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Bob Jeter

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Bob Jeter
No. 21, 29
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born:(1937-05-09)May 9, 1937
Union, South Carolina, U.S.
Died:November 20, 2008(2008-11-20) (aged 71)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Weirton (WV) Weir
College:Iowa
NFL draft:1960 / round: 2 / pick: 17
AFL draft:1960 / round: 1
Pick: First Selections
(by the Los Angeles Chargers)
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:26
INT yards:333
Touchdowns:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Robert DeLafayette Jeter, Jr. (May 9, 1937 – November 20, 2008) was an American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.

Early life

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Jeter was born on May 9, 1937, in Union, South Carolina.[1] He was raised in a segregated community in Weirton, West Virginia,[2] where he attended the segregated local school, Dunbar High School, until after his junior year in 1954. He then attended Weir High School (class of 1956) when Weirton's schools integrated, and was a football standout his senior year in the fall of 1955; being named an All American.[3][4][5]

College football

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Jeter played college football at the University of Iowa (1957-59). As a junior, he rushed for 355 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. In his senior year, Jeter led the Big Ten Conference in rushing with 609 yards (5.6 yards per carry).[6][7] He was named All-Big Ten.[8]

As a halfback with the Hawkeyes, Jeter rushed for a Rose Bowl record 194 yards on just nine carries against California as a junior in the 1959 Rose Bowl.[9][10] This total included an 81-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, another record.[11][12] As a result of this performance, he was the named the game's MVP, and Iowa finished as runner-up in the AP poll.[13][14] He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1994.[15]

In 2010, Jeter was inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame.[16]

Professional career

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Selected by the Packers in the second round of the 1960 NFL draft,[17] Jeter began his pro career in the Canadian Football League with the British Columbia Lions.[18] He was used in Canada as a running back in 1960 and 1961, backing up CFL legend and former Iowa teammate Willie Fleming. Still under contract in Canada, Jeter spent the 1962 season on the Packers' taxi squad,[19] saw limited action as a wide receiver in 1963 and 1964, and was moved to defensive back in 1965.[19][20]

Jeter was part of the Packer teams that won an unprecedented three consecutive NFL championship games and the first two Super Bowls. Herb Adderley and Jeter formed one of the greatest cornerback duos in football history.[21] During this time, Packers defense led the league in fewest points allowed in 1965 and 1966, fewest total yards allowed in 1964 and 1967, and fewest passing yards allowed from 1964 to 1968.[22][23][24][25][26] Prior to the 1971 training camp under new head coach Dan Devine, Jeter was traded to the Chicago Bears,[27][28] where he finished his career in 1973.

In eleven NFL seasons, Jeter had 26 interceptions for 333 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two receptions for 25 yards. He was inducted into the Packer Hall of Fame in 1985.[29]

After football

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Jeter had worked in Chicago for the Chicago Park District alongside former Big Ten (Illinois) grappler Patrick Heffernan, coordinating citywide sporting events for kids. He also was a warehouse planner for a food company.[20]

His son, Rob Jeter, is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Southern Utah (as of 2025), after 11 seasons as head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2005-16) and three seasons as head coach at Western Illinois University (2020-23).[30] His brother, Tony Jeter, played at Nebraska and two seasons at tight end with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[31][32]

Jeter died at age 71 in 2008 in Chicago of a heart attack.[33]

References

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  1. ^ "Bob Jeter, Packers.com". www.packers.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  2. ^ Hendricks, Martin (November 26, 2008). "Given a chance, Jeter held tight on 'D'". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  3. ^ Zuros, Paul (December 11, 2021). "History in the Hills: A football field of history". weirtondailytimes.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "Woodruff delivers golden football to Weir". weirtondailytimes.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  5. ^ "Weirton's black heroes, history celebrated". weirtondailytimes.com. February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  6. ^ "Bob Jeter College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  7. ^ "1959 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  8. ^ Bohnenkamp, John (April 2, 2020). "Jeter Gained His Competitive Edge From His Father". Iowa Hawkeyes On SI. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  9. ^ Myers, Bob (January 2, 1959). "Jeter runs wild in Iowa win". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 3, part 2. Archived from the original on May 2, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  10. ^ Kuechle, Oliver E. (January 2, 1959). "Four marks broken as Iowa wins, 38-12". Milwaukee Journal. p. 17, part 2. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  11. ^ "Jeter's 2 records feature Rose Bowl". Washington Afro-American. January 6, 1959. p. 11.
  12. ^ Missildine, Harry (January 2, 1959). "Jeter flies as Hawkeyes crush Bears". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 16.
  13. ^ Wright, Earl (January 2, 1959). "Iowa and Oklahoma only favorites to perform as well as predicted". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. UPI. p. 14.
  14. ^ "Iowa rockets explode past Cal, 38-12". Lodi News-Sentinel. UPI. January 2, 1959. p. 16.
  15. ^ "James enshrined in Rose Bowl hall". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. August 12, 1994. p. 2C.
  16. ^ "Robert DeLafayette Jeter, Jr., University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame". hof.hawkeyesports.com.
  17. ^ Lea, Bud (December 1, 1959). "Moore, Jeter, Hackbart, Packers' 1-2-3 picks". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 3, part 2. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  18. ^ "Bob Jeter signs Vancouver pact". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. February 18, 1960. p. 41.
  19. ^ a b Johnson, Chuck (October 11, 1967). "Jeter recalls Canadian years with regret". Milwaukee Journal. p. 17, part 2. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Christl, Cliff (November 13, 2002). "Whatever happened to: Bob Jeter". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3C. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  21. ^ Christl, Cliff (August 1, 2019). "Bob Jeter formed half of all-time cornerback combo". Green Bay Packers, Inc. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  22. ^ "1964 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  23. ^ "1965 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  24. ^ "1966 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  25. ^ "1967 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  26. ^ "1968 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  27. ^ Lea, Bud (July 23, 1971). "Jeter's exit no shocker". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  28. ^ "Bears' Montgomery traded for Jeter". Milwaukee Journal. July 22, 1971. p. 14, part 2. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  29. ^ Christl, Cliff. "Bob Jeter". Packers.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  30. ^ "Rob Jeter Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  31. ^ "Tony Jeter College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  32. ^ "Tony Jeter Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  33. ^ "Bob Jeter". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. (death notice). November 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
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