Baltimore acquired Dick Barwegen, Bob Williams and Paul…
Baltimore acquired Dick Barwegen, Bob Williams and Paul Nestor from the Chicago Bears in July 1953 for Andy Hillhouse and two draft choices. Barwegen immediately became a Colts co-captain and starting lineman, giving Baltimore the clearest documented football value. The exact identities and later outcomes of Chicago's two selections are not securely established by the surviving reports.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Andy Hillhouse
- pick two draft choices (selections not identified)
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player Dick Barwegen
- player Bob Williams (a)
- player Paul Nestor
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Contemporary July 18, 1953 newspaper accounts describe the trade as having been completed the previous day. They consistently list Chicago sending Bob Williams, Dick Barwegen and Paul Nestor to Baltimore for Andy Hillhouse and two draft choices. That contemporary description is stronger than the older row's single 'high' choice, so the package is corrected to two selections while leaving their exact identities unspecified.
What Chicago Bears Received
Baltimore's most important acquisition was Dick Barwegen, a decorated veteran lineman who immediately became a starter and co-captain for the 1953 Colts. Team photographs and game lineups place him prominently on the new club. Bob Williams and Paul Nestor added further rights and depth, although their Colts impact was more limited. Barwegen's immediate leadership gives Baltimore a concrete return that can be measured without guessing at later draft chains.
What Baltimore Colts Received
Chicago received Andy Hillhouse and two draft choices. That is a meaningful package in quantity, but surviving contemporary reports available here do not identify the exact selections, making it unsafe to attach later draft outcomes to the trade. Hillhouse had professional experience, yet the Bears' side lacks a documented individual contribution comparable to Barwegen's immediate role as a Baltimore starter and captain.
Final Verdict
Indianapolis Colts Win. Baltimore earns a B+ because Barwegen supplied instant starting quality and leadership at a time when the new franchise badly needed both. Chicago earns a C for receiving a player and two selections, a package with real theoretical value but no securely traced downstream stars in the surviving evidence. The verdict favors the side with the clearest documented on-field payoff.
Barwegen's immediate starting role and captaincy gave Baltimore a tangible return at a formative moment for the franchise, while Chicago's two draft choices remain too poorly documented to support a stronger realized-value case.