Emil Thomas Banjavic (September 19, 1915 – December 1, 1995) was an American football player. A native of Staunton, Illinois, Banjavic attended Staunton High School and then played college football at the University of Arizona from 1938 to 1941. He was a triple-threat player who was a good kicker, runner, and passer. He was also captain of the Arizona Wildcats football team. In a feature story on the first 56 years of Arizona football, Banajvaic was called "the hard-driving star" of Arizona's 1939-1941 teams. He was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 75th pick of the 1942 NFL Draft. He was described as having "the ideal build for a wingback." He appeared in 10 NFL games as a back for the Lions during the 1942 season, rushing for 67 yards on 11 carries. He later worked for an aircraft plant in Arizona and the Railroad Retirement Board in Texas. He died in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1995 at age 80. References 1915 births 1995 deaths People from Staunton, Illinois Arizona Wildcats football players Detroit Lions players Players of American football from Illinois