Short and Sweet
ON APRIL 1 former NFL quarterback Eddie LeBaron died at 85 in Stockton, Calif. A decorated Korean War veteran who stood only 5'7", LeBaron was known as the Little General during his 11-year career, from 1952 through '63, with Washington and Dallas. Eagles linebacker Chuck Bednarik once called him "the greatest little football player that ever lived," but he was not the shortest. Here, sport by sport, are the smallest players on record.*
[The following text appears within a chart. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual chart.]
5'
4'
3'
2'
Eddie LeBaron
5'7"
Muggsy Bogues
5'3"
Bob Emmerich
5'3"†
Trindon Holliday
5'5"
Brian Kortan
5'3"
Roy Worters
5'3"
*AMONG PLAYERS WHO'VE APPEARED IN MORE THAN ONE GAME.
†EMMERICH IS ONE OF FOUR 5'3" PLAYERS IN MLB HISTORY (YO-YO DAVALILLO, STUBBY MAGNER, MIKE MCCORMACK)
PHOTO
IMPERIAL OIL--TUROFSKY/HOCKEY HALL OF FAME (WORTERS)
PHOTO
AL MESSERSCHMIDT/GETTY IMAGES (KORTAN)
PHOTO
JOHN W. MCDONOUGH FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (HOLLIDAY)
PHOTO
BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES (EMMERICH)
PHOTO
JIM GUND/GETTY IMAGES (BOGUES)
PHOTO
NATE FINE/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES (LEBARON)
CHART