Driscoll, "Paddy" (John L.)
Football
b. Jan. 11, 1896, Evanston, IL
d. June 29, 1968
Although he's generally listed as a quarterback because he called his team's signals in college and professional football, Driscoll was actually a tailback. Only a fair passer, he was a great punter and drop-kicker and a fast, shifty runner. As a sophomore at Northwestern in 1915, he had an 85-yard kickoff return against Iowa.
Driscoll captained the team in his junior year and scored a touchdown and a field goal in a 10-0 win when Northwestern beat the University of Chicago for the first time since 1901. He entered the Navy in 1917, shortly after the U. S. got involved in World War I.
Playing for the Great Lakes Naval Training Station team that went undefeated in 1918, Driscoll starred in a 17-0 victory over the Mare Island Marines in the 1919 Rose Bowl game. He gained 236 yards in total offense, including a 32-yard touchdown pass to George Halas.
After playing for the independent Hammond, IN, Pros in 1919, Driscoll joined the Chicago Cardinals of the American Professional Football Association (now the NFL) in 1920. He scored 27 points on four touchdowns and three conversions against Rochester in 1923, a league record at the time. His 50-yard field goal against Milwaukee in 1924 tied the record set by Fats Henry. Against Columbus in 1925 Driscoll set a record by kicking four field goals, from 18, 23, 35, and 50 yards. His 11 field goals was the record for a season.
In 1926, he was traded to the Chicago Bears, and he remained with them through the 1929 season before retiring. He coached Marquette University from 1937 through 1940, winning 10 games while losing 23 and tying 1.