Jack Weisenburger
Encyclopedia
John Edward "Jack" Weisenburger (born August 2, 1926) is a former American football
and baseball
player. He played college football
for the University of Michigan
from 1944 to 1947 and was the starting fullback for the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
that became known as the "Mad Magicians" and has been rated as the greatest football team in Michigan history. He later played professional baseball for five years from 1948 to 1952.
in August 1926. His father, Merle Weisenburger, was an Ohio native who worked as a laborer in a pattern shop. His mother, Ada Weisenburger, was a Michigan native. At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Weisenburger lived in Norton Shores, Michigan
with his parents and two brothers, Robert (born c. 1923) and Kenneth (born c. 1929). He attended Muskegon Heights High School
where he played varsity football (three years), basketball (two years), baseball (four years), and track (one year). He was an all-conference basketball player and was selected as the class president in his sophomore, junior and senior years. The 1944 Muskegon Heights High School yearbook said of him, "Ferocious in football, and a good fellow always."
as a halfback, fullback and quarterback at the University of Michigan
from 1944 to 1947. He started five games at fullback for the 1944 Michigan Wolverines football team
, and played five games at fullback and one at halfback for the 1945 team
. In 1946, he started the season as a fullback, but suffered a broken jaw in an early game against Army
. Weisenburger ended up starting three games at quarterback and one each at fullback and halfback for the 1946 team
. As a senior, Weisenbuger was the starting fullback for the 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
that finished the season with a 10–0 record and outscored opponents 394 to 53. The 1947 team became known as the "Mad Magicians" and is considered by some to be the greatest Michigan team of all time. One sports writer referred to the 1947 backfield (Weisenbuger, Bob Chappuis
and Bump Elliott
) as "a backfield full of pervasive shadows that flit about like wraiths." The 1947 Michigan team is also notable for head coach Fritz Crisler
's innovation of modern platoon football; Weisenburger was one of two Michigan players in 1947 (the other was Bump Elliott) who played both offense and defense. He finished his football career by scoring three touchdowns in the 1948 Rose Bowl
against the USC Trojans. He scored the game's first touchdown ten minutes into the game and added two more later in the game. He later recalled, "What astonished me was the ease with which our line opened holes for us. It was one of those days when everything clicked." Michigan won the game 49 to 0.
Weisenburger also played as an infielder for the Michigan Wolverines baseball
team from 1945 to 1948. Weisenburger's contributions to the baseball team were described as follows:
Weisenberger was a member of the Phi Delta Theta
fraternity at Michigan. He graduated from Michigan in 1948 with a degree in physical education
.
of the National Football League
and the New York Yankees
of the All-America Football Conference
, but he opted instead to play professional baseball. He played professional baseball from 1948 to 1952 for the Pawtucket Slaters
(1948), Milwaukee Brewers
(1949–1951), Denver Bears (1949), Evansville Braves
(1951) and Tulsa Oilers (1952). During his career, he played mostly as a third baseman, but also as an outfielder, second baseman and shortstop. He had his best season in 1950, when he played in 121 games for the Brewers and compiled a .404 slugging average with 20 doubles, 13 home runs, and 43 RBIs.
Weisenburger was inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
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...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played 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...
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...
from 1944 to 1947 and was the starting fullback for the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football 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...
that became known as the "Mad Magicians" and has been rated as the greatest football team in Michigan history. He later played professional baseball for five years from 1948 to 1952.
Early years
Weisenburger was born in Muskegon County, MichiganMuskegon County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 170,200 people, 63,330 households, and 44,267 families residing in the county. The population density was 334 people per square mile . There were 68,556 housing units at an average density of 135 per square mile...
in August 1926. His father, Merle Weisenburger, was an Ohio native who worked as a laborer in a pattern shop. His mother, Ada Weisenburger, was a Michigan native. At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Weisenburger lived in Norton Shores, Michigan
Norton Shores, Michigan
Norton Shores is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 22,527 at the 2000 census.-Overview:Norton Shores is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Muskegon County...
with his parents and two brothers, Robert (born c. 1923) and Kenneth (born c. 1929). He attended Muskegon Heights High School
Muskegon Heights High School
Coaches = Keith Guy,Willie Snead III Teachers = 9th"Muskegon Heights High School is located in Muskegon Heights, Michigan...
where he played varsity football (three years), basketball (two years), baseball (four years), and track (one year). He was an all-conference basketball player and was selected as the class president in his sophomore, junior and senior years. The 1944 Muskegon Heights High School yearbook said of him, "Ferocious in football, and a good fellow always."
University of Michigan
Weisenburger played college footballCollege 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...
as a halfback, fullback and quarterback 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...
from 1944 to 1947. He started five games at fullback for the 1944 Michigan Wolverines football team
1944 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1944 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1944 college football season. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:-Starters:...
, and played five games at fullback and one at halfback for the 1945 team
1945 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1945 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1945 college football season. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler...
. In 1946, he started the season as a fullback, but suffered a broken jaw in an early game against Army
1946 Army Cadets football team
The 1946 Army Black Knights football team represents the United States Military Academy. Led by head coach Red Blaik, the team finished with an undefeated 9-0-1 season. The Black Knights offense scored 263 points, while the defense allowed 80 points. At season’s end, the team ranked second in the...
. Weisenburger ended up starting three games at quarterback and one each at fullback and halfback for the 1946 team
1946 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1946 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1946 college football season. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler...
. As a senior, Weisenbuger was the starting fullback for the 1947 Michigan Wolverines football 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...
that finished the season with a 10–0 record and outscored opponents 394 to 53. The 1947 team became known as the "Mad Magicians" and is considered by some to be the greatest Michigan team of all time. One sports writer referred to the 1947 backfield (Weisenbuger, Bob Chappuis
Bob Chappuis
Robert Richard "Bob" Chappuis is a former American football player who played halfback and quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1942, 1946, and 1947. His college years were interrupted by service in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II...
and Bump Elliott
Bump Elliott
Chalmers W. "Bump" Elliott is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University and the University of Michigan...
) as "a backfield full of pervasive shadows that flit about like wraiths." The 1947 Michigan team is also notable for head coach Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
's innovation of modern platoon football; Weisenburger was one of two Michigan players in 1947 (the other was Bump Elliott) who played both offense and defense. He finished his football career by scoring three touchdowns in the 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...
against the USC Trojans. He scored the game's first touchdown ten minutes into the game and added two more later in the game. He later recalled, "What astonished me was the ease with which our line opened holes for us. It was one of those days when everything clicked." Michigan won the game 49 to 0.
Weisenburger also played as an infielder for the Michigan Wolverines baseball
Michigan Wolverines baseball
The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference...
team from 1945 to 1948. Weisenburger's contributions to the baseball team were described as follows:
"One of Michigan's outstanding all-around athletes, Jack Weisenburger, the spinning fullback of the Rose Bowl eleven, was equally at home on the Wolverine diamond. In his four year baseball career at Michigan, Weisenburger alternated between shortstop and the outfield. He led the Maize and Blue batting parade last season and will captain the squad during the 1948 campaign."
Weisenberger was a member of the Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity at Michigan. He graduated from Michigan in 1948 with a degree in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
.
Professional baseball
Weisenburger was drafted by the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
of the National Football League
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...
and 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...
, but he opted instead to play professional baseball. He played professional baseball from 1948 to 1952 for the Pawtucket Slaters
Pawtucket Slaters (baseball)
The Pawtucket Slaters were a minor-league baseball team based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1946 through 1949, the team played its games at McCoy Stadium as a member of the class-B New England League, and was affiliated with the Boston Braves of the National League...
(1948), Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league baseball team)
The Milwaukee Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They played in the American Association from 1902 through 1952.-A Milwaukee Tradition:...
(1949–1951), Denver Bears (1949), Evansville Braves
Evansville Braves
The Evansville Braves were a professional minor league baseball team based in Evansville, Indiana. They played from 1946 to 1957 in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League . They played home games at Bosse Field, which is currently the third oldest baseball stadium in regular use in the United States...
(1951) and Tulsa Oilers (1952). During his career, he played mostly as a third baseman, but also as an outfielder, second baseman and shortstop. He had his best season in 1950, when he played in 121 games for the Brewers and compiled a .404 slugging average with 20 doubles, 13 home runs, and 43 RBIs.
Later years
After retiring from baseball, Weisenburger had a successful career in the insurance business at Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. From 1948 to 1960, Weisenburger was also a registered official for high school athletics. During that time, he officiated at almost 150 high school football games and almost 600 basketball games.Weisenburger was inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.