| No. 60 | |||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | (1947-05-05)May 5, 1947 Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | April 4, 2022(2022-04-04) (aged 74) California, U.S. | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 231 lb (105 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| College | Miami (OH) | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1969: 1st round, 18th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Robert Babich (May 5, 1947 – April 4, 2022)[1] was an American professionalfootball player who was alinebacker for nine seasons in theNational Football League (NFL) with theSan Diego Chargers and theCleveland Browns. He playedcollege football atMiami University inOxford, Ohio, and was elected to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1994.[2]
Babich was born May 5, 1947, the son of Frank Babich, Jr. and mother, Mary (Lisko) Babich.[3] He played high school football forCampbell Memorial High School inCampbell, Ohio, where he also excelled in baseball.[3]
Babich decided to play for coachBo Schembechler at Miami (Ohio). He was a first-team All-America linebacker for Miami University, known then as the Redskins. He graduated in 1969. He was voted the "Most Valuable Player" award twice by his teammates and selected as Miami's "Athlete of the Year" for the 1968-69 academic year. A two-time unanimous all-Mid-American Conference linebacker, he was also voted the "Defensive Player of the Year" in the MAC as he captained the 1968 team. Babich was selected First-team All-America by theAmerican Football Coaches Association,The Sporting News andTime magazine. He played in the American, North-South and Senior bowls.[4]
He was a first-round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in the1969 NFL/AFL draft, the 18th selection overall and the second linebacker taken.[5]
In three seasons for the Chargers, he saw action in all 42 regular-season games. On September 6, 1973, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a first-round draft choice in 1974 and a second-round pick in 1975.[6] He played six seasons for the Browns, missing only three games (in 1975) during those seasons. It was that season in which he started every game he played—the only games he started in his career.[7]
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education.[3]
Babich was inducted into the Miami University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975.[4] His 1994 election to the College Football Hall of Fame made him the first Miami (Ohio) player to be enshrined.[5]
Babich died on April 3, 2022. His wife, Barbara (Caylor), died just a month earlier.[8]