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| No. 83 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1943-11-10)November 10, 1943 Sheboygan, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | May 7, 2013(2013-05-07) (aged 69) Westerville, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Texas | ||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1965: Red Shirt 5th round, 36 (By theNew York Jets)[1]th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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George Henry Sauer Jr. (November 10, 1943 – May 7, 2013) was an American professionalfootball player who was awide receiver for six seasons with theAmerican Football League (AFL)'sNew York Jets, and later played in theWorld Football League (WFL). He playedcollege football for theTexas Longhorns. His father,George Henry Sauer Sr., played for theGreen Bay Packers from 1935 through 1937.
Sauer playedcollege football for theTexas Longhorns as awide receiver. He was a member of the undefeated1963 Longhorns, and of the1964 Longhorns that defeated previously unbeatenAlabama in the1965 Orange Bowl.[2] After being teammates at Texas, Sauer and quarterbackJim Hudson continued as teammates for theNew York Jets for five seasons, 1965 through 1969. Sauer led theAmerican Football League (AFL) in receptions in the1967 season. In 1968, he started and caught eight passes for the Jets in the thirdAFL-NFL World Championship Game, helping defeat the NFL's heavily favoredBaltimore Colts. His eight receptions and 133 yards led all receivers in that game.
Sauer retired at the peak of his career following the1970 NFL season because he considered professional football dehumanizing.[2] In a 1971 interview with the Institute for the Study of Sport and Society, Sauer said, "When you get to the college and professional levels, the coaches still treat you as an adolescent. They know damn well that you were never given a chance to become responsible or self-disciplined. Even in the pros, you were told when to go to bed, when to turn your lights off, when to wake up, when to eat and what to eat. You even have to live and eat together like you were in a boys’ camp."[2] Sauer's father, on the subject of his son's retirement, stated, "He definitely does not like to be regimented."[2]
In spite of his disillusionment about playing professional football, Sauer returned to play for theNew York Stars of theWorld Football League in 1974. That season, Sauer caught 38 passes for 547 yards, good for 14.4 yards per catch and three touchdowns.
After retiring, Sauer pursued writing and completed a novel. He also coached a minor league football team in the late 1970s. As of 1994, the same year as his father's death, Sauer was a textbook graphics specialist living inSaint Paul, Minnesota. He died on May 7, 2013, inWesterville, Ohio, ofcongestive heart failure, having suffered fromAlzheimer's disease.[2]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Super Bowl champion | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1965 | NYJ | 14 | 11 | 29 | 301 | 10.4 | 33 | 2 |
| 1966 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 63 | 1,079 | 17.1 | 77 | 5 |
| 1967 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 75 | 1,189 | 15.9 | 61 | 6 |
| 1968 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 66 | 1,141 | 17.3 | 43 | 3 |
| 1969 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 45 | 745 | 16.6 | 40 | 8 |
| 1970 | NYJ | 14 | 12 | 31 | 510 | 16.5 | 67 | 4 |
| Career | 84 | 79 | 309 | 4,965 | 16.1 | 77 | 28 | |