Ken Gorgal
| No. 85, 15, 14, 26 | |||||||
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| Positions | Safety Quarterback | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | February 13, 1929 Peru, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | May 8, 2016 (aged 87) Vero Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Peru (IL) St. Bede Academy | ||||||
| College | Purdue | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1950: 6th round, 78th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Kenneth Robert Gorgal (February 13, 1929 – May 8, 2016) was an American professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers between 1950 and 1956. Gorgal grew up in Illinois, where he was a standout athlete in high school. He then played college football at Purdue University, playing as a quarterback and punt returner under head coach Stu Holcomb. In 1948, Gorgal set a school record that stood for more than 50 years by amassing 138 return yards in a single game.
The Browns selected Gorgal in the 1950 NFL draft. He had six interceptions that season as Cleveland finished with a 10–2 record and beat the Los Angeles Rams to win the NFL championship. He then left the team for a two-year stint in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, returning in 1953. Gorgal was on a Browns squad that won another NFL championship in 1954, but head coach Paul Brown traded him to the Bears after the season. He played in Chicago in 1955, but a conflict with owner and coach George Halas led to his release halfway through the following season. The Packers claimed him on waivers and he played out the year in Green Bay. Gorgal then left football and settled in suburban Chicago, where he sold insurance.