Gerald Ford, the football player.

[Rain Man]

Sure, he had another job later that got him more attention, but the NFL Network had a little blip on him as a football player, along with an old interview, that was quite interesting. I also read a little more about him.

Facts of note:

1. He was an all-state center in high school.

2. He played on two national championship teams, though he wasn't a starter on those teams.

3. I didn't realize this, but in the interview he said that he played both ways at Michigan when he became a starter as a senior, center on offense and linebacker on defense.

4. He was the MVP of the team his senior year.

5. He tackled Jay Berwanger, the first player ever selected in an NFL draft and the first Heisman trophy winner.

6. He graduated before the NFL had a draft, but was offered contracts by both the Packers and the Lions, for about $200 per game. He turned them down because he actually got a more lucrative offer to attend graduate school, and he wanted to get a law degree anyway. I found it interesting that the grad school offer actually paid him more money.

[mlyonsd]

Great post.

[Skyy God]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

6. He graduated before the NFL had a draft, but was offered contracts by both the Packers and the Lions, for about $200 per game. He turned them down because he actually got a more lucrative offer to attend graduate school, and he wanted to get a law degree anyway. I found it interesting that the grad school offer actually paid him more money.

Per the ESPN piece, he was offered a position coaching on the Yale team concurrent with his attending law school.

[Bob Dole]

It's kind of ironic that he's remembered for all of his falls and spills, because Bob Dole remembers that by all accounts at the time, he was one heck of an athletic guy.