Jerry Whalen

Jerry Whalen

No. 40
Position:	Center, guard, tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1928-04-23)April 23, 1928 Buffalo, New York
Died:	November 1973 (age 45) Buffalo, New York
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:	Canisius (NY)
College:	Canisius
Career history
Buffalo Bills (1949) Toronto Argonauts (1949)
Career NFL statistics
Games: 17 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Gerald Cornelius Whalen (April 23, 1928 – November 1973) was an American football player who played at the center, guard, and tackle positions. He played college football for Canisius and professional football for the Buffalo Bills and Toronto Argonauts.

Early years

Whalen was born in 1928 in Buffalo, New York. He attended and played football at Canisius High School in Buffalo, New York.

College football

He was recruited to play at Notre Dame however he was unable to attend. He played college football at Canisius in 1947.

Professional football

Although he had two years of college eligibility remaining, the Buffalo Bills of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) received permission from the league commissioner in July 1948 to sign Whalen. Whalen played for the Bills during the 1948 season. He appeared in seven games with the Bills. The Buffalo Bills traded him to the San Francisco 49ers, however due to family constraints, he was unable to go to the West Coast. He also played in the Canadian Football League for the Toronto Argonauts during the 1949 season. He appeared in 12 games with the Argonauts.

Family and later years

He died in 1973 at age 45 in Buffalo, New York. He was survived by wife Marion Lazickas (Dec.2023), daughters Debra and Sandra, and twin sons Gerald (Dec. 2020)and James.