Whatever assignment or challenge thrown Paul Pauk\u2019s way, one could expect that the 1991 Branford Sports Hall of Fame inductee would accomplish it with greatness.\u00a0 From his days on the football field, the basketball court, and the baseball diamond at Branford High School to his remarkable accomplishments at Princeton University, Pauk made the town of Branford proud.<\/p>\n
As a high school student at Branford, Paul served in many ways.\u00a0 He was class president for four years, participated on the Freshman Dance, Sophomore Hop, Junior Prom, and Senior Reception Committees.\u00a0 In the sports scene, Pauk was regarded as a mighty athlete who could do anything to help the team win.\u00a0 As a member of the Branford Hornets basketball team for four years, Pauk led the high school team to a state championship in the Class C division and to a runner up position in the Housatonic League in the 1929-30 season.\u00a0 Pauk was one of three Hornets named to the All-State team that year under the tutelage of coach Johnny Knecht.\u00a0 Through six games, the Hornets were 4-2 but went on to win 10 of its next 11 games, including victories in the Storrs Tournament against Woodbury (26-19), Madison (23-16), and Putnam (32-6). For the season, Branford outscored its opponents 362 to 255.<\/p>\n
As a senior and captain of the Branford varsity football team, Pauk led the Hornets to a second place standing in the tough Houstonic League.\u00a0 In 1929, Branford started off with a record of 2-3 but capped the season off with four consecutive victories over Derby (the first win over a Derby football team), Stratford, Seymour (a 38-0 win), and Commercial under legendary coach Johnny Knecht.<\/p>\n
Once Pauk graduated from Branford High School in 1930, he enrolled at Worcester Academy following in the footsteps of 1989 Branford Sports Hall of Fame inductee Stu Clancy.\u00a0 After a few years, colleges all over the country yearned for the right to have Paul Pauk play for its gridiron team, but it was the Tigers of Princeton University under famous coach Fritz Crisler that claimed him.<\/p>\n
As a three year varsity player, Pauk played halfback for the Tigers.\u00a0 While there, Pauk and his teammates claimed a 23-1 record over three years ranging from 1933 to 1935.\u00a0 In 1933, the Tigers had 9-0 record.\u00a0 The following year, the Tigers only blemish was a 7-0 defeat to Yale University and in 1935, Princeton went undefeated again.\u00a0 In game number four of the 1935 season, Pauk had yet another super game.\u00a0 An eighty yard punt return and a three yard touchdown run enabled the Tigers to squash Cornell University 54-0.\u00a0 Two games later against Harvard, Pauk scored two touchdowns en route to a 35-0 win.\u00a0 In his senior season, the Tigers scored 256 points to its opponents 32.\u00a0 Paul graduated from Princeton in 1936.<\/p>\n
Passing away in 1941, Pauk is remembered by all, especially his sister Mary Morton.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis award would mean a lot to him.\u00a0 I know it would.\u00a0 Being the type of person he was, he might feel as though he shouldn\u2019t have that honor.\u201d But as we all know, Paul Pauk is deserving of this award.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":665,"template":"","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductee\/664"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductee"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/inductee"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}