#USCtotheNFL Profile: Gil Kuhn

By Aubrey Kragen on April 24, 2017 6:23 PM | No Comments

In its storied history, USC Football has had more players selected in the NFL Draft (496) than any other school can claim. As the 2017 NFL Draft approaches, we took a look back at some of our draft stories.

On December 12, 1936, Gil Kuhn became the first Trojan football player ever selected in the NFL Draft. The Brooklyn Dodgers chose Kuhn in the 10th Round (93rd overall) of the second-ever draft, held at the Hotel Lincoln in New York City.

The Placentia, CA native had bolstered USC's offensive line from 1934-36, serving as the team captain during his final season under legendary head coach Howard Jones. The Los Angeles Times dubbed him "one of the greatest leaders the Trojans have ever had."

Kuhn's impressive career at USC earned him invitations to the 1937 East-West Shrine Game and the 1937 College All-Star Game in Chicago. During the All-Star Game, Kuhn snapped the ball to future Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Sammy Baugh as the collegiate squad became the first All-Stars to beat a professional team (the Green Bay Packers). Ultimately, Kuhn was named to the Sports Illustrated Silver Anniversary All-America team of 1936.

Despite his on-field success, football was just a fraction of Kuhn's identity. In typical Los Angeles fashion, he also dabbled in performing. He sang in operettas and acted in films such as Rose Bowl, Pig Skin Parade and Varsity Show, combining his passions by playing the part of an athlete. He spoke Spanish fluently, making him a hot commodity in the film industry. Kuhn played rugby in addition to football and got his degree in Education, hoping to possibly become a teacher or go on to law school.

So when Kuhn was given the opportunity to pursue a professional football career, the decision wasn't as easy as it is for today's prospects. Ultimately, Kuhn decided to turn down the five-year contract he was offered by the Dodgers to pursue a number of different professional ventures. He never played a down of NFL football.

Instead, Kuhn remained on the Hollywood scene, serving as a technical director and assistant on a number of films. At 23, he founded his own advertising agency, called Gil Kuhn Co., and then became the head football coach at Glendale (Calif.) Junior College.

But then, like so many young men across the nation, his life was given new purpose when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1940. After flying in more than 40 missions across Germany, Kuhn rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross.

Upon his return to the States, Kuhn settled down in San Diego and made his way back into the business sector with a job at Marine Products Company, where he worked his way up to VP of Sales. He used what he learned there to found his own company, Ocean Garden Products, in 1957, helping it become the world's largest shrimp-importing firm at the time. Using his military experience, Kuhn flew his own plane between OGP's plants. The company still exists today, operating in San Diego and Anaheim.

All the while, football continued to play a big part in his life. The first Trojan football player ever drafted became the first-ever head football coach at University of San Diego in 1956, guiding the rookie program to a 2-3 record. He also served as USD's athletic director in his one year at the helm, before stepping away to fully focus on his business. Despite just one year at USD, Kuhn's legacy lived on in the form of the "Gil Kuhn Award," given to the USD football player who best demonstrated sportsmanship, performance to the highest degree, and leadership each year until 1961, after which the football program was temporarily dropped.

After a long, adventurous life, Kuhn died in 2006. He was 91.

#USCtotheNFL Profile: Gil Kuhn

#USCtotheNFL Profile: Gil Kuhn

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