About Bert Rechichar
Albert Daniel Rechichar (Pronounced: "Rech-i-SHAR") (July 16, 1930 – July 19, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a defensive back, halfback, and kicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, whom he captained during their 1951 national championship season. His performance over his last two seasons led Volunteers head coach Bob Neyland to proclaim Rechichar "probably the best all-around player in Tennessee football history." Selected in the first round of the 1952 NFL draft, Rechichar had a 10 year career in professional football playing for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts, and Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL and the New York Titans of the AFL. While playing for the Colts in 1953, Rechichar kicked a successful 56-yard field goal, setting an NFL distance record that stood for 17 years. He was selected for the NFL Pro Bowl three times. == Biography == === Early life === Bert Rechichar was born on July 16, 1930, in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, the youngest of ten children. He attended Rostraver High School in Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania, for whom he played football in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons — playing halfback on offense and safety on defense. Playing both sides of the ball was not uncommon in this era of the single platoon system and limited substitution, although Rechichar was unusual in playing all 60 minutes of the game without respite. "I'd lose 17, 18, 20 pounds a game," Rechichar recalled decades later. He moved to fullback in 1947, his final year of high school, and distinguished himself as a difficult-to-tackle runner, scoring four touchdowns in one contest against California High School of neighboring California, Pennsylvania. === College football career === In 1948, Rechichar enrolled at the University of Tennessee — a school which was segregated by law until 1960.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.