 Masterson in 1942 | |||||||||
| No. 28, 55 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | End | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1915-07-23)July 23, 1915 North Branch, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | June 29, 1994(1994-06-29) (aged 78) Broward County, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 213 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Roselle (NJ) | ||||||||
| College | Miami (FL) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1938: 6th round, 50th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
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.[1] 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.[2]
Masterson selected in the sixth round of the 1938 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.[3] 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.[2] Masterson played for Washington from 1938 to 1943 and was a second team All-Pro selection in 1942 and 1943.[1] He sought a raise in 1944, but owner George Preston Marshall refused.[2] He was instead traded to the Brooklyn Tigers as part of a six-player swap.[4] He did not receive the raise he sought, so in 1946, he jumped to the All-America Football Conference.[2]
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.[5] In eight seasons, he compiled a 45-21-6 record and won the Yates Cup three times (1948, 1951, 1954).[6] He was also the head men's basketball coach from 1947 to 1955 and amassed a 38–24 record.[7]
Executive
In 1956, Masterson was named general manager of the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders.[8] 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.[9] Masterson resigned four days later and was replaced by Jim Finks.[10]
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.[2] He died on June 29, 1994 in Broward County, Florida.[1]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the NFL Championship | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | 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 | 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 |
| 84 | 47 | 126 | 1,697 | 13.5 | 13 | ||
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 1940 | WAS | 1 | 1 | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 0 |
| 1942 | WAS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 |
| 1943 | WAS | 2 | 2 | 6 | 86 | 14.3 | 0 |
| 4 | 4 | 10 | 127 | 12.7 | 0 | ||
References
- ^ a b c "Bob Masterson". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Robinson, Bill (August 30, 1969). "An Old Redskin Recalls Football's Rugged Years". The Evening Independent. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ^ "1938 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ "Redskins And Tiger Swap Player Trios". St. Petersburg Times. September 21, 1944. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ^ "Varsity Names U.S. Grid Coach To Take Over Duties Next Year". The Montreal Gazette. July 12, 1947. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ^ "Varsity Blues Football Head Coaches, 1898 to date". Varsity Blues. University of Toronto. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ^ "Men's Basketball Head Coaches (Since 1925)". Varsity Blues. University of Toronto. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "Bob Masterson Appointed Manager of Stamp Gridders". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. January 16, 1956. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ^ Hunter, Gorde (October 28, 1957). "Harv Wylie Catches Punch From Bob Masterson". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ^ Hunter, Gorde (October 31, 1957). "One Man's Opinion". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
