{{Short description|American football player (1915–1994)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox gridiron football biography | name = Bob Masterson | image = Masterson-Bob-1942.jpg | caption = Masterson in 1942 | number = 28, 55 | position = End | birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|7|23|mf=y}} | birth_place = North Branch, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1994|6|29|1915|7|23|mf=y}} | death_place = Broward County, Florida, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 213 | high_school = Roselle {{nowrap|(Roselle, New Jersey)}} | college = Miami (FL) (1934-1937) | draftyear = 1938 | draftround = 6 | draftpick = 50 | pastteams = * Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1938|1943}}) * Brooklyn Tigers ({{NFL Year|1944}}) * Boston Yanks ({{NFL Year|1945}}) * New York Yankees (1946) | highlights = * NFL champion (1942) * First-team All-Pro (1942) * Second-team All-Pro (1943) * Pro Bowl (1942) | statleague = NFL/AAFC | statlabel1 = Receptions | statvalue1 = 136 | statlabel2 = Receiving yards | statvalue2 = 1,816 | statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns | statvalue3 = 13 | pfr = MastBo21 }}
'''Robert Patrick Masterson''' (July 23, 1915 – June 29, 1994) was an American professional football end in the National Football League (NFL). He played six seasons for the Washington Redskins (1938–1943).
==Playing== Masterson was born in North Branch, New Jersey.<ref name="PFR" /> He attended Roselle High School, where he was an all-state baseball player and also played basketball and track and field. He did not play football until his senior year. He was an all-state selection at tackle and helped RHS to an undefeated season and a state title. After a couple of seasons of semipro baseball, Masterson enrolled in the University of Miami, where he was converted from tackle to end by coach Irl Tubbs.<ref name="Robinson">{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=Bill |title=An Old Redskin Recalls Football's Rugged Years |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1UBQAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq |access-date=12 September 2025 |work=The Evening Independent |date=August 30, 1969}}</ref>
Masterson selected in the sixth round of the 1938 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1938 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1938/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He did not believe he was good enough to play professional football and did not sign with the Bears, who traded his rights to the Washington Redskins for a draft pick. Washington coach Ray Flaherty gave Masterson $300 to sign his contract, which he accepted to help his large family during the Great Depression.<ref name="Robinson" /> Masterson played for Washington from 1938 to 1943 and was a second team All-Pro selection in 1942 and 1943.<ref name="PFR">{{cite web |title=Bob Masterson |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MastBo21.htm |website=Pro Football Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=12 September 2025}}</ref> He sought a raise in 1944, but owner George Preston Marshall refused.<ref name="Robinson" /> He was instead traded to the Brooklyn Tigers as part of a six-player swap.<ref>{{cite news |title=Redskins And Tiger Swap Player Trios |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IKFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA19&dq |access-date=12 September 2025 |work=St. Petersburg Times |date=September 21, 1944}}</ref> He did not receive the raise he sought, so in 1946, he jumped to the All-America Football Conference.<ref name="Robinson" />
==Coaching== Masterson was a player-coach during his last two seasons in Washington and with the New York Yankees. In 1947, he was hired to coach University of Toronto's Varsity Blues football team. He was an assistant coach for one season to learn Canadian football, then took over as head coach the following year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Varsity Names U.S. Grid Coach To Take Over Duties Next Year |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iDQrAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA18&dq |access-date=12 September 2025 |work=The Montreal Gazette |date=July 12, 1947}}</ref> In eight seasons, he compiled a 45-21-6 record and won the Yates Cup three times (1948, 1951, 1954).<ref>{{cite web |title=Varsity Blues Football Head Coaches, 1898 to date |url=https://varsityblues.ca/sports/2017/7/20/varsity-blues-football-head-coaches.aspx?id=1743 |website=Varsity Blues |publisher=University of Toronto |access-date=12 September 2025}}</ref> He was also the head men's basketball coach from 1947 to 1955 and amassed a 38–24 record.<ref>{{cite web |title=Men's Basketball Head Coaches (Since 1925) |url=https://varsityblues.ca/sports/2015/4/15/MBB_0415150633.aspx?id=626 |website=Varsity Blues |publisher=University of Toronto |access-date=15 September 2025}}</ref>
==Executive== In 1956, Masterson was named general manager of the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bob Masterson Appointed Manager of Stamp Gridders |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ihgAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA14&dq |access-date=12 September 2025 |work=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix |date=January 16, 1956}}</ref> Following the Stampeders' October 26, 1957 game against Saskatchewan Roughriders, Masterson punched kick returner Harvey Wylie while the team was boarding its train back to Calgary.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hunter |first1=Gorde |title=Harv Wylie Catches Punch From Bob Masterson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7GVkAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA28&dq |access-date=12 September 2025 |work=The Calgary Herald |date=October 28, 1957}}</ref> Masterson resigned four days later and was replaced by Jim Finks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hunter |first1=Gorde |title=One Man's Opinion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=72VkAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA43&dq |access-date=12 September 2025 |work=The Calgary Herald |date=October 31, 1957}}</ref>
==Later life== After leaving Calgary, Masterson and his family settled in Clearwater, Florida. After his divorce, he moved to New York City and worked an assistant supervisor of Yankee Stadium. He eventually returned to Miami, where he was a mutual clerk at the Tropical Park Race Track and a part time teacher.<ref name="Robinson" /> He died on June 29, 1994 in Broward County, Florida.<ref name="PFR" />
==NFL career statistics== {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" ! colspan="2"| Legend |- | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| | Won the NFL Championship |- | '''Bold''' | Career high |}
=== Regular season === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="4"| Receiving |- ! GP !! GS !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! TD |- ! 1938 !! WAS | 11 || 1 || 10 || 213 || '''21.3''' || 1 |- ! 1939 !! WAS | 10 || 3 || 10 || 114 || 11.4 || 1 |- ! 1940 !! WAS | 11 || 1 || 18 || 283 || 15.7 || '''4''' |- ! 1941 !! WAS | 11 || 9 || 11 || 135 || 12.3 || 1 |- ! 1942 !! style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| WAS | 11 || 11 || 22 || '''308''' || 14.0 || 2 |- ! 1943 !! WAS | 10 || 8 || 16 || 200 || 12.5 || 3 |- ! 1944 !! BKN | 10 || 9 || '''24''' || 258 || 10.8 || 1 |- ! 1945 !! BOS | 10 || 5 || 15 || 186 || 12.4 || 0 |- ! colspan="2"| Career !! 84 !! 47 !! 126 !! 1,697 !! 13.5 !! 13 |}
=== Playoffs === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="4"| Receiving |- ! GP !! GS !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! TD |- ! 1940 !! WAS | 1 || 1 || 3 || 33 || 11.0 || 0 |- ! 1942 !! style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| WAS | 1 || 1 || 1 || 8 || 8.0 || 0 |- ! 1943 !! WAS | 2 || 2 || '''6''' || '''86''' || '''14.3''' || 0 |- ! colspan="2"| Career !! 4 !! 4 !! 10 !! 127 !! 12.7 !! 0 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Navboxes |title= |list = {{Bears1938DraftPicks}} {{1942 Washington Redskins}} {{Toronto Varsity Blues football coach navbox}} {{Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball coach navbox}} {{StampedersGM}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masterson, Bob}} Category:1915 births Category:1994 deaths Category:American football ends Category:Brooklyn Tigers players Category:Boston Yanks players Category:Miami Hurricanes football players Category:New York Yankees (AAFC) players Category:Washington Redskins players Category:People from Branchburg, New Jersey Category:People from Roselle, New Jersey Category:Players of American football from Somerset County, New Jersey Category:Players of American football from Union County, New Jersey Category:Toronto Varsity Blues football coaches Category:Calgary Stampeders general managers Category:Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball coaches