Bulbs Ehlers

Edwin Sheffield "Bulbs" Ehlers


Born:
March 10, 1923
Joliet, IL

Died:
June 17, 2013
South Bend, IN


Career
1938-39 South Bend Central High School - Indiana (High School)
1939-40 South Bend Central High School - Indiana (High School)
1940-41 South Bend Central High School - Indiana (High School)
1942-43 Purdue University (College)
1943-44 Salt Lake Wings (military)
1944-45 Salt Lake Wings (military)
1945-46 Denver Ambrose Jellymakers (ABL-AAU)
1946-47 Purdue University (College)
1947-48 Boston Celtics (BAA)
1948-49 Boston Celtics (BAA)
1949-50 Purdue University (College) Assistant coach

Ehlers played baseball, basketball and football at South Bend Central, with the legendary John Wooden as his basketball coach. He went on to Purdue where he was voted All-American in basketball. His time at Purdue was interrupted by time in the U.S. Army. In 1947, he was drafted by he Celtics, but was also signed by the New York Yankees and he embarked on a two-sport career for a bit. (He was also drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears, making him one of the few, if not the only, played to have three different professional sports after him.) After two seasons with the Celtics, he focused more on baseball and had decent power but never got higher than AAA ball. He spent a couple seasons in the Cubs system before quitting baseball in 1951. He later operated his own insurance company in South Bend.

Edwin married Joyce Slick and they had three daughters and a son (Tom, who played in the NFL for the Eagles and the Bills). His grandson, Scott Dreisbach, played for five seasons in the NFL and many more in the Arena Football League.

Minor League Baseball Stats:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=ehlers001edw

Source:
Obituary
South Bend Tribune Obituary

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ehlerbu01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=ehlerbu01