Fred Gehrke

Fred Gehrke
Gehrke on a 1948 Bowman football card
No. 18, 22, 13, 25, 7, 11, 17
PositionsHalfback
Defensive back
Personal information
Born(1918-04-24)April 24, 1918
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
DiedFebruary 9, 2002(2002-02-09) (aged 83)
Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight189 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolSouth High School (Utah)
CollegeUtah
NFL draft1940: undrafted
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards1,664
Rushing average4.9
Receptions56
Receiving yards529
Interceptions13
Total touchdowns24
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Executive profile at Pro Football Reference

Clarence Fred Gehrke (/ˈɡɜːrki/ GUR-kee; April 24, 1918 – February 9, 2002) was an American professional football player and executive. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland / Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Cardinals from 1940 through 1950. To boost team morale, Gehrke designed and painted the Los Angeles Rams logo in 1948, which was the first painted on the helmets of an NFL team. He later served as the general manager of the Denver Broncos from 1977 through 1981. He is the great-grandfather of Milwaukee Brewers left fielder and 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich.