George Sauer Jr.

George Sauer, Jr.
No. 83
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	November 10, 1943; Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Died:	May 7, 2013 (aged 69); Westerville, Ohio
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
College:	Texas
Undrafted:	1965
Career history
	New York Jets (1965–1970); New York Stars (1974);
Career highlights and awards
	Super Bowl champion (III); American Football League champion (1968); 3× TSN All-AFL (1966, 1967, 1968); 4× AFL All-Star (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969);
Career NFL statistics
	Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

George Henry Sauer, Jr. (November 10, 1943 – May 7, 2013) was an American football wide receiver who played six seasons for the American Football League's New York Jets. He led the AFL in receptions in the 1967 season. In 1968, he started and caught eight passes for the Jets in the third AFL-NFL World Championship Game, helping defeat the NFL's heavily favored Baltimore Colts. He later played for the New York Stars of the World Football League. He also coached a minor league football team in the late 1970s. His father, George Sauer, played for the Green Bay Packers from 1935 through 1937.

While at Texas, Sauer played as a wide receiver, catching passes from quarterback Jim Hudson. After being teammates as Texas, Hudson and Sauer would continue as teammates for the New York Jets for five years from 1965 through 1969.

Sauer retired at the peak of his career following the 1970 season because he considered professional football dehumanizing.^[1] In a 1971 interview with the Institute for the Study of Sport and Society, Sauer said, "When you get to the college and professional levels, the coaches still treat you as an adolescent. They know damn well that you were never given a chance to become responsible or self-disciplined. Even in the pros, you were told when to go to bed, when to turn your lights off, when to wake up, when to eat and what to eat. You even have to live and eat together like you were in a boys’ camp."^[1] Sauer's father, on the subject of his son's retirement, stated, "He definitely does not like to be regimented."^[1]

After retiring, George pursued writing and completed a novel. As of 1994, Sauer was a textbook graphics specialist living in St. Paul. He died on May 7, 2013 in Westerville, Ohio of congestive heart failure, having suffered from Alzheimer's disease.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Litsky, Frank (May 10, 2013). "George Sauer, Jets Receiver and Rebel, Is Dead at 69". New York Times.

This biographical article relating to an American football wide receiver born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[NYT-1] Litsky, Frank (May 10, 2013). "George Sauer, Jets Receiver and Rebel, Is Dead at 69". New York Times.

[1]

v t e New York Jets Super Bowl III champions
11 Jim Turner 12 Joe Namath (MVP) 13 Don Maynard 15 Babe Parilli 22 Jim Hudson 23 Bill Rademacher 24 Johnny Sample 26 Jim Richards 29 Bake Turner 30 Mark Smolinski 31 Bill Mathis 32 Emerson Boozer 33 Curley Johnson 34 Lee White 35 Billy Joe 41 Matt Snell 42 Randy Beverly 43 John Dockery 45 Earl Christy 46 Bill Baird 47 Mike D'Amato 48 Cornell Gordon 50 Carl McAdams 51 Ralph Baker 52 John Schmitt 56 Paul Crane 60 Larry Grantham 61 Bob Talamini 62 Al Atkinson 63 John Neidert 66 Randy Rasmussen 67 Dave Herman 68 Michael Stromberg 70 Karl Henke 71 Sam Walton 72 Paul Rochester 74 Jeff Richardson 75 Winston Hill 80 John Elliott 81 Gerry Philbin 83 George Sauer 85 Steve Thompson 86 Verlon Biggs 87 Pete Lammons
Head coach: Weeb Ewbank
Coaches: Walt Michaels Clive Rush Buddy Ryan Joe Spencer

See also

References