Kazmaier, "Dick" (Richard W. Jr.)
Football
b. Nov. 23, 1930, Toledo, OH
Most major college teams had switched to the T formation by the early 1950s, but Princeton was still using the single wing and from 1949 through 1951 Dick Kazmaier shone as the school's triple-threat tailback. In those three years, he ran, passed, and kicked for a total of more than 4,000 yards, scored 20 touchdowns, and threw 35 touchdown passes.
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A slim 170 pounds at 5-foot-11, Kazmaier had his greatest day in a 53-15 victory over Cornell in 1951. He ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns and completed 15 of 17 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Kazmaier was named an All-American halfback and won both the Heisman and Maxwell Trophies as college player of the year. He was also named Associated Press athlete of the year.
The Chicago Bears made him their first draft choice in 1952, but he opted not to play pro football. Instead, he attended Harvard Business School. After spending three years in the Navy, he founded Kazmaier Associates, Inc., an investment firm.
His daughter, Patty, was an All-Ivy League hockey player at Princeton. She died of a rare blood disorder when she was 28 and Kazmaier memorialized her with the Patty Kazmaier Award, which is presented to the outstanding women's college hockey player of the year.