Fortmann, Daniel J.
Football
b. April 11, 1916, Pearl River, NY
d. May 23, 1995
After being tried at end and halfback, Fortmann became a starting guard at Colgate in 1933, when he was only seventeen. He graduated as a Phi Beta Kappa at twenty and became the youngest player ever to sign an NFL contract, with the Chicago Bears in 1936.
The 6-foot, 210-pound Fortmann played a major role in the Bears' championship seasons in 1940, 1941, and 1943. They were also division champions in 1937 and 1942. Fortmann was a second-team All-Pro his first two seasons and was named to the first team six years in a row, from 1938 through 1943.
Though smaller than most guards even at that time, Fortmann was a deadly tackler and surprisingly strong blocker who was excellent at pulling out of the line to lead interference. He studied medicine in the off-season while he played for the Bears and retired after the 1943 season to begin practice as a surgeon in Los Angeles.