroline moved to Urbana, Illinois and taught physical education at Urbana Middle School.
Caroline was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
He was portrayed by actor Bernie Casey in the 1971 biopic Brian's Song.
His grandson Jordan Caroline is a basketball player at Nevada. Caroline died in 2017.[1]
References
- Ryan, Shannon (March 21, 2018). "Nevada's Jordan Caroline, the son and grandson of Illinois legends, never got a call from 'dream school'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 13, 2018.