# Monte Merkel

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**Monte John Merkel** (November 6, 1916 – July 22, 1981) was an American professional [football](/source/American_football) [guard](/source/Guard_(American_football)) who played one season with the [Chicago Bears](/source/Chicago_Bears) of the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) (NFL). He played [college football](/source/College_football) at the [University of Kansas](/source/University_of_Kansas).

## Early life and college

Monte John Merkel was born on November 6, 1916, in [Keystone, Iowa](/source/Keystone,_Iowa).[1] He attended [St. John's Military Academy](/source/St._John's_Northwestern_Military_Academy) in [Delafield, Wisconsin](/source/Delafield,_Wisconsin).[1]

Merkel was a four-year [letterman](/source/Letterman_(sports)) for the [Kansas Jayhawks](/source/Kansas_Jayhawks_football) of the [University of Kansas](/source/University_of_Kansas) from 1938 to 1941.[1]

## Professional career

After going undrafted in the [1942 NFL draft](/source/1942_NFL_draft), Merkel signed with the [Chicago Bears](/source/Chicago_Bears) on August 1, 1942.[2] During the 1942 season, he played for the Bears' [farm team](/source/Farm_team), the [Wichita Aero Commandos](/source/Wichita_Aero_Commandos).[3] Merkel played in, and started, one game for the Bears in 1943.[4] On September 29, 1943, he received orders to report to the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) for training.[5] After his stint in the Navy ended, Merkel signed with the Bears again on March 29, 1946.[6] However, he did not end up playing in any games for the Bears that season.[4]

## Personal life

Merkel died on July 22, 1981, in [Missoula, Montana](/source/Missoula,_Montana).[4]

## References

1. ["Monte Merkel"](http://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/merk00400.html). Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 13 April 2025.

1. ["Chicago Bears Sign 3 Players For 1942 Season"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times/170204011/). *[Quad-City Times](/source/Quad-City_Times)*. [United Press](/source/United_Press). August 2, 1942. Retrieved 13 April 2025.

1. ["Monte Merkel A Grid Pro"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star/170204091/). *[The Kansas City Star](/source/The_Kansas_City_Star)*. [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). September 2, 1942. p. 20. Retrieved 13 April 2025.

1. ["Monte Merkel"](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MerkMo20.htm). [Pro Football Reference](/source/Pro_Football_Reference). Retrieved 13 April 2025.

1. ["Navy Calls Gridder"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montana-standard/170204136/). *[The Montana Standard](/source/The_Montana_Standard)*. [United Press](/source/United_Press). September 30, 1943. p. 7. Retrieved 13 April 2025.

1. ["Monte Merkel Signs With Chicago Bears"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/170204266/). *[Green Bay Press-Gazette](/source/Green_Bay_Press-Gazette)*. [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). March 29, 1946. p. 12. Retrieved 13 April 2025.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Monte Merkel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Merkel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Merkel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.