Fit young men are sought-after individuals when a nation enters a war, and so it comes with little surprise to learn that nearly 1,000 men with ties to the NFL ended up serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. Halfback Cliff Battles and head coach Ray Flaherty were among the Burgundy & Gold cohort who would go on to trade out their football uniforms for military fatigues during the early to mid-1940s.
As noted in the latest episode of “Hail Tales: Stories from Washington Football History”, had it not been for his true passion in life, Washington quarterback and future Hall of Famer Sam Baugh would have joined this group abroad.
"He decided to report to his cattle ranch because there was something about the livestock that played into the war," Washington historian Mike Richman explained.
Baugh had bought the ranch near Roton, Texas, in 1941 for nearly $200 an acre and arguably loved spending more time there than he did on the football field. Any chance he got, Baugh would make the trip out to his beloved land, which did indeed take on new significance during World War II. Beef was a primary food source for Allied military troops, and because Baugh's ranch was producing the protein, he wasn't drafted.
As the U.S.'s involvement in the war intensified during the '43 and '44 seasons, so too did a demand for the quarterback's presence on the ranch. According to WBUR's Martin Kessler in his 2017 article "Searching for Slingin' Sammy Baugh," the draft board told Baugh he had to work at his ranch full-time. Mind you, this request came on the heels of his eye-popping 1943 NFL season in which he led the league in passing, punting and interceptions. Plus, it was a golden era for Washington football, a time when the Burgundy & Gold consistently one of the best in the league.
More time on the ranch and a nation's call wasn't something Baugh could turn down. However, he did ask about a compromise. According to Kessler's article, Baugh asked the draft board if he could still fly to games on weekends. Baugh said the draft board told him, "We don't give a f--- what you do on weekends. If you wanna go somewhere on weekends, go.' Baugh said, 'Well, I'll be back Monday morning.' They said, 'Hell, we don't care. You can get back Monday afternoon.' "
A win-win.
