Sports: Football & Baseball
Born: March 1, 1916
Town: Collingswood, New Jersey
Francis Theodore Laux was born March 1, 1916 in East Greenwich, NJ. Ted was the 14th of 15 children born to Robert and Elizabeth Laux, several of whom died in childhood. Ted’s father and mother died 16 days apart when he was two years old (possibly from the Spanish flu) and he was raised in nearby Collingswood by an uncle and his older brothers.
Ted developed into an exceptional athlete, with speed, strength and amazing coordination. There was no skill he could not master given the time and he became a standout in baseball, basketball and football at Collingswood High School. In 1934 and 1935, he was an all-conference fullback for Skeets Irvine’s varsity, which won the South Jersey championship both years. Ted stood 5’11” and weighed 170 pounds. In addition to being tough to tackle, he was an accurate kicker and a very good passer—a skill that would define him after the size of the ball was reduced in the late-1930s.
After a year at the Staunton Military Academy in Virginia—where he was named an All-Virginia quarterback and was a teammate of future AAFC star and NFL coach Harvey Johnson—Ted enrolled at St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia in 1937. The Hawks were coached by Heine Miller and had some success with Ted as their star player. But the program was very expensive to run and attendance was low. Ted decided to play semipro football instead, skipping the 1939 season—after which St. Joe’s abandoned football altogether.
Ted joined Ned Canal’s Camden Bears and was enjoying a fine year when he was the victim of a freak accident. While working at a filling station to pick up extra cash, Ted was asked by a truck driver to fill his tires with air at 70 pounds, but a tire exploded at 40 pounds, damaging his right arm and ending his season. He continued to experience pain in the arm for several years and, although he could still throw, he was unable to stiff-arm tacklers, which meant running to his left was no longer an option. The Philadelphia Eagles had been scared off by the injury in 1941, prompting Ted to file a suit against the trucking company. He won $10,000 after asking for $25,000.
Ted graduated from St. Joseph’s in 1940. By then he was one of the most in-demand semipro football and baseball players in South Jersey. It was not unusual for him to suit up for multiple teams in the same season, and in some cases he accepted the dual role of player-manager. He made an excellent living and his name was constantly splashed across the Camden sports pages. In 1940, Ted played quarterback for the Zuni Athletic Association in Camden, one of the top semipro football clubs in the east. In 1941, he played for the Wilmington Clippers, where his teammates included future Eagles star Jack Ferrante, but quit the club early in the season and returned to the Zunis in time to lead them to the Eastern Football League championship.
Earlier in 1941, Ted played multiple positions f(including pitcher and catcher) for the Collingswood semipro baseball team, which was managed by Buck Lai. Throughout the 1940s, Ted played against top barnstorming clubs, including all the top Negro League teams. He also coached football for three seasons at Western Maryland under head coach Skip Byham, who had been on the Collingswood staff when Ted played high-school ball.
Ted led the Zunis to another title in 1942 and was roundly hailed as the region’s top triple-threat. He won back-to-back games 3–0 that season with field goals from sharp angles. This made the Eagles rethink their earlier decision to pass on Ted, particularly with the manpower shortages brought on by World War II. He was exempt from the draft—either because of his arm injury or his job in the Philadelphia shipyards (it’s unclear). The Lions and Redskins offered him contracts, too, and he signed with Washington, the defending NFL champs. Prior to the 1943 season, however, he asked for his releasee so he could play with the Eagles—who had merged rosters with the Steelers to become the “Steagles.” Ted was the team’s back-up quarterback and saw action in four games. During his time in the NFL, he learned the ins and outs of the T-formation, which would greatly increase his value in the semipro ranks.
Prior to the 1944 season, the Eagles sold Ted to the Boston Yanks, but he refused to go, citing his wartime job in Philly. The deal was undone and he rejoined the club. Earlier in 1944, Ted led his New York Ship baseball team to the league championship, knocking in the winning run in the title game. Bill Narleski, father of Ray Narleski, was the shortstop on the club. Ted also played for the company’s basketball team.
In 1945, Ted returned to the semipro football ranks, playing for the Vineland Senators team sponsored by the textile manufacturer Martex. He returned to quarterback the club in 1946 and also played for the Zuni AA. In 1947, Ted realized his football days were numbered. Rather than slowing down, he became a gun for hire, playing for five different teams, including his old club, the Zuni Indians, as well as the Perth Amboy Red Raiders and the Woodbridge Golden Bears. Early that year, two of the clubs that had rostered him actually met and he had to pick one, which created some ill feelings. In 1948, Ted was player-coach of the Red Raiders and also played for the Philadelphia Yellowjackets.
Ted finally took his foot off the gas in 1949 and focused on the sporting goods store he’d opened on Haddon Avenue in Collingswood. He later opened a steakhouse in Maple Shade. Ted took up golf and, naturally, he was outstanding. Ted’s son, Ted Jr., carried on the family name in the 1950s, becoming a slugging first baseman. He was one of seven children (and the only boy) born to Ted and his wife, Carol.
Ted and Carol moved to Southern California with his wife in 1961. He died in Pasadena four years later at the age of 47.