Joe Golding
1946 · Round 5 · Pick 31 · B · Chicago Cardinals
Joe Golding was born in Eufaula, Oklahoma, and played at Eufaula High School. He was drafted twice: by the Brooklyn Tigers in the 27th round, 276th overall, in 1944, and by the Chicago Cardinals in the fifth round, 31st overall, in 1946. (The Brooklyn Tigers were the former Brooklyn Dodgers, renamed in 1944.) He served 44 months in World War II and won the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, plus a battlefield commission in Europe. He was first-team All-Big Six in 1946. He played halfback and defensive back for the Boston Yanks (1947–1948) and the New York Bulldogs/Yanks (1949–1951), with 349 rushing yards and 27 catches. He died on December 26, 1971. Pro Football Reference has a player page for him (linked below), but its stats weren't pulled for this bio. A May 17, 1944 Daily Oklahoman column (NewsBank page 16) listed "Jim Tyree and Joe Golding by Brooklyn" in the pro draft. The Daily Oklahoman wrote on December 20, 1946 (NewsBank page 28): "RIGHT HALFBACKS—Joe Golding, George Thomas, Leroy Neher, John Allsup."
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Golding | https://soonersports.com/sports/2019/8/13/208798496 | https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GoldJo20.htm | The Daily Oklahoman, May 17, 1944, NewsBank page 16 (via NewsBank Oklahoman Collection, scanned page) | The Daily Oklahoman, December 20, 1946, NewsBank page 28 (via NewsBank Oklahoman Collection, scanned page)