L. G. Dupre
 Dupre on a 1955 Bowman football card | |||||
| No. 45 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Halfback | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Date of birth: | September 10, 1932 | ||||
| Place of birth: | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||
| Date of death: | August 9, 2001 (aged 68) | ||||
| Place of death: | Texas City, Texas | ||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Texas City (TX) | ||||
| College: | Baylor | ||||
| NFL Draft: | 1955 / Round: 3 / Pick: 27 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Louis George Dupre (September 10, 1932 – August 9, 2001) was a professional American football running back for seven seasons in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts and the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Baylor University.
Early years
Dupre played at Baylor University in 1952–54, gaining 1,423 yards over his three seasons and scoring 19 touchdowns. In 1953 he was part of a backfield that became known as the “Fearsome Foursome”, that comprised him, quarterback Cotton Davidson, halfback Jerry Coody and fullback Allen Jones. In his last two seasons at Baylor, the team went 7–3 and 7–4 and played in the Gator Bowl in 1954. He was given the nickname "Long Gone" by sportscaster Kern Tips.
He finished his career with 311 carries for 1,423 yards and 19 touchdowns. In 1981, he was inducted into Baylor's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Baltimore Colts
Dupre was a third-round (27th overall) selection in the 1955 NFL Draft, played with the Baltimore Colts from 1955–59 and won two NFL championships. As a rookie he was second on the team in rushing (behind Alan Ameche), registering 88 carries for 338 yards, with most of his production coming after the fifth game. The next year with the addition of rookie Lenny Moore, he was forced to develop into a receiver out of the backfield and was third on the team with 216 receiving yards. His production would decrease in the following seasons, with Moore taking a bigger role in the offense. He also was a part-time punter.
He was a part of the 1958 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants, famously known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played". He started the game by gaining 30 yards on 10 carries.
In 1959, Dupre played in only the first 4 regular games of the season. His only touchdown was a 2-yard pass from John Unitas against the Chicago Bears on October 18, 1959. He sustained a season ending injury while driving home from a Tuesday practice. He put on the brakes and felt something pop in his leg. It was ruptured blood vessels in his thigh. Dupre was a member of the 1959 Baltimore Colts championship team, but due to his injury, he did not play in the rematch against the Giants, which the Colts won 31-16. Halfback Mike Sommer substituted for Dupre in the 1959 NFL Championship Game.
Dallas Cowboys
Dupre was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft. In the Cowboys 1960 inaugural season, he led the team in rushing with 104 carries for 362 yards in 11 games (5 starts). He also scored 3 touchdowns in the tie against the New York Giants, helping avoid losing all of the games in the season. He was waived on September 4, 1962.
A Baltimore Sun article on October 2, 1962, indicated that the Baltimore Colts were interested in signing him to replace Lenny Moore, in case his injuries were serious enough to keep him from playing. The Sun reporter spoke with Dupre's wife in Dallas and she explained that Dupre had to first check with his employer (General Electric) about a leave of absence. She indicated that he had a good job and did not want to lose it. His wife was still Sissy Dupre. He stayed retired from pro football and did not return to Baltimore.
Personal life
Dupre married wife Alda Maxine (Sissy) Dupre on February 4, 1955 in Waco, Texas. His brother Charlie Dupre also played in the National Football League. On August 9, 2001, he died after a lengthy battle with cancer.[1]
While playing in Baltimore, Dupre worked for Bethlehem Steel during the off season. In 1959, Dupre was involved in a bowling establishment venture with Unitas, who served as president of "The Pro Bowl", whilst Dupre was executive V.P. Apparently, the business relationship ended relatively quickly: when Unitas was sued in July 1964 by bowling manufacturer, Brunswick Corporation, Dupre's name and "The Pro Bowl" were nowhere in sight. Instead, the names of Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom and Colts General Manager Donald Kellet were included in the suit.