Richard Frank "Dick" Szymanski (Pronounced: Sa-MAN-skee) (October 7, 1932 – October 28, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a center for thirteen seasons with the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League (NFL).[1]

Dick Szymanski
refer to caption
Szymanski, circa 1951
No. 52
Position:Center, Linebacker
Personal information
Born:(1932-10-07)October 7, 1932
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Died:October 28, 2021(2021-10-28) (aged 89)
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:233 lb (106 kg)
Career information
High school:Libbey (Toledo, Ohio)
College:Notre Dame
NFL draft:1955 / Round: 2 / Pick: 16
Career history
As a player:
As an administrator:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:157
Starts:128
Interceptions:6
Touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Szymanski graduated from its Libbey High School, then played college football at the University of Notre Dame. He was the sixteenth overall selection of the 1955 NFL Draft, taken in the second round by the Colts. Szymanski — known to his Colts teammates by the nickname "Syzzie"[2] — missed the 1956 season due to military service, but returned to play with the Colts on three NFL championship teams (1958, 1959, 1968).[1]

After his playing career concluded in January 1969, Szymanski continued with Baltimore as a scout, personnel director, and general manager. He succeeded Joe Thomas as general manager in January 1977,[3][4][5] then stepped down in the spring of 1982.[1][6] Dick was inducted June 1994 into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. He died October 28, 2021, at age 89.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Klingaman, Mike (December 29, 2016). "Catching up with...former Colts player, scout, coach and general manager Dick Szymanski". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  2. ^ Arthur Donovan and Bob Drury, Fatso: Football When Men Were Really Men. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1987; pp. 168–169.
  3. ^ "Colts realign front office". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 24, 1977. p. C6.
  4. ^ "Shakeup underway in Baltimore". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 25, 1977. p. 12.
  5. ^ "Baltimore shakeup continues". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 25, 1977. p. 2B.
  6. ^ "Szymanski resigns from Colts". Free Lance-Star. (Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. May 8, 1982. p. 7.

External links edit