George Gulyanics

Who was George Gulyanics?

George Gulyanics was born in Mishawaka, Indiana and was a professional American football player who played running back and punter for six seasons for the Chicago Bears. He currently ranks eleventh all-time in the National Football League in career average yards per punt, at 44.531 yards.

Gulyanics won the South Bend, Indiana Golden Gloves welterweight title in 1937 and was an Indiana All-State fullback in 1941 at Mishawaka High School. He then attended Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi and later played for University of Alabama. He served in the First Army Signal Corps from 1942 to 1945 and went ashore in Normandy at Utah Beach on D-Day Plus 1, June 7, 1944.

While waiting for his return home after the war's end, he played football with a service team in France, where word of his ability filtered back to Chicago Bears' owner-coach, George Halas, who offered him a tryout. In 1946, he played for the Halas-owned Akron Bears of the AFL, before being "promoted" to the Chicago Bears in 1947. Nicknamed "Little Bronko", he played six years at fullback and halfback and was the team's punter.