{{short description|American football player (1921–1995)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Gerard Cowhig | image = Gerard Cowhig - 1948 Bowman.jpg | caption = Cowhig on a 1948 Bowman football card | number = 9, 36 | position = Linebacker / fullback / defensive back | birth_date = {{birth date|1921|7|5}} | birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1995|12|6|1921|7|5}} | death_place = Van Nuys, California, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lb = 215 | high_school = Marianapolis {{nowrap|(Thompson, Connecticut)}} | college = Notre Dame (1941–1942, 1946) | draftyear = 1945 | draftround = 6 | draftpick = 48 | pastteams = * Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|1947|1949}}) * Chicago Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1950}}) * Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1951}}) | highlights = * National champion (1946) | statlabel1 = Rushing yards | statvalue1 = 342 | statlabel2 = Rushing average | statvalue2 = 4.2 | statlabel3 = Receptions | statvalue3 = 3 | statlabel4 = Receiving yards | statvalue4 = 18 | statlabel5 = Total touchdowns | statvalue5 = 5 | pfr = C/CowhGe20 }}
'''Gerard Finbar Cowhig''' (July 5, 1921 – December 6, 1995) was an American professional football player who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles. He was selected by the Cleveland Rams in the sixth round of the 1945 NFL draft after playing college football at the University of Notre Dame.
==Early life and college== Gerard Finbar Cowhig was born on July 5, 1921, in Boston, Massachusetts.<ref name="pfa"/> He attended Mechanic Arts High School in Boston, Massachusetts and Marianapolis Preparatory School in Thompson, Connecticut.<ref name="pfa"/>
Cowhig was a member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1941 to 1942.<ref name="pfa"/> His football career was interrupted by a stint in the United States Army during World War II.<ref name="pfa"/> He played his final season at Notre Dame in 1946, rushing 40 times for 199 yards and catching four passes for 42 yards.<ref name="pfa"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/gerry-cowhig-1.html | title=Gerry Cowhig | publisher=sports-reference.com | accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref> The 1946 Fighting Irish were AP Poll national champions.<ref name="2007 ND Guide History">{{cite web |url=http://und.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nd/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/07fbguidehistory |title=2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: History and Records (pages 131–175) |publisher=und.cstv.com |access-date=2008-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610005741/http://und.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nd/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/07fbguidehistory |archive-date=2008-06-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Professional career== thumb|left|200px|Cowhig with the Los Angeles Rams Cowhig was selected by the Cleveland Rams in the sixth round, with the 48th overall pick, of the 1945 NFL draft.<ref name="pfr"/> He was also selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round, with the 16th overall pick, of the 1947 AAFC draft.<ref name="pfa">{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/c/cowh00400.html | title=GERRY COWHIG | publisher=profootballarchives.com | accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref> He signed with the previously renamed Los Angeles Rams on June 21, 1947.<ref name="transactions"/> He played in eight games, starting four, for the Rams during his rookie year in 1947, recording 25 rushes for 104 yards, one interception, two fumbles, one fumble recovery, and two kick returns for 29 yards.<ref name="pfr"/> Cowhig became a free agent after the 1947 season and re-signed with the Rams on July 12, 1948.<ref name="transactions"/> He appeared in all 12 games, starting three, during the 1948 season, totaling 46 carries for 206 yards and two touchdowns, three catches for 18 yards, and one interception.<ref name="pfr"/> He played in 11 games, starting one, for the Rams in 1949, accumulating ten rushing attempts for 32 and one touchdown, four interceptions that he returned for 62 yards and a touchdown, and two kick returns for 20 yards.<ref name="pfr"/> He also played in one playoff game that year.<ref name="pfr">{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CowhGe20.htm | title=Gerry Cowhig | publisher=pro-football-reference.com | accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref>
On June 2, 1950, Cowhig, Bob Shaw, and Tom Keane were traded to the Chicago Cardinals for Bob Reinhard.<ref name="transactions"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.prosportstransactions.com/football/Search/SearchResults.php?Player=Gerry+Cowhig&Team=&BeginDate=&EndDate=&PlayerMovementChkBx=yes&submit=Search | title=Search Results | publisher=prosportstransactions.com | accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref> Cowhig appeared in all 12 games for the Cardinals in 1950 but did not record any statistics. He became a free agent after the season.<ref name="transactions"/>
He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1951.<ref name="transactions"/> He played in 11 games, starting nine, for the Eagles in 1951, returning three fumbles for 25 yards and one touchdown.<ref name="pfr"/> He became a free agent after the season.<ref name="transactions"/>
Cowhig was signed by the San Francisco 49ers in 1952 but was later released.<ref name="transactions">{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/c/cowh00400.html | title=Gerry Cowhig NFL Transactions | publisher=profootballarchives.com | accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Cowhig was married to actress Jean Willes and they had one son named Gerry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magers |first=Boyd |title=Characters and Heavies {{!}} Jean Willes |url=http://www.westernclippings.com/heavies/jeanwilles_charactersheavies.shtml |access-date=January 6, 2022 |website=www.westernclippings.com}}</ref> Gerard died on December 6, 1995, in Van Nuys, California.<ref name="pfr"/>
Cowhig appeared in the 1949 film ''Easy Living'' as a football player.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73852/easy-living#credits | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104105231/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73852/Easy-Living/#credits | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 4, 2011 | title=Easy Living | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref> On August 19, 1959, he crashed his car into a "concrete light standard" and was treated at Hollywood Receiving Hospital for a "possible fractured left hand and minor head injuries".<ref name="crash">{{cite web | url=https://calisphere.org/item/2d85fb0d44b288bee64d46033a9fc2bd/ | title=Rams ex-star Cowhig in crash | publisher=calisphere.org | accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref> The car was demolished.<ref name="crash"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Find a Grave|39740073}} *{{commons category-inline}}
{{1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football navbox}} {{Cleveland Rams 1945 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowhig, Gerard}} Category:1995 deaths Category:1921 births Category:Players of American football from Boston Category:American football linebackers Category:American football fullbacks Category:American football defensive backs Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Category:Los Angeles Rams players Category:Chicago Cardinals players Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Mechanic Arts High School alumni Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:United States Army personnel of World War II