Gus Sonnenberg
Sonnenberg as a wrestler
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| Position: | Halfback | ||
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| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | March 6, 1898 | ||
| Place of birth: | Ewen, Michigan | ||
| Date of death: | September 9, 1944 (aged 46) | ||
| Place of death: | Bethesda, Maryland | ||
| Height: | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Weight: | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Marquette (MI) Senior | ||
| College: | Detroit | ||
| Career history | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 Navy
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| Years of service | 1942–1944 | ||
| Rank | Specialist | ||
| Battles/wars | World War II | ||
| Other work | Professional wrestler | ||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at NFL.com |
Gustave Adolph Sonnenberg (March 6, 1898 – September 9, 1944) was an American football player and professional wrestler of German descent and World Heavyweight Champion. As a wrestler, he was National Wrestling Association world heavyweight champion. He played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1923 until 1930, for the Buffalo All-Americans, Columbus Tigers, Detroit Panthers, and Providence Steam Roller, where he was a member of the 1928 NFL championship team.
Born in Ewen, Michigan, Sonnenberg grew up on a farm in Green Garden, Michigan. He played football at Marquette High School from 1912 to 1915, playing on Marquette's Upper Peninsula championship team in 1915 when the team went 6–0, outscoring opponents 211 to 7. He went on to Dartmouth College in 1916, dropping out after his first year, but returning for a second year in 1919 before transferring to the University of Detroit Mercy, where he graduated.
In 1923, at age 25, Sonnenberg turned professional, playing in the NFL for the Buffalo All Americans (one game) and the Columbus Tigers. In 1924, he helped the Pottsville Maroons win the Anthracite League Championship in 1924. He played two seasons for the Detroit Panthers (1925, 1926) and then joined the Providence Steam Roller in 1927 and played on the NFL championship team there in 1928.
While playing in Providence, Sonnenberg was trained in professional wrestling and made his mat debut on January 24, 1928, at the Arcadia Ballroom in Providence, defeating Ivan Ludlow. Despite being just 5'7" and 200 pounds and having no background in wrestling, Sonnenberg quickly became a sensation in professional wrestling, changing the style of the sport with his signature move, the "flying tackle." He became a main event wrestler for Boston-based promoter Paul Bowser and unsuccessfully challenged world heavyweight champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis on June 30, 1928 at Boston Arena.
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