Draft Pick Countdown, No. 8: Dick Barwegan Was One Of the Best In the Trenches
Editor's Note: This is the third story on our countdown of the 10-best Purdue draft picks in NFL history, ranking No. 8, Dick Barwegan.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — "He was a helluva ballplayer, not real tall, but quick and tenacious," is how one former teammate described Dick Barwegan, who is No. 8 on our list of Purdue's best NFL Draft picks of all-time. He is one of only four members of the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team to not be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Barwegan, who played both ways back when that was fairly common, was primarily an offensive guard, and a great one at that. Although it is a position with few statistics, Barwegan became well-decorated and recognized and went down as one of the best offensive linemen to play in the 1950s.
Barwegan was drafted in 1945 by the Brooklyn Tigers in the sixth round with the 44th overall pick.
What Dick Barwegan did at Purdue
Barwegan made his impact felt right away at Purdue and became a staple in the trenches, playing both on the offensive and defensive lines. In 1943, his freshman season, he helped the Boilermakers to undefeated season, 9-0, and a share of the Big Ten Conference title.
Barwegan was named the Most Valuable Player of the title winning team that finished the season No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll. The undefeated season was an even more impressive feat because Purdue had won only one game the previous season in 1942.
He also was just one of two players to play in four consecutive Chicago College All-Star Games against the NFL Champion due to player availability during World War II. Barwegan became the first player to captain the team twice.
The College All-Stars defeated the defending NFL Champion Chicago Bears 16-0 in 1947. Barwegan was placed on the defensive line by head coach Frank Leahy and thrived helping lead the All-Stars to the shut out.
A former Bears defensive lineman said, “You read a lot about how weak the All-Stars are in the line. Well, I played with their Dick Barwegan in the Army. He’s rough and tough and smart. He could play on any pro team.”
What Dick Barwegan did in the NFL
Barwegan lived up to the hype out of college and was even more prevalent at the professional level. But first, he served in the Air Force in 1945 and 1946 and upon his return, the Brooklyn Tigers, who drafted him, merged with the New York Yanks of the All-American Football Conference.
After one season, the Yanks assigned Barwegan to the Baltimore Colts, where he played under his former Purdue coach in Cecil Isbell. The AAFC eventually folded, but the NFL welcomed in three teams, including the Colts.
How good of a player was Barwegan? Chicago Bears head coach George Halas certainly thought highly of him. In 1950, the Bears traded five players, including future Pro Football Hall of Famer George Blanda, for the sole lineman of Barwegan.
He went on to play eight seasons of professional football, where he was named first-team All-Pro four consecutive years from 1948-51. From 1950-53, Barwegan made four consecutive Pro Bowls, as well. In 1947 and 1952, respectively, he was named second-team All-Pro.
Related Stories in our Series
- No. 9: Cecil Isbell, the Human Swiss Army Knife: The only all-decade quarterback not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame happens to be from Purdue. CLICK HERE
- No. 10: Former Boiler Matt Light Becomes a Champion: Matt Light blocked for Purdue-great Drew Brees and then went on to protect Tom Brady. CLICK HERE
