George Gerhard Ruetz (September 23, 1893 – May 24, 1927) was a professional football coach in the National Football League (NFL) for the Racine Legion. Prior to that he had been one of Racine's finest amateur players from about 1910-1920. In June 1922 George traveled to Canton, Ohio and made a $100.00 payment to secure the Legion franchise in the newly formed NFL. He also served as the team's general manager in 1922 and 1923. Outside of football, George owned and operated a grocery store in Racine. He scheduled the Legion's very first NFL game, played against the Chicago Bears.

Babe Ruetz
Date of birthSeptember 23, 1893
Place of birthRacine, Wisconsin, U.S.
Date of deathMay 24, 1927(1927-05-24) (aged 33)
Place of deathRacine, Wisconsin, U.S.
Career information
Position(s)Head Coach
Weight285 lb (129 kg)
Career history
As coach
1922–1924Racine Legion
Career stats

Family edit

George's son, Howard, would go on to play for the Green Bay Packers from 1951–1953.

References edit

  • LaRose, Paul (1984). "The Racine Legion" (PDF). Coffin Corner. 6 (11–12). Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-27.
  • Racine Legion Bio
  • Joe Ruetz Obituary