George Fritts
- December 30, 1919
- February 8, 1987
- 67 years
- natural causes
About George Fritts
George Fritts, 67, American NFL player (Philadelphia Eagles).
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Full Biography
|George Henry Fritts Jr. (December 30, 1919 – February 7, 1987) was an American football player and coach. A native of Lenoir City, Tennessee, Fritts attended Lenoir City High School before accepting a full scholarship to Clemson University. He played guard for the Clemson team from 1939 to 1942.
Fritts played in Clemson, first bowl game, the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic. After serving in World War II, he was hired to coach the Columbus, Georgia, football team but a manager in the front office of the Philadelphia Eagles contacted him for completing his requirements for professional football. An earlier exposure to high levels of radiation during World War II left him with a disability which resulted in his loss of eyesight after three years of playing for Philadelphia.
Frank Howard hired him to be an assistant coach at Clemson and after a few years there he left to coach at Gaffney High School and Boiling Springs High School in South Carolina and Appling County High School and Groves High School in Georgia, later becoming a high school principal. In 1977, he was inducted in the Clemson University Hall of Fame. and was recognized as a first-team all-century team at Clemson in 1998.
He died on February 7, 1987, after a long illness.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Fritts
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 30, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from George Fritts's archived record and the sources above.
1.Where was George Henry Fritts Jr. born?
- A.Columbus, Georgia
- B.Lenoir City, Tennesseecorrect
- C.Clemson, South Carolina
- D.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
George Henry Fritts Jr. was a native of Lenoir City, Tennessee.
Source: early life section
2.What position did George Henry Fritts Jr. play for the Clemson football team?
- A.Quarterback
- B.Wide Receiver
- C.Guardcorrect
- D.Linebacker
George Henry Fritts Jr. played guard for the Clemson team from 1939 to 1942.
Source: college career section
3.In which bowl game did George Henry Fritts Jr. make his first appearance for Clemson?
- A.Rose Bowl
- B.Cotton Bowl Classiccorrect
- C.Orange Bowl
- D.Sugar Bowl
George Henry Fritts Jr. played in Clemson's first bowl game, the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic.
Source: college career section
4.What health issue forced George Henry Fritts Jr. to stop playing for the Philadelphia Eagles?
- A.Heart condition
- B.Chronic fatigue
- C.Loss of eyesightcorrect
- D.Broken leg
George Henry Fritts Jr. lost his eyesight due to an earlier exposure to high levels of radiation during World War II.
Source: professional career section
5.Who hired George Henry Fritts Jr. to be an assistant coach at Clemson?
- A.Bobby Bowden
- B.Frank Howardcorrect
- C.Bear Bryant
- D.Danny Ford
Frank Howard hired George Henry Fritts Jr. to be an assistant coach at Clemson.
Source: coaching career section
6.In what year was George Henry Fritts Jr. inducted into the Clemson University Hall of Fame?
- A.1987
- B.1939
- C.1977correct
- D.1998
George Henry Fritts Jr. was inducted into the Clemson University Hall of Fame in 1977.
Source: awards and recognition section
7.Which of these high schools did George Henry Fritts Jr. coach at in South Carolina?
- A.Groves High School
- B.Boiling Springs High Schoolcorrect
- C.Lenoir City High School
- D.Appling County High School
George Henry Fritts Jr. coached at Boiling Springs High School in South Carolina.
Source: coaching career section
8.What profession did George Henry Fritts Jr. pursue later in his career after coaching?
- A.Athletic director
- B.High school principalcorrect
- C.College professor
- D.Sports commentator
George Henry Fritts Jr. eventually became a high school principal.
Source: coaching career section
9.What was the date of George Henry Fritts Jr.'s death?
- A.January 1, 1977
- B.December 30, 1919
- C.February 7, 1987correct
- D.November 15, 1998
George Henry Fritts Jr. died on February 7, 1987, after a long illness.
Source: death and legacy section
10.When was George Henry Fritts Jr. recognized as part of the all-century team at Clemson?
- A.1998correct
- B.1987
- C.1977
- D.1942
George Henry Fritts Jr. was recognized as a first-team all-century team member at Clemson in 1998.
Source: awards and recognition section
11.Which city's football team was George Henry Fritts Jr. hired to coach after World War II?
- A.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- B.Lenoir City, Tennessee
- C.Gaffney, South Carolina
- D.Columbus, Georgiacorrect
After World War II, George Henry Fritts Jr. was hired to coach the Columbus, Georgia, football team.
Source: professional career section
12.George Henry Fritts Jr. attended which high school before going to college?
- A.Groves High School
- B.Boiling Springs High School
- C.Lenoir City High Schoolcorrect
- D.Appling County High School
George Henry Fritts Jr. attended Lenoir City High School in Tennessee.
Source: early life section
13.What caused the radiation exposure that George Henry Fritts Jr. suffered?
- A.A medical treatment error
- B.A lab accident at Clemson
- C.Industrial work in Philadelphia
- D.World War II servicecorrect
George Henry Fritts Jr. was exposed to high levels of radiation during his time serving in World War II.
Source: professional career section
14.Which of these schools in Georgia did George Henry Fritts Jr. coach at?
- A.Clemson High School
- B.Gaffney High School
- C.Boiling Springs High School
- D.Groves High Schoolcorrect
George Henry Fritts Jr. coached at both Appling County High School and Groves High School in Georgia.
Source: coaching career section
15.How long did George Henry Fritts Jr. play for the Philadelphia professional football team?
- A.Three yearscorrect
- B.Four years
- C.Two years
- D.Five years
George Henry Fritts Jr. played for Philadelphia for three years before his loss of eyesight.
Source: professional career section
16.What was the middle name of George Henry Fritts Jr.?
- A.Henrycorrect
- B.Howard
- C.George
- D.Clemson
The full name listed for the subject is George Henry Fritts Jr.
Source: early life section
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