Goose Gonsoulin

American football player (1938–2014)

American football player

Goose GonsoulinNo. 23, 35

Position:| Safety
Personal information
Born:| (1938-06-07)June 7, 1938
Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.
Died:| September 8, 2014(2014-09-08) (aged 76)
Beaumont, Texas, U.S.
Height:| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:| 210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College:| Baylor
NFL draft:| 1960: 17th round, 203rd pick
AFL draft:| 1960
Career history

* Denver Broncos (1960–1966)
* San Francisco 49ers (1967)

Career highlights and awards

* 5× All-AFL (1960–1964)
* 5× AFL All-Star (1961–1964, 1966)
* AFL All-Time second-team
* Denver Broncos Ring of Fame

AFL record

* Most passes intercepted in a single game: 4 (tied)

Career NFL statistics
| Interceptions:| 46

|

Stats at Pro Football Reference

Austin William "Goose" Gonsoulin (June 7, 1938 – September 8, 2014) was an American professional football player who was a safety in the American Football League (AFL) for the Denver Broncos and in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers. The football player was raised in Port Arthur, Texas. He was an All-District and All-state athlete at Thomas Jefferson High School on both the football and track teams.[1]

Gonsoulin played college football for the Baylor Bears where he was a receiver and a defensive back. He captained the 1959 team.

Gonsoulin was drafted by the Dallas Texans, but shortly before the inaugural season he was traded to Denver.

At the end of his stint with the Broncos, he was the AFL's all-time leader in interceptions with 40. He made the first interception ever in the AFL, in the first league game against the Boston Patriots. He had seven interceptions in his first three games, and his 11 pickoffs in 1960 are still a Denver club record. He shares the team record for interceptions in a game with four, a feat he accomplished September 18, 1960 at Buffalo.

Gonsoulin was a Sporting News AFL All-League player in 1960, 1962, and 1963, and an AFL Western Division All-Star in 1961, 1964 and 1966. In 1966, he recorded no interceptions but still was named an AFL All-Star that year. His amazing durability and toughness enabled him to start 61 consecutive games at one point in his career. He was also the captain of his college team at Baylor. Gonsoulin was selected to the second unit of the American Football League All-Time Team. He was tied for 6th all-time in interceptions (46) when he played his last game in 1967.[2]

He was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1984.[3]

Gonsoulin died on September 8, 2014.[4]

## See also

[edit]

* List of American Football League players

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Gonsoulin Goose" (PDF). profootballresearchers.org. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
2. ^ "NFL Career Interceptions Leaders Through 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
3. ^ "Austin "Goose" Gonsoulin". Retrieved May 31, 2024.
4. ^ "Goose Gonsoulin passes away". Denver Broncos. September 8, 2014. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2014.

* v
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New York Giants 1959 NFL draft selections

* Lee Grosscup
* Buddy Dial
* Joe Morrison
* Ellison Kelly
* Jack Delveaux
* Bob Pepe
* Bob Sawyer
* Charlie Flowers
* John Kompara
* Roger Ellis
* Bob Bercich
* Bob Soltis
* Goose Gonsoulin
* Al Ecuyer
* George Scott
* Jerry Shetler
* Fred Swearingen
* Gale Gibson
* Frank Kremblas
* Charley James
* Lou Reale
* Frank Doretti
* Joe Biscaha
* Dolphus Williams
* Henry Christopher
* Dave Sington

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San Francisco 49ers 1960 NFL draft selections

* Monty Stickles
* Mike Magac
* Carl Kammerer
* Rod Breedlove
* Ray Norton
* Len Rohde
* Lee Murchison
* Bobby Waters
* Bill Mathis
* Max Fugler
* Bobby Wasden
* Mel Branch
* Ed Pitts
* Ernie Hansen
* Jim Williams
* Dean Hinshaw
* Gary Campbell
* Mike Dowdle
* Jim Heinke
* Austin "Goose" Gonsoulin
* Carl Robinson
* Bobby Pate
* Jim Woodward

* v
* t
* e

Denver Broncos 1960 inaugural season roster

* 14 Dick Doyle
* 16 George Herring
* 18 Frank Tripucka
* 20 Henry Bell
* 21 Gene Mingo
* 22 Bob Stransky
* 23 Goose Gonsoulin
* 24 Don Allen
* 33 Pete Mangum
* 34 Hardy Brown
* 35 Dave Rolle
* 36 J.W. Brodnax
* 40 Al Carmichael
* 40 Ted Wegert
* 41 Bob McNamara
* 42 Al Romine
* 43 Frank Bernardi
* 50 Fred Broussard
* 51 Mike Nichols
* 52 Frank Kuchta
* 53 Bob Hudson
* 60 Ken Adamson
* 61 Chuck Gavin
* 62 Buddy Alliston
* 63 Dave Strickland
* 64 Bud McFadin
* 65 Joe Young
* 67 Johnny Hatley
* 70 Don King
* 71 Willie Smith
* 72 Hal Smith
* 73 Gordy Holz
* 75 Eldon Danenhauer
* 76 Bill Danenhauer
* 76 Bill Yelverton
* 77 Carl Larpenter
* 81 Bill Jessup
* 83 Johnny Pyeatt
* 84 Al Day
* 85 Jim Greer
* 86 Don Carothers
* 87 Lionel Taylor
* 88 Pat Epperson
* 89 Ken Carpenter
* \-- Jack Davis
* \-- Tom Dublinski

* Head coach: Frank Filchock

* v
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* e

AFL annual interceptions leaders

* 1960: Gonsoulin
* 1961: Atkins
* 1962: Riley
* 1963: Glick
* 1964: Paulson
* 1965: Hicks
* 1966: Hunt & Robinson
* 1967: Farr, Janik & Westmoreland
* 1968: Grayson
* 1969: Thomas

* v
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* e

Denver Broncos Ring of Fame

Steve Atwater
Champ Bailey
Pat Bowlen
Terrell Davis
Jason Elam
John Elway
Simon Fletcher
Steve Foley
Goose Gonsoulin
Randy Gradishar
Rich Jackson
Tom Jackson
Charley Johnson
Floyd Little
John Lynch
Peyton Manning
Karl Mecklenburg
Red Miller
Gene Mingo
Craig Morton
Haven Moses
Tom Nalen
Riley Odoms
Gerald Phipps
Dan Reeves
Mike Shanahan
Shannon Sharpe
Dennis Smith
Paul Smith
Rod Smith
Lionel Taylor
Billy Thompson
Frank Tripucka
Jim Turner
Rick Upchurch
Louis Wright
Gary Zimmerman

* v
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* e

American Football League All-Time Team

* Joe Namath
* Len Dawson
* Clem Daniels
* Paul Lowe
* Lance Alworth
* Don Maynard
* Cookie Gilchrist
* Abner Haynes
* Charlie Hennigan
* Art Powell
* Fred Arbanas
* Dave Kocourek
* Ron Mix
* Jim Tyrer
* Winston Hill
* Stew Barber
* Ed Budde
* Billy Shaw
* Walt Sweeney
* Bob Talamini
* Jim Otto
* Jon Morris
* George Blanda
* Jim Turner
* Jerrel Wilson
* Bob Scarpitto
* Jerry Mays
* Gerry Philbin
* Rich Jackson
* Ron McDole
* Houston Antwine
* Tom Sestak
* Buck Buchanan
* Tom Keating
* Nick Buoniconti
* Bobby Bell
* George Webster
* Dan Conners
* Larry Grantham
* Mike Stratton
* Willie Brown
* Dave Grayson
* Butch Byrd
* Miller Farr
* Johnny Robinson
* George Saimes
* Goose Gonsoulin
* Kenny Graham
* Weeb Ewbank
* Sid Gillman

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