Bob Kalsu
| Date of birth: | April 13, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth: | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States |
| Date of death: | July 21, 1970 (aged 25) |
| Place of death: | Thua Thien, South Vietnam † |
Career information | |
| Position(s): | Guard |
| College: | Oklahoma |
| NFL Draft: | 1968 / Round: 8 / Pick 199 |
Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1968 | Buffalo Bills |
Career stats | |
| Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com | |
|
Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1968–1970 |
| Rank |
 1st Lieutenant |
| Unit |
 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Bronze Star Purple Heart |
James Robert "Bob" Kalsu (April 13, 1945 – July 21, 1970) was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1968.
Kalsu was a starting guard in 1968. He played the entire season and was the Bills' team rookie-of-the-year.[1] Following the 1968 season, to satisfy his Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) obligation, he entered the Army as a Second Lieutenant and arrived in Vietnam in November 1969 as part of the 101st Airborne Division. He was killed in action on July 21, 1970 when his unit came under enemy mortar fire at FSB Ripcord near the A Shau Valley.[2] His family, out of respect, refused to talk in detail about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Lieutenant Kalsu had one child, a daughter named Jill. At home in Oklahoma City, his wife, Jan Kalsu, gave birth to his son, James Robert Kalsu Jr., on July 23. Mrs. Kalsu was informed of her husband's death only hours later. Kalsu and former Cleveland Brown Don Steinbrunner were the only professional football players to lose their lives in the Vietnam War.
Honors
- FOB Kalsu in Babil, Iraq, was named after him.
- In 1999, NFL Films produced a feature on Kalsu that was nominated for an Emmy Award.[2]
- In 2000, the Buffalo Bills added Kalsu's name to the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.[2]
- In 2002, the replacement company at Fort Campbell was named in honor of him – 1LT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company.[2]
- Del City High School's football stadium bears his name.
- There is a CrossFit Work Out of the Day (WOD) named in his honor.[3]
See also
- Pat Tillman
- Harry O'Neill - One of the two Major League Baseball players killed in World War II.
- Tim James – Basketball player who left his professional sports career and enlisted in the United States Army on September 12, 2008.
- Other American Football League players
- Don Steinbrunner
References
External links
- Kalsu's memorial on The Virtual Wall website
- Benning soldiers adapt to new environment
- Fort Campbell 1LT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company
- Buffalo News story on Kalsu
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