John Kuzman
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born: | Coaldale, Pennsylvania, U.S. | March 31, 1915
Died: | January 29, 2008 Boonton, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged 92)
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Weight: | 232 lb (105 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Coaldale |
College: | Fordham |
Position: | Tackle |
NFL draft: | 1941 / Round: 7 / Pick: 52 |
Career history | |
| |
Player stats at PFR |
John Kuzman (June 29, 1915 – January 29, 2008) was an American football tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL).
College career
Kuzman was a three year starter at tackle for the Fordham Rams.[1] He played in the first televised football game in 1939 as a junior.[2]
Professional career
Kuzman was drafted by the
1941 NFL Draft.[3] He played one season with the team before joining the Navy after the outbreak of WWII. He was assigned to the Pre-Flight training program at Saint Mary's College of California, where he served as a physical training instructor.[4] Kuzman later was assigned to North Carolina Pre-Flight, where Ted Williams was among the pilot trainees.[2] After the war Kuzman was signed by the San Francisco 49ers and played in the team's inaugural season. He joined the Chicago Rockets, reuniting with former Fordham head coach Jim Crowley, for 1947.[5][2] Kuzman played for the Jersey City Giants of the minor league American Football League in 1948 and 1949.[6]
Later life and death
Kuzman married Audrey on September 3, 1941. In 1947, Kuzman joined
Bergen County Vocational and Technical High School. Kuzman died on January 29, 2008, at the NJ Firemen’s Home in Boonton, New Jersey.[2]
References
- ^ "43 IN FORDHAM DRILL". The New York Times. August 28, 1940.
- ^ a b c d Havsy, Jane (February 4, 2006). "Memories top pain for Kuzman, 90". Daily Record. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ "1941 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
- ^ "FORDHAM STARS SIGNED". The New York Times. December 14, 1945.
- ISBN 9781476670959.
- ^ "John Kuzman". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved August 20, 2020.