Fritz Seyferth
Seyferth (No. 32 at right) with teammates Tom Slade and Jim Brandstatter
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| Position: | Fullback |
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| Personal information | |
| Date of birth: | May 18, 1950 |
| Place of birth: | Darien, Connecticut |
| Career information | |
| College: | Michigan |
| NFL Draft: | 1972 / Round: 14 |
| Career history | |
John F. "Fritz" Seyferth (born May 18, 1950) is a former American football player. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1971. He also played professional football for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League from 1972 to 1973. He later worked for 21 years for the University of Michigan Athletic Department, retiring in 2000 as the executive associate athletic director.
A native of Darien, Connecticut, Seyferth was reportedly "a good, but not great football player" in high school. In 1968, he enrolled at the University of Michigan as an engineering student and not as a scholarship athlete. He tried out for the Michigan Wolverines football team as a walk-on and made the roster of the 1969 team led by first-year head coach Bo Schembechler. He ultimately earned a scholarship as well.
Seyferth started seven games at fullback and one at left halfback for the 1970 Michigan team that finished the season with a 9-1 record and ranked No. 7 and No. 9 in the final UPI and AP polls. On October 3, 1970, in Michigan's 14-7 victory over Texas A&M, he gained 45 yards on seven carries during the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. Three weeks later, on October 24, 1970, he scored four touchdowns in a 39-13 victory over Minnesota. He finished the 1970 season with 333 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns, including two touchdown catches. He ranked third in the Big Ten Conference in scoring.
Following the 1970 season, Seyferth won accolades for the work ethic that allowed him to progress from a walk-on to one of the top scorers in the Big Ten. Bo Schembechler noted, "It's pretty obvious he wants to play. His determination is something to see". John Hannen, sports editor of the Toledo Blade, wrote:
Seyferth responds to a challenge and he wants very badly to play football ... It's like David conquering Goliath all over again. It's great, that's what it is."
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