Benny Friedman signed 3x5 Index card PSA/DNA Michigan NY Giants d.1982 HOF Benjamin "Benny" Friedman (March 18, 1905 d. November 24, 1982) was an who played for the (1924 to 1926), (1927), (1928), (1929 to 1931), and (1932 to 1934). He is generally considered the first great passer in professional football. In 2005, Friedman was inducted into the . Friedman became the starting quarterback and midway through his sophomore year at Michigan (On defense, he played in the ). In 1925 and 1926, he led the Wolverines to consecutive 7 and 1 seasons and first place finishes in the . Against in 1925, Friedman accounted for 44 points, throwing for five touchdowns and kicking two and eight . The following year, he was a consensus first-team and of the Big Ten. In 1927, Friedman joined his hometown Cleveland Bulldogs in the . After a successful rookie season in Cleveland, he had a spectacular second year playing for the Detroit Wolverines. In 1928, Friedman led the NFL in passing , rushing touchdowns and scoring as well as extra points (He may have led in other categories, too, but the NFL did not record yardage stats in those days.) Friedman's performance so impressed owner that Mara bought the whole Wolverines team just so he could have the rights to the quarterback. With the Giants in 1929, Friedman led the league again with 20 touchdown passes. Friedman's passing proficiency was especially noteworthy considering that most teams rarely threw the ball in those days. The football used at the time was rounder and more difficult to throw. Friedman called plays at the line of scrimmage and threw on first and second down, when most teams waited until third down. "Benny revolutionized football. He forced the defenses out of the dark ages." later said. No NFL team would surpass 20 passing touchdowns in a season until 1942. Friedman often experienced media bias because of his Jewishness, being referred to in the press by names like "Jew boy" and "descendant of Palestine" In 1931, Friedman suffered a knee injury that hampered the rest of his career. He moved to the Brooklyn football Dodgers in 1932 as a player coach while simultaneously serving as an assistant coach at . He led the league in completion percentage in 1933 and retired after the 1934 season.
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