Ron Kramer

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Ronald J. Kramer (born June 24, 1935 in Girard, Kansas) is a former American football player for the University of Michigan and in the National Football League.

Kramer began his sports career playing for East Detroit High School in Eastpointe, Michigan.

In the tradition of Michigan athletes, Ron Kramer is considered to be ranked among the best. A three-sport athlete (football, basketball and track, Kramer led both the football and basketball teams in scoring for two years. Altogether, Kramer won a total of nine varsity letters in his three sports - the maximum number possible, as freshmen did not have athletic eligibility at the time.

Kramer's credits include two consensus football All-American selections (1955-56), the retirement of his jersey number (87) by the Wolverines following his senior season (one of only five numbers in school history to be retired), and the selection as the basketball team's most valuable player in each of his three seasons. As team captain, he was third-team All-Big Ten in 1957 after being second-team All-Big Ten in both 1955 and 1956. During his junior year, he averaged 20.4 points per game over a 22 game season and is a member of the career 1000-point club.^[1]

In the NFL, Kramer played 10 seasons (1957,1959-1967) - the first seven with the Green Bay Packers and three with the Detroit Lions.

Kramer was elected into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. In 1981, he was named as a recipient of the NCAA's Silver Anniversary Award in recognition of significant professional and civic contributions spanning 25 years after completion of his college eligibility.

Bennie Oosterbaan, Kramer's football coach at Michigan, described his blocking and tackling ability as the most valuable asset to the Michigan squad. Oosterbaan said this of his star player:

"To top off his marvelous physical gifts of size and speed and strength, plus an uncanny coordination, Kramer was one of the fiercest competitors I've ever seen. Nothing was impossible for him - the impossible was only a challenge."

In 1999, Sports Illustrated published a list of "The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Michigan" (in all sports), and ranked Kramer seventh on the list behind Joe Louis, Magic Johnson, Charlie Gehringer, Bennie Oosterbaan, Hal Newhouser, and Dave DeBusschere. "The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Michigan," Sports Illustrated, December 27, 1999. He was ranked ahead of many legendary Michigan Wolverines football figures, including Fielding Yost (#9), Rick Leach (#22), Fritz Crisler (#31), and Harry Kipke (#40).

[edit] See also

• Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders
• University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor

[edit] References

1. ^ Michigan Basketball 2007-08 (media guide). 

[edit] External links

• Hickok Sports Biography of Kramer
• Bentley Library Biography and Photograph of Kramer