Dick Rifenburg
Encyclopedia
Richard Gale "Dick" Rifenburg (August 21, 1926 – December 5, 1994) was a pioneering television broadcaster for the forerunner to WIVB-TV
in Buffalo
. He was also a professional American football
wide receiver
who played in the NFL
for the Detroit Lions
in 1950
and had been an All-American end for the University of Michigan
Wolverines
in 1944
and 1946
–1948
. After retiring from football he settled in Buffalo and became a sports broadcaster
. He worked as a sidelines reporter for the Buffalo Bills
and as a play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Bulls
. He hosted various television
and radio
sports shows and was eventually inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
In college, he led the Big Ten Conference
in single season receptions
during his senior year and set Michigan Wolverines receptions records for both career touchdown
and single-season touchdowns. He had also been a Michigan High School Athletic Association
(MHSAA) state champion in both basketball
and track & field. His college career was interrupted by World War II
service, and his high school career was also affected by the war due to the MHSAA's cancellation of state championships in all sports in 1943.
, and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan
before his family moved to Saginaw, Michigan
. Rifenburg was a star athlete at Saginaw's Arthur Hill High School
in football, basketball, and track and field. In 1943, Michigan canceled boys high school tournaments in all sports due to World War II, and they did not return until the fall of 1944. In 1944, he led Arthur Hill High to the MHSAA Class A high school basketball championship (over Kalamazoo Central High School
), scoring 24 points
, including 17 in the second half, of the championship game. Rifenburg was also the state champion in 1944 in both the shot put
and high jump
. He also led Arthur Hill in football, and his high school accomplishments are featured in Glory: The history of Saginaw County sports by Jack Tany (ASIN B0006RH9Z6), which is a book on high school sports in Saginaw County, Michigan
. Rifenburg was named All State in football, basketball and track.
It is ironic that Rifenburg was born in Petoskey, Michigan in 1926 for several reasons. Ted Petoskey
preceded Rifenburg as an All-American end on the University of Michigan football team. Petoskey had excelled as a representative of Saginaw County in MHSAA competition. Petoskey posted significant football accomplishments in 1926 making 1926 a significant year for himself as well. Achieving All-American status as an end at Michigan would be Rifenburg's next step after excelling in MHSAA competition.
, he caught two touchdown passes in his first college football
game against Iowa. In an article titled "Teens and TNT," Time
reported on Rifenburg's performance: "Of the few teams already in action, Michigan's teens rang the freshman bell loudest last week by winning their opener, 12 -to-7, against the strong Iowa Seahawks (Naval Pre-Flight)
; 6-ft. 4 Freshman End Dick Rifenburg caught passes and ran for both Michigan touchdowns."
Rifenburg's college career was interrupted by World War II service in the United States Navy
, but after missing the 1945 season, he returned to play for the Wolverines from 1946–1948. Rifenburg played for the Wolverines in consecutive undefeated National Championship seasons in 1947 and 1948. He started nine games for the 1947 team
. The 1947 team referred to as "Michigan's Mad Magicians" is considered to be the greatest University of Michigan football team of all time. Rifenberg and teammate Len Ford
had the reputation as the team practical jokers. During the 1947 game against Wisconsin
, Rifenburg started calling signals for the Badgers. Wisconsin's offense protested to officials, who "prowled the Wolverines secondary but never caught their man." Rifenburg continued to scramble Badger signals, as Rifenburg's teammates laughed at his scheme. In the January 1, 1948 Rose Bowl
that season, Michigan rolled to a 49–0 victory over USC, and they outgained the Trojans 491 yards to 133. Rifenburg caught a 29-yard pass for the game's final score.
In the 1948 championship season
, Rifenburg scored eight touchdowns, caught 22 passes, and gained 610 yards (508 receiving and 102 rushing). Rifenburg was the second highest scoring end in the nation in 1948, and he was a consensus All-American as a senior, being selected as first team on nine of the 11 All-American teams. Rifenburg led the Big Ten in receptions.
Although Rifenburg finished fourth among midwestern Heisman voters in 1948, he did not finish among the top eight. By comparison, Notre Dame end
Leon Hart
won the Heisman Trophy
in 1949 but made only eight of the 11 All-American teams. It is not clear why Rifenburg did not finish higher. However, it is fairly clear that sportswriters of that era had a bias against Michigan. In the Associated Press
poll at the end of the 1947 season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
were ranked ahead of the University of Michigan, though both teams were undefeated. Some noted that every Southern AP voter had voted for Notre Dame, which had yet to integrate, whereas three of Michigan's star players (Bob Mann
, Gene Derricotte
, and Len Ford
) were African-American. The Southern schools refused even to schedule games against schools that played African-American players.
Rifenburg was considered one of the greatest Wolverine's of the 1940s. In four seasons with the Michigan Wolverines
, Rifenburg played in 32 games and had over 1,000 yards of total offense. Rifenburg held the University of Michigan's single season and career record for touchdown receptions (eight in a season; sixteen career) until his records were broken by Anthony Carter in 1980.
in the 15th round of the NFL draft, and he was also drafted by the New York Yankees
of the All-America Football Conference
. He had intended to play in 1949 with the Yankees, but suffered a knee injury in a practice session for the August 1949 college All-Star game. Press accounts at the time noted that the injury "will probably keep him out of pro football all season, if not forever." The incident led to a debate as to whether NFL owners should "bar their men from playing with the college all-stars."
Rifenburg landed a job at WJR
radio in Detroit, but he left his sportscaster's job to join the Detroit Lions
. In the 1950 NFL season
, Rifenburg came back from his injury to play for the Detroit Lions
. He played in 12 games and had ten receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown for the 1950 Lions. Rifenburg recalled that his playing time with the Lions was limited because the Lions also signed 1949 Heisman Trophy
winner Leon Hart
, who played the same position.
In May 1951, he announced he was retiring from professional football to become sports director at a radio station in Buffalo
. He was hired as a sportscaster by WBEN
(now known as WIVB), which had just started the first television station in Buffalo
and the only one serving Southern Ontario. This was an early foray into television by the Buffalo Evening News. In the 1950s, Rifenburg hosted a popular panel show called "Let's Talk Sports" in Buffalo and also pioneered an early morning exercise
program. He also worked for WBEN (AM)
and WBEN (FM) and as the sideline announcer for Buffalo Bills
games along with Van Miller
, the long time Bills play-by-play announcer. In addition, he served as the play-by-play announcer for the University of Buffalo Bulls football
team. As a radio broadcaster, he is remembered for things ranging from ski reports, to 17 years worth of "Breakfast At —" programs live from various local restaurants, to 27 years as the WBEN-AM All Night Show host.
After 30 years with WBEN and a change in ownership for the station, his show was replaced with the Mutual Network's Larry King Show. In the 1980s, Rifenburg taught communications at Buffalo's Medaille College
and served as a disc jockey on Public Broadcasting's radio station WEBR (now WNED (AM)
). He also sold ads for Buffalo Evening News competitor, Buffalo Courier-Express
. Rifenburg's final employer was Erie County
, who hired him as an inmate
training supervisor at the Erie County Correctional Facility.
Rifenburg was posthumously inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in September 2007. He was given the Golden Age Award which is reserved for "those who did it first, the people who had no pattern to follow." The Hall of Fame award was presented to Rifenburg's wife, Jane. In her acceptance speech, Jane Rifenburg observed that despite all of her late husband's achievements, there was one thing he had never received: "He had a great career, but he never had a trophy. And now he has."
cheerleaders when they met. Rifenburg, who was survived by three sons, (Douglas A., Gary R., and Bruce R.) one daughter (Wendy J. Colf) and two grandchildren, died in Cheektowaga, New York in December 1994; he was 68 years old. Doug was a 1988 first team football All-Western New York
linebacker
for Clarence High School.
WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW...
in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. He was also a professional 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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who played in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for 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...
in 1950
1950 NFL season
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
and had been an All-American end for 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...
Wolverines
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...
in 1944
1944 college football season
The 1944 college football season was played during the Second World War. The football team of the United States Military Academy, more popularly known as Army, was crowned as the nation’s #1 team by 95 of the 121 writers who participated in the AP poll...
and 1946
1946 college football season
The 1946 college football season finished with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame crowned as the national champion in the AP Poll, with the United States Military Academy the runner up...
–1948
1948 college football season
The 1948 college football season finished with several unbeaten teams. The Michigan Wolverines and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were both unbeaten and untied, as were the California Golden Bears and the Clemson Tigers...
. After retiring from football he settled in Buffalo and became a sports broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
. He worked as a sidelines reporter for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and as a play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Bulls
Buffalo Bulls
The Buffalo Bulls are the athletic teams representing the University at Buffalo in intercollegiate athletics. The Bulls currently play in Division I , and are a member of the Mid-American Conference for all sports except women's rowing who is in the Cononial Athletic Assocition . They have been a...
. He hosted various television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
sports shows and was eventually inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
In college, he led the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
in single season receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
during his senior year and set Michigan Wolverines receptions records for both career touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
and single-season touchdowns. He had also been a Michigan High School Athletic Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
(MHSAA) state champion in both basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and track & field. His college career was interrupted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service, and his high school career was also affected by the war due to the MHSAA's cancellation of state championships in all sports in 1943.
High school
Rifenburg was born in Petoskey, MichiganPetoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
, and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
before his family moved to Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
. Rifenburg was a star athlete at Saginaw's Arthur Hill High School
Arthur Hill High School
Arthur Hill High School is located at 3115 Mackinaw in Saginaw, Michigan. The student population is approximately 1300 students. Of the three high schools in the Saginaw Public School District, Arthur Hill's student population is the greatest.-Athletics:...
in football, basketball, and track and field. In 1943, Michigan canceled boys high school tournaments in all sports due to World War II, and they did not return until the fall of 1944. In 1944, he led Arthur Hill High to the MHSAA Class A high school basketball championship (over Kalamazoo Central High School
Kalamazoo Central High School
Kalamazoo Central High School is a public high school in Kalamazoo, Michigan serving students from ninth through twelfth grades. It was the first public high school in Michigan. It began operating in 1858 and graduated its first class of five men and three women in 1859. It moved to its current...
), scoring 24 points
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
, including 17 in the second half, of the championship game. Rifenburg was also the state champion in 1944 in both the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
. He also led Arthur Hill in football, and his high school accomplishments are featured in Glory: The history of Saginaw County sports by Jack Tany (ASIN B0006RH9Z6), which is a book on high school sports in Saginaw County, Michigan
Saginaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 210,039 people, 80,430 households, and 55,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 260 people per square mile . There were 85,505 housing units at an average density of 106 per square mile...
. Rifenburg was named All State in football, basketball and track.
It is ironic that Rifenburg was born in Petoskey, Michigan in 1926 for several reasons. Ted Petoskey
Ted Petoskey
Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director....
preceded Rifenburg as an All-American end on the University of Michigan football team. Petoskey had excelled as a representative of Saginaw County in MHSAA competition. Petoskey posted significant football accomplishments in 1926 making 1926 a significant year for himself as well. Achieving All-American status as an end at Michigan would be Rifenburg's next step after excelling in MHSAA competition.
College
In the fall of 1944, Rifenburg enrolled at the University of Michigan. The United Press syndicate ran a feature article about Rifenburg in September 1944 that opened as follows: "Another great end has made his appearance on the Big Ten football horizon in the person of Dick Rifenburg, 18-year-old Michigan freshman. Every so often a great offensive end comes along, a player who has to learn how to play defense, but who has the natural speed, smooth actions, height and big hands that is the mark of an outstanding pass receiver. Rifenburg has laid claim to that rating. A loose-limbed 180-pound freshman from Saginaw, Mich., Rifenberg is being boomed as the Big Ten's next 'freshman sensation.'" As a freshmanFreshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
, he caught two touchdown passes in his first college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game against Iowa. In an article titled "Teens and TNT," Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
reported on Rifenburg's performance: "Of the few teams already in action, Michigan's teens rang the freshman bell loudest last week by winning their opener, 12 -to-7, against the strong Iowa Seahawks (Naval Pre-Flight)
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
; 6-ft. 4 Freshman End Dick Rifenburg caught passes and ran for both Michigan touchdowns."
Rifenburg's college career was interrupted by World War II service in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, but after missing the 1945 season, he returned to play for the Wolverines from 1946–1948. Rifenburg played for the Wolverines in consecutive undefeated National Championship seasons in 1947 and 1948. He started nine games for the 1947 team
1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season. Coached by Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record...
. The 1947 team referred to as "Michigan's Mad Magicians" is considered to be the greatest University of Michigan football team of all time. Rifenberg and teammate Len Ford
Len Ford
Leonard Guy Ford, Jr. was an American football defensive end. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.He played two years for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference...
had the reputation as the team practical jokers. During the 1947 game against Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
, Rifenburg started calling signals for the Badgers. Wisconsin's offense protested to officials, who "prowled the Wolverines secondary but never caught their man." Rifenburg continued to scramble Badger signals, as Rifenburg's teammates laughed at his scheme. In the January 1, 1948 Rose Bowl
1948 Rose Bowl
The 1948 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1948. It was the 34th Rose Bowl Game, and the second since the Big Nine Conference and the Pacific Coast Conference reached an exclusive agreement to match their champions in the game each year. In the game, the Michigan...
that season, Michigan rolled to a 49–0 victory over USC, and they outgained the Trojans 491 yards to 133. Rifenburg caught a 29-yard pass for the game's final score.
In the 1948 championship season
1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan during the 1948 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:...
, Rifenburg scored eight touchdowns, caught 22 passes, and gained 610 yards (508 receiving and 102 rushing). Rifenburg was the second highest scoring end in the nation in 1948, and he was a consensus All-American as a senior, being selected as first team on nine of the 11 All-American teams. Rifenburg led the Big Ten in receptions.
Although Rifenburg finished fourth among midwestern Heisman voters in 1948, he did not finish among the top eight. By comparison, Notre Dame end
End (football)
An end in American football is a player who lines up at either end of the line of scrimmage. Rules state that a legal offensive formation must always consist of seven players on the line of scrimmage. An end who lines up close to the offensive line is known as a tight end, while one who lines up...
Leon Hart
Leon Hart
Leon Joseph Hart was an American football tight end and defensive end. He was raised in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh....
won the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
in 1949 but made only eight of the 11 All-American teams. It is not clear why Rifenburg did not finish higher. However, it is fairly clear that sportswriters of that era had a bias against Michigan. In the Associated Press
Associated 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...
poll at the end of the 1947 season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
were ranked ahead of the University of Michigan, though both teams were undefeated. Some noted that every Southern AP voter had voted for Notre Dame, which had yet to integrate, whereas three of Michigan's star players (Bob Mann
Bob Mann (American football)
Robert "Bob" Mann was an American football end. A native of New Bern, North Carolina, Mann played college football at Hampton Institute in 1942 and 1943 and at the University of Michigan in 1944, 1946 and 1947. He broke the Big Ten Conference record for receiving yardage in 1946 and again in 1947...
, Gene Derricotte
Gene Derricotte
Eugene "Gene" Derricotte is a former American football player who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1944 to 1948. He was one of the University's first African American athletes in the era when NCAA Division I college football was beginning to integrate...
, and Len Ford
Len Ford
Leonard Guy Ford, Jr. was an American football defensive end. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.He played two years for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference...
) were African-American. The Southern schools refused even to schedule games against schools that played African-American players.
Rifenburg was considered one of the greatest Wolverine's of the 1940s. In four seasons with the Michigan Wolverines
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...
, Rifenburg played in 32 games and had over 1,000 yards of total offense. Rifenburg held the University of Michigan's single season and career record for touchdown receptions (eight in a season; sixteen career) until his records were broken by Anthony Carter in 1980.
Professional career
In 1948, Rifenburg was drafted by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 15th round of the NFL draft, and he was also drafted by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (AAFC)
The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...
of the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
. He had intended to play in 1949 with the Yankees, but suffered a knee injury in a practice session for the August 1949 college All-Star game. Press accounts at the time noted that the injury "will probably keep him out of pro football all season, if not forever." The incident led to a debate as to whether NFL owners should "bar their men from playing with the college all-stars."
Rifenburg landed a job at 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 in Detroit, but he left his sportscaster's job to join 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...
. In the 1950 NFL season
1950 NFL season
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
, Rifenburg came back from his injury to play for 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...
. He played in 12 games and had ten receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown for the 1950 Lions. Rifenburg recalled that his playing time with the Lions was limited because the Lions also signed 1949 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Leon Hart
Leon Hart
Leon Joseph Hart was an American football tight end and defensive end. He was raised in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh....
, who played the same position.
In May 1951, he announced he was retiring from professional football to become sports director at a radio station in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. He was hired as a sportscaster by WBEN
WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW...
(now known as WIVB), which had just started the first television station in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and the only one serving Southern Ontario. This was an early foray into television by the Buffalo Evening News. In the 1950s, Rifenburg hosted a popular panel show called "Let's Talk Sports" in Buffalo and also pioneered an early morning exercise
Physical exercise
Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
program. He also worked for WBEN (AM)
WBEN (AM)
WBEN is an AM and FM radio station serving the Niagara, Buffalo and Western New York area, broadcasting on 930 AM and, as of April 5, 2011, simulcasting on sister station WLKK at 107.7 FM. It previously simulcasted between 1946 and 1960 on 102.5 FM as WBEN-FM. Both stations retained the WBEN...
and WBEN (FM) and as the sideline announcer for Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
games along with Van Miller
Van Miller
Van Miller is a retired former radio and television sports announcer from Dunkirk, New York, where he began his career at Dunkirk radio station WFCB calling play-by-play for high school football games...
, the long time Bills play-by-play announcer. In addition, he served as the play-by-play announcer for the University of Buffalo Bulls football
Buffalo Bulls football
The Buffalo Bulls football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University at Buffalo located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo's first...
team. As a radio broadcaster, he is remembered for things ranging from ski reports, to 17 years worth of "Breakfast At —" programs live from various local restaurants, to 27 years as the WBEN-AM All Night Show host.
After 30 years with WBEN and a change in ownership for the station, his show was replaced with the Mutual Network's Larry King Show. In the 1980s, Rifenburg taught communications at Buffalo's Medaille College
Medaille College
Medaille College a private liberal arts college located in the historic Olmsted Crescent of Buffalo, New York, that draws extensively from the Western New York and Southern Ontario regions. It is a private, nonsectarian, co-educational institution.-History:...
and served as a disc jockey on Public Broadcasting's radio station WEBR (now WNED (AM)
WNED (AM)
WNED is an American radio station broadcasting in Buffalo, New York at a frequency of 970 kHz. It offers an all-news format.WNED is one of two National Public Radio affiliates in Buffalo. The other is WBFO, operated by the University of Buffalo...
). He also sold ads for Buffalo Evening News competitor, Buffalo Courier-Express
Buffalo Courier-Express
The Buffalo Courier-Express was a morning newspaper in Buffalo, New York. It ceased publication on September 1982.The Courier-Express was created in 1926 by a merger of the Buffalo Daily Courier and the Buffalo Morning Express. William James Conners, owner of the Buffalo Courier, brought the two...
. Rifenburg's final employer was Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
, who hired him as an inmate
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
training supervisor at the Erie County Correctional Facility.
Rifenburg was posthumously inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in September 2007. He was given the Golden Age Award which is reserved for "those who did it first, the people who had no pattern to follow." The Hall of Fame award was presented to Rifenburg's wife, Jane. In her acceptance speech, Jane Rifenburg observed that despite all of her late husband's achievements, there was one thing he had never received: "He had a great career, but he never had a trophy. And now he has."
Family
Rifenburg lived 37 of his years in Buffalo. His wife, the former Jane Morris, was the head of the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
cheerleaders when they met. Rifenburg, who was survived by three sons, (Douglas A., Gary R., and Bruce R.) one daughter (Wendy J. Colf) and two grandchildren, died in Cheektowaga, New York in December 1994; he was 68 years old. Doug was a 1988 first team football All-Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for Clarence High School.
See also
- List of Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders
