Petitbon, circa 1951
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| Born: | (1931-06-04)June 4, 1931 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||
| Died: | November 11, 2006(2006-11-11) (aged 75) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 186 lb (84 kg) | ||||||
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| High school: | Jesuit (Louisiana) | ||||||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1952 / Round: 7 / Pick: 74 | ||||||
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John Petitbon (June 4, 1931 – November 11, 2006) was an American football player.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Petitbon was a three-sport star in baseball, basketball, and football at Jesuit High School. He was named the Louisiana All-State Most Valuable Player in football in 1946, and led Jesuit with 18 touchdowns in 1946 and 17 in 1947.[1] He played college football at Notre Dame under coach Frank Leahy, and was a member of Notre Dame's 1949 national championship team as a sophomore safety. Moved to halfback for his final two years, he amassed 1,432 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns during those seasons, and was named a Collier's Weekly All-American in 1950. He was chosen to play in the College All-Star Game and the East-West Shrine Game after his senior season in 1951.[2]
Petitbon was selected as a defensive back in the seventh round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the New York Yanks, who became the Dallas Texans for the 1952 season.[3] Petitbon, however, joined the United States Marine Corps and served in the Korean War.[4] Before the 1953 season, the Texans, who had become the Baltimore Colts, traded him to the Cleveland Browns as part of a 15-player deal, the second-largest trade in NFL history, in which the Colts received, among other players, defensive back Don Shula.[5] After returning from the Marines, Petitbon played for the Browns and was a member of their 1955 NFL championship team. Petitbon was traded to the Green Bay Packers in 1957 and retired after that season.[6]
Petitbon was selected for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame, as was his younger brother Richie Petitbon, a former NFL player and coach.
After leaving football, John Petitbon entered the insurance business. He died of Alzheimer's disease in New Orleans on November 11, 2006.
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