Don Bingham
 Bingham on a 1953 Bowman football card | |||||||||||
| No. 46 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Halfback, return specialist | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | November 7, 1929 Shattuck, Oklahoma, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died: | July 17, 1997 (aged 67) Fannin County, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Odessa (TX) | ||||||||||
| College: | Sul Ross | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1953 / round: 7 / pick: 78 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Donald Dean Bingham (November 7, 1929 – July 17, 1997) was an American professional football halfback and return specialist who played one season with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Sul Ross State College.
Early life
[edit]Donald Dean Bingham was born on November 7, 1929, in Shattuck, Oklahoma.[1] He attended Odessa High School in Odessa, Texas.[1]
College career
[edit]Bingham played college football for the Sul Ross Lobos of Sul Ross State College.[1] He was team captain during his senior year in 1952.[2] He was also a letterman in track.[2] He was invited to the 1948 United States Olympic trials as a sprinter.[2] Bingham was a member of Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Beta Kappa.[2] He was inducted into the Sul Ross Hall of Honor in 1989.[2]
Professional career
[edit]Bingham was selected by the Bears in the seventh round, with the 79th overall pick, of the 1953 NFL draft. He signed with the team on March 11, 1953, but did not play for them until 1956 due to military obligations.[3] In 1954 and 1955, while a member of the United States Marine Corps, he played for the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune football team.[4][5] After his military service ended, he signed with the Bears again on April 14, 1956.[3] In his lone season in the NFL, he recorded 36 rushing yards on seven carries and 444 kick return yards;[6] against the Los Angeles Rams, he scored on a 100-yard kickoff return to start the second half, giving the Bears a 17–0 lead. The Bears went on to win 30–21.[7]
Personal life
[edit]Bingham died on July 17, 1997, in Fannin County, Texas.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Don Bingham". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Don Bingham". Sul Ross State College. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- ^ a b "Don Bingham NFL Transactions". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- ^ "Camp Lejeune Wins Final Game, 6 To 0". Rocky Mount Telegram. AP. November 27, 1955. Retrieved May 29, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marines' Star Signs With Bears". The Star Press. AP. April 15, 1956. Retrieved May 29, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Don Bingham". Just Sports Stats. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "Frosh Races 100 Yards for TD as Chi Bears Shell Rams, 30-21". The Times. AP. November 19, 1956. Retrieved May 29, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.