 Kazmaier,c. 1951 | |
| No. 42 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1930-11-23)November 23, 1930 Maumee, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | August 1, 2013(2013-08-01) (aged 82) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 171 lb (78 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Maumee |
| College |
|
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Richard William Kazmaier Jr. (November 23, 1930 – August 1, 2013) was an American businessman andnaval lieutenant. He playedcollege football as ahalfback for thePrinceton Tigers from 1949 through 1951 and was the winner of the 1951Heisman Trophy,[1][2] theMaxwell Award, and theAP Male Athlete of the Year.
Kazmaier was born November 23, 1930, inToledo, Ohio, the only child of Richard William Kazmaier Sr. (1903–1989) and Marian A. Kazmaier (née Greenlese; 1903–1957).[3] He graduated fromMaumee High School inOhio in 1948. He playedfootball (four years),basketball (four years),track and field (four years),baseball (four years) andgolf (one year) earning aletter each year in each sport. He was recruited by 23 colleges, most offering full scholarships.[4]
Ahalfback,kicker, andquarterback atPrinceton University, Kazmaier ended his career third all-time inTigers' history with over 4,000 yards ofoffense and 55touchdowns.
As a senior in1951, Kazmaier was aconsensusAll-American and won theMaxwell Award and theHeisman Trophy. He was named Ivy League Football Player of the Decade in 1960 andTime magazine ran his picture on its cover.[5] He was the last Heisman Trophy winner to play for an Ivy League institution.[6] Kazmaier graduated from Princeton in 1952 after completing a senior thesis titled "The Company and the Union: A Case Study".[7] TheChicago Bears selected him in the1952 NFL draft, but he declined to play pro football, instead going toHarvard Business School. After spending three years in theU.S. Navy (1955–1957) and attaining the rank oflieutenant, he founded Kazmaier Associated Inc, an investment firm inConcord, Massachusetts.[8]
Kazmaier served as a director of theAmerican Red Cross, director of theLadies Professional Golfers Association,trustee of Princeton University, director of theKnight Foundation on Intercollegiate Athletics, chairman of thePresident's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition under PresidentsRonald Reagan andGeorge H. W. Bush and president of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. The NCAA gave him itsSilver Anniversary Award. He also received theNational Football Foundation Distinguished American Award.[9]
In 2007, during aMaumee football game againstPerrysburg, Kazmaier was honored by having his jersey number (#42) retired.[10] He also donated hisHeisman Trophy toMaumee High School, where it is displayed inside a glass case in the main hallway.[11] The stadium atMaumee High School is named in his honor. His daughter, the latePatty Kazmaier-Sandt, was anAll-Ivy member of the Princeton women's ice hockey team who died in 1990 at the age of 28 from a rare blood disease. ThePatty Kazmaier Award, which was established by Kazmaier to memorialize his daughter, is given to the top woman college ice hockey player in the United States at the annualWomen's Frozen FourNCAA championship.[12]
Kazmaier died on August 1, 2013, inBoston from heart and lung disease at the age of 82.[13][14]
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