Jerry Frei
c. 1967
|
|
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
June 3, 1924 Oregon, Wisconsin |
| Died | February 16, 2001 (aged 76) Denver, Colorado |
| Playing career | |
| 1942, 1946, 1947 |
Wisconsin |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1948–1949 | Portland (OR) Grant HS |
| 1950–1951 | Portland (OR) Lincoln HS |
| 1952–1954 | Willamette (line) |
| 1955–1966 | Oregon (assistant) |
| 1967–1971 | Oregon |
| 1972–1975 | Denver Broncos (assistant) |
| 1976–1977 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (assistant) |
| 1978–1980 | Chicago Bears (assistant) |
| 1981–1982 | Denver Broncos (assistant) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1983–2001 | Denver Broncos (scout) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 22–29–2 (college) |
| Jerry Frei | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 U.S. Army Air Forces
|
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant
|
| Unit | 6th Photographic Group |
| Battles/wars | World War II: Pacific theater |
| Awards |
 Air Medal (3) |
Gerald L. "Jerry" Frei (June 3, 1924 – February 16, 2001) was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach at the University of Oregon for five seasons, 1967 through 1971, compiling a record of 22–29–2. At Oregon, Frei coached Dan Fouts and Ahmad Rashād. He later worked in the National Football League (NFL) as an assistant coach and scout, mostly with the Denver Broncos.
Fittingly, Frei was born in the small Wisconsin town of Oregon, south of Madison. He spent his early years in the village of Brooklyn, then moved with his family to Stoughton, southeast of Madison. Frei graduated from Stoughton High School in 1941, shortly before his 17th birthday, and was a classmate of Marian Benson, whom he married in 1945. He was inducted into the Stoughton Hall of Fame after his death.
Frei played college football at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and was a guard for the Badgers as a sophomore in 1942. The team starred two-time All American end Dave Schreiner and halfback Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, finished with an 8–1–1 record, ranked third in the final AP Poll, and was named the national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation. The Badgers beat the AP national champion, Ohio State 17-7, but lost to unheralded Iowa 6-0 and tied Notre Dame 7-7 in the season opener. That glorious Badger season was played in a final-fling atmosphere on campus with many students, including football players, already enlisted in the service and awaiting their callups to active duty during World War II. Only one player from that Badgers team still was on the Wisconsin roster in 1943. Frei was only age 18, but like most of his teammates, he went on active duty in early 1943.
...
Wikipedia