Paul Des Jardien

Bio

He was 6-5, and skinny at 190 pounds and his teammates called him "Shorty". Paul Des Jardien was an athlete with natural gifts which helped him adapt to any sport. He was a member of the Chicago teams which had a 17-3-1 record through the 1912-14 seasons. In 1913, the Maroons finished 7-0, won the conference championship and boasted consensus All-America honors for their center in 1913 and first-team in 1914. The lanky lineman had the highest respect for his coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg, though he often chuckled at Stagg's restrictions and training rules. Des Jardien remembered Stagg cautioning the players to "Watch your diets! Keep the hotdogs in the stands where they belong. I never ate one in my life." Paul was a four-sport letterman. Football and baseball were his best sports, and after graduation he spent one baseball season with the Cleveland Indians.

Career Highlights

• 1914 All-Conference
• 1914 First Team All-America
• 1913 All-Conference
• 1913 Consensus All-America
• 1912 All-Conference