Rote, Kyle (William Kyle Sr.)
Football
b. Oct. 27, 1928, San Antonio, TX
d. Aug. 15, 2002
A high school teammate of Doak Walker, Rote played behind Walker at Southern Methodist University in 1948 and 1949. When Walker was forced to miss the 1949 game against Notre Dame because of an injury, Rote replaced him as tailback in SMU's single wing and turned in a great triple-threat performance despite a 27-20 loss. He rushed for 115 yards, scored all three touchdowns, passed for 146 yards, and punted for a 48-yard average.
After Walker graduated, Rote became a starter in 1950 and was a consensus All-American. He joined the NFL's New York Giants in 1951 as a running back and occasionally as a flanker. When the Giants began using the three-end formation in 1953, Rote was moved to split end.
In 11 seasons with the Giants, he caught 300 passes for 4,797 yards and 48 touchdowns. He also rushed 231 times for 871 yards, a 3.8 average, and 4 touchdowns.
Rote retired after the 1951 season and became a sportscaster, serving for several years as an analyst on NBC Television coverage of college and professional football. His son, Kyle Rote Jr., was a professional soccer player.