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| Position | End /Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1910-05-31)May 31, 1910 New Albin, Iowa, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | December 18, 1988(1988-12-18) (aged 78) Carmichael, California, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 199 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | La Crosse (WI) | ||||||||||
| College | Wisconsin | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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Milton Edward Gantenbein (May 31, 1910 – December 18, 1988) was an Americanfootball player who played on three championship teams, as anend and as a defensive end for theGreen Bay Packers from 1931 to 1940.
Milt Gantenbein was born May 31, 1910, inNew Albin, Iowa.
The formerUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison standout was a member of three National Football League (NFL) championship teams under head coachCurly Lambeau. In1931, his rookie year, the sure-handed Gantenbein was the perfect complement to deep-threatLaverne Dilweg in Lambeau's pass-oriented offense and was a solid addition at defensive end. Green Bay's defense limited opponents to 87 points and had five shutouts, while the Packer offense compiled 291 points in fashioning a 12-2 record and winning a third league championship title in the1931 NFL season. Gantenbein continued as a two-way starter for the next three seasons, playing in the shadow of Dilweg andJohn McNally.
In the1936 NFL season,Don Hutson and Gantenbein were the main targets in the Packers' record-setting passing attack, with 34 and 15 catches respectively. The duo was also instrumental in Green Bay's 21-6 victory over the Boston Redskins in the1936 NFL Championship Game . Gantenbein iced the game with an 8-yard touchdown reception fromArnie Herber in the third quarter.
Gantenbein was named a team captain for the 1937 squad, and he again was a stalwart in the defensive line and the team's second leading receiver with 12 catches for 237 yards (19.8 yard average) and two touchdowns. In the1937 NFL season, Green Bay slipped to 7–4. In the1938 NFL season, the team had an 8-3 record and made it to the1938 NFL Championship Game, where the Packers lost 23–17 to the Giants in New York.
In the1939 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers struggled at times but posted a 9–2 record to gain a rematch with the New York Giants for the league title in the1939 NFL Championship Game. This time the game was played on Wisconsin soil, and Gantenbein opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown reception fromArnie Herber. It would be all the points the Packers needed on a cold and windy afternoon atWisconsin State Fair Park in Milwaukee, as they crushed the Giants, 27–0.
He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1972 and finished his career with three NFL championships, 77 receptions, 1,299 yards and eight touchdowns. Milt played in 103 regular-season games as a Packer and was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1972.[1]
With his playing days behind him, Gantenbein went on to coach football atManhattan College in New York for several years.