Bob Thornbladh
Encyclopedia
Robert N. M. "Blade" Thornbladh (born September 19, 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio
) is a former American football
player, coach and radio color commentator. He played for the Michigan Wolverines football
team from 1971 to 1973 and was an assistant coach at Michigan from 1980 to 1986. He later served as the color commentator for Michigan football broadcasts on WJR
radio.
in 1952 and graduated from Plymouth High School in Plymouth, Michigan
. He enrolled at the University of Michigan
in 1970 and played at the fullback
position for the Michigan Wolverines football
team from 1971 to 1973. He gained 677 rushing yards for the Wolverines on 163 carries for an average of 4.2 yards per carry. He scored 11 rushing touchdowns, and his longest run for Michigan was a 31-yard gain against Wisconsin in 1973. Thonrbladh also had seven pass receptions for Michigan, gaining 55 yards for an average of 7.9 yards per reception. He also returned five kickoffs for 52 yards for an average of 10.4 yards per return.
Thornbladh was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
in the 11th round of the 1974 NFL Draft
(275th overall pick). He made the Chiefs' regular season roster in the 1974 NFL season
as a backup to middle linebacker Willie Lanier
, but he played only on the special teams
in 14 regular season games. In July 1975, the Chiefs traded Thornbladh to the Detroit Lions
for an undisclosed future draft choice. The Lions placed Thornbladh on waivers in August 1975.
story about expensive soup. Thornbladh was sent by Schembechler to get 15 tuna fish sandwiches and 15 cups of soup for the coaching staff. Thornbladh placed the order at a nearby restaurant and came back later to pick it up. The bill came to $50.56, and Thornbladh did not have enough money. In order to avoid losing the entire sale, the restaurant agreed to sell him the 15 sandwiches without soup for $28. After hearing the story, Schembechler sent him back to the restaurant the next day to buy a single order of soup, wanting to find out how "$2 soup-to-go" tastes.
In 1980, Thornbladh was promoted to assistant coach at Michigan, a position that he held until 1986.
radio broadcasts of Michigan Wolverines football games.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, coach and radio color commentator. He played for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team from 1971 to 1973 and was an assistant coach at Michigan from 1980 to 1986. He later served as the color commentator for Michigan football broadcasts on WJR
WJR
WJR is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts a news/talk format. It is a class A clear channel station whose broadcasts can be heard throughout most of the Midwest, eastern United States and Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the...
radio.
Playing career
Thornbladh was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1952 and graduated from Plymouth High School in Plymouth, Michigan
Plymouth, Michigan
Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is an enclave completely surrounded by Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan.-Geography:...
. He enrolled at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1970 and played at the fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
position for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team from 1971 to 1973. He gained 677 rushing yards for the Wolverines on 163 carries for an average of 4.2 yards per carry. He scored 11 rushing touchdowns, and his longest run for Michigan was a 31-yard gain against Wisconsin in 1973. Thonrbladh also had seven pass receptions for Michigan, gaining 55 yards for an average of 7.9 yards per reception. He also returned five kickoffs for 52 yards for an average of 10.4 yards per return.
Thornbladh was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in the 11th round of the 1974 NFL Draft
1974 NFL Draft
The 1974 National Football League Draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City on January 29–30, 1974. Each of the 26 NFL teams was granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks....
(275th overall pick). He made the Chiefs' regular season roster in the 1974 NFL season
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
as a backup to middle linebacker Willie Lanier
Willie Lanier
Willie Edward Lanier is a former American football middle-linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the American Football League All-Star team in 1968 and 1969 before being selected to the Pro Bowl from...
, but he played only on the special teams
in 14 regular season games. In July 1975, the Chiefs traded Thornbladh to the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
for an undisclosed future draft choice. The Lions placed Thornbladh on waivers in August 1975.
Coaching career
In 1976, Thornbladh returned to the University of Michigan as a graduate assistant on Bo Schembechler's coaching staff. In 1976, Thornbladh accompanied the team to the Rose Bowl and was the subject of an Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
story about expensive soup. Thornbladh was sent by Schembechler to get 15 tuna fish sandwiches and 15 cups of soup for the coaching staff. Thornbladh placed the order at a nearby restaurant and came back later to pick it up. The bill came to $50.56, and Thornbladh did not have enough money. In order to avoid losing the entire sale, the restaurant agreed to sell him the 15 sandwiches without soup for $28. After hearing the story, Schembechler sent him back to the restaurant the next day to buy a single order of soup, wanting to find out how "$2 soup-to-go" tastes.
In 1980, Thornbladh was promoted to assistant coach at Michigan, a position that he held until 1986.
Later years and family
After retiring from coaching, Thornbladh became the color commentator on WJRWJR
WJR is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts a news/talk format. It is a class A clear channel station whose broadcasts can be heard throughout most of the Midwest, eastern United States and Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the...
radio broadcasts of Michigan Wolverines football games.