Jack “Soapy” Shapiro: The Smallest Player in NFL History
Shapiro would have been undersized for a high school team
NFL players are known for their combination of impossible size and athleticism. These days, even kickers and punters are apt to be physical specimens. Although such physicality in the game has evolved over time, the sport has traditionally attracted rugged athletes, there are exceptions to every rule. The smallest player in NFL history was fullback Jack “Soapy” Shapiro, who was a diminutive 5-feet and one-half inch, and weighed in at 119 pounds.
Shapiro’s parents and his seven siblings emigrated to the United States from Russia, and upon settling in New York City had Jack in 1907. Despite the fact that he played at around 85 pounds, he started for his high school football team for three years at Evander Child High School in the Bronx. His father earned $9 a week as a handyman, while two brothers chipped in with odd jobs to help the family make ends meet. He later recalled that his mother gave him a liver sandwich and 20 cents every day for subway fare, with enough left over for some French fries and a Coca Cola.
Size wasn’t the only obstacle he had to overcome to play high school football. His father was dead set against it because two of his other sons had broken legs in the past while playing sports…
