Ralph Fritz

Ralph Fritz
Date of birthNovember 23, 1917
Place of birthNew Kensington, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of deathFebruary 4, 2002(2002-02-04) (aged 84)
Career information
Position(s)Guard
US collegeMichigan
High schoolThe Kiski School
NFL draft1941 / round: 10 / pick: 82
Drafted byPittsburgh Steelers[1]
Career history
As player
1939–1940Michigan
1941Philadelphia Eagles
Career highlights and awards
Career stats

Ralph C. Fritz (November 23, 1917 – February 4, 2002) was an American football player and coach. A native of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Fritz attended The Kiski School before enrolling at the University of Michigan. He played guard for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1939 to 1940.[2][3] In 1940, he was chosen by conference coaches as a first-team player on the Associated Press All-Big Ten Conference team.[4] Fritz later played professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1941.[5] He was drafted in the tenth round of the 1941 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.[6] Fritz was one of the more than 1,000 NFL personnel who served in the military during World War II.[7] Starting in 1949, Fritz worked as a high school football coach in Wauchula, Florida.[8][9] In 1954, Fritz was hired as the athletic director and football coach at Lake Wales High School in Lake Wales, Florida.[10] Fritz died in 2002 at age 84 while living in Miami, Florida.[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1941 Pittsburgh Steelers". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  2. ^ "1939 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
  3. ^ "1940 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
  4. ^ Earl Hilligan (November 24, 1940). "Harmon and Evashevski Repeat on AP's All-Big Ten: Michigan Stars Named for Third Year in a Row". St. Petersburg Times (AP story). p. 12.
  5. ^ "Ralph Fritz profile". pro-football-reference.com.
  6. ^ "1941 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  7. ^ "FOOTBALL AND AMERICA: WW II Honor Roll". Pro Football Hall of Fame.
  8. ^ "Sailors Choice In Grid Opener With Wauchula". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. September 30, 1949.
  9. ^ "Sarasota Opens Divisional Defense at Wauchula Tonight". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. November 7, 1952.
  10. ^ "untitled". Lakeland Ledger. May 13, 1989.
  11. ^ "Social Security Death Index". Roots Web.