Jim Brieske
Encyclopedia
James F. Brieske was an American football
placekicker
. He played college football
for the University of Michigan
in 1942, 1946 and 1947. He set Michigan, Rose Bowl, Big Ten Conference
, and national collegiate placekicking records and was the second leading scorer on Michigan's undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
. For more than two decades, he held the Michigan records for most successful point after touchdown ("PAT") conversions in a career (107), season (52), and game (9). Brieske's college football career was interrupted by service in the United States Navy
during the 1944 and 1945 football seasons. His kicking foot was amputated in 1967 due to cancer. He died the following year at age 45 following surgery to remove growths from his lungs.
, or Port Huron, Michigan
. His family moved to Harbor Beach
in the Thumb
of Michigan in the late 1920s. His father, Frank Brieske, was a Michigan native of German descent who, at the time of the 1930 United States Census, was working as an oil agent at Harbor Beach. His mother, Sadie Brieske, was a Michigan native of Polish descent. Brieske had an older sister Lorraine (born c. 1921), a younger sister Helen (born c. 1927), and a younger brother Kenneth (born c. 1929). Brieske was a backfield star for the Harbor Beach High School football team and graduated from the school in 1941.
in 1941. He played on the all-freshman football team that year. He played three years of varsity football for the Michigan Wolverines football
team under head coach Fritz Crisler
. Brieske graduated in 1947 with a B.S. in science and mathematics. After graduating in 1947, Brieske enrolled as a graduate student in Michigan's Business Administration School.
that was ranked No.8 in the final AP Poll
. He tried out for the center
position, but that position was filled by All-American (and future College Football Hall of Fame
inductee) Merv Pregulman
. Brieske won a spot on the team as a placekicker. He converted 26 of 31 point after touchdown ("PAT") attempts in 1942.
Brieske's talent as a kicker won him acclaim, and in November 1942, stories about Brieske were published in newspapers across the country. Michigan had lost or tied several close games in Fritz Crisler
's first four years at Michigan as a result of missed PAT attempts (including 7–6 losses to Minnesota in 1938 and 1940 and a 20–20 tie with Ohio State in 1941). One newspaper story noted that Brieske had earned the nickname "Old Monotony" because his reliability in converting PATs had turned Michigan's kicking game from excitement to routine. At the time, Brieske told the reporter he wasn't satisfied with having a limited role as a placekicker: "Sure, this kicking is alright, but I'd like to take a crack at the real stuff." He was also known by the nicknames "automatic Jim," and the "mechanical toe."
Teammate Bob Chappuis
later recounted a story from the 1942 season when he and Brieske were both sophomores. In the first game of the 1942 season, Brieske kicked a field goal to secure a 9–0 victory over the Great Lakes Naval Station
team. The next week, Brieske brought his hometown newspaper into the locker room. The headline read, "Jim Brieske, the Pride of Harbor Beach." Brieske showed it to his teammates and then took it into the coaches' locker room and showed it to them. Chappuis recalled that was "a bad mistake!" Head coach Fritz Crisler
had Brieske play linebacker during practice that day, where he was "on his back all day." Eventually, Crisler walked over to Brieske who was lying on his back and said, "Brieske, you're not the pride of Harbor Beach, you're a jackass."
.
that finished the season ranked No.6 in the final Associated Press poll. Brieske completed 29 of 32 PATs in 1946 and also kicked a field goal. With 32 points, he was the Wolverines' leading scorer in 1946.
offered him a contract to play professional football. Instead, he returned to Michigan in the fall of 1947 as a graduate student in the Business Administration School. He was the place-kicker for the 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
that finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record. In an October 1947 article on the growth of specialization in football, The Sporting News
wrote:
Brieske converted 52 of 57 PAT attempts and was the team's second leading scorer during the 1947 regular season. Only two of the five PATs Brieske failed to convert in 1947 were "misses" resulting from his own inaccuracy. Three of the misses resulted from balls that were fumbled or snapped poorly from the center.
Brieske had converted 31 of 34 PAT attempts in the first five games of the 1947 season and was the leading scorer in the Big Ten Conference
at the end of October. He converted 7 of 7 attempts against both Northwestrn and Stanford and 9 of 10 against Pitt. The fact that an extra point specialist led the conference in scoring drew national media attention. Sports writer Bob French wrote a column about Brieske titled, "Specialist Comes Into His Own." He called Brieske "one of the specialists who make this football era picturesque" and noted the irony that Brieske was the conference's leading scorer even though he had not been involved in an official play: "Brieske makes his points without using up any time at all. The watch is stopped when he goes into action after touchdowns. You might say he doesn't play; he just scores." The Los Angeles Times also noted the unusual nature of Brieske's contributions:
Brieske explained the secret to his success: "You've got to believe you're going to kick that point and let nothing disturb your poise once you're set. I 'wish' it over every time."
Although ranked second in the Associated Press
poll at the end of the regular season, the Wolverines defeated the USC Trojans by a score of 49–0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl
game, and were selected as the nation's number-one team by a 226–119 margin over Notre Dame
in an unprecedented post-bowl Associated Press poll. The 1947 team has been selected as the best team in the history of Michigan football.
After the 1947 season, Brieske was selected to play in the College All-Star Game against the NFL champion Chicago Cardinals. He was one of 10 players from the 1947 Michigan team invited to play in the game.
as the 97th pick in the 1948 NFL Draft
. In April 1948, Giants President John V. Mara
announced that the club had signed Brieske. Brieske played in several pre-season games for the Giants, but opted to return to Ann Arbor in September 1948 to complete his master's degree.
Brieske and his wife Ann had two childen, James Brieske, Jr., and Karen Brieske.
During the 1960s, Brieske was the director of student activities at Stevenson High School
in Livonia, Michigan
.
In January 1967, Brieske was sick with cancer and had his right leg amputated from approximately eight inches below the knee. When the cancer returned, Brieske was hospitalized again in late October 1968. In late November 1968, he underwent surgery at the University of Michigan Hospital to remove lung growths. He suffered a stroke after the operation and remained in a coma until he died the following day. His funeral was held at St. Aidan's Roman Catholic Church in Livonia, and he was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan
.
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...
placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
. 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...
in 1942, 1946 and 1947. He set Michigan, Rose Bowl, 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...
, and national collegiate placekicking records and was the second leading scorer on Michigan's 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...
. For more than two decades, he held the Michigan records for most successful point after touchdown ("PAT") conversions in a career (107), season (52), and game (9). Brieske's college football career was interrupted by 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...
during the 1944 and 1945 football seasons. His kicking foot was amputated in 1967 due to cancer. He died the following year at age 45 following surgery to remove growths from his lungs.
Early years
Brieske was born in May 1923 at either SaginawSaginaw, 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...
, or Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
. His family moved to Harbor Beach
Harbor Beach, Michigan
Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,837 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,587 in 2009.-Geography:...
in the Thumb
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
of Michigan in the late 1920s. His father, Frank Brieske, was a Michigan native of German descent who, at the time of the 1930 United States Census, was working as an oil agent at Harbor Beach. His mother, Sadie Brieske, was a Michigan native of Polish descent. Brieske had an older sister Lorraine (born c. 1921), a younger sister Helen (born c. 1927), and a younger brother Kenneth (born c. 1929). Brieske was a backfield star for the Harbor Beach High School football team and graduated from the school in 1941.
University of Michigan
Brieske enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity 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 1941. He played on the all-freshman football team that year. He played three years of varsity football 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 under 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...
. Brieske graduated in 1947 with a B.S. in science and mathematics. After graduating in 1947, Brieske enrolled as a graduate student in Michigan's Business Administration School.
1942 season
As a sophomore, Brieske played for the 1942 Michigan Wolverines football team1942 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1942 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1942 college football season. The 1942 team compiled a record of 7–3 and was ranked No. 9 in the final Associated Press poll...
that was ranked No.8 in the final AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. He tried out for the center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
position, but that position was filled by All-American (and future College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
inductee) Merv Pregulman
Merv Pregulman
Mervin Pregulman is a former All-American football tackle and center who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines and in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers , Detroit Lions , and New York Bulldogs ....
. Brieske won a spot on the team as a placekicker. He converted 26 of 31 point after touchdown ("PAT") attempts in 1942.
Brieske's talent as a kicker won him acclaim, and in November 1942, stories about Brieske were published in newspapers across the country. Michigan had lost or tied several close games in 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 first four years at Michigan as a result of missed PAT attempts (including 7–6 losses to Minnesota in 1938 and 1940 and a 20–20 tie with Ohio State in 1941). One newspaper story noted that Brieske had earned the nickname "Old Monotony" because his reliability in converting PATs had turned Michigan's kicking game from excitement to routine. At the time, Brieske told the reporter he wasn't satisfied with having a limited role as a placekicker: "Sure, this kicking is alright, but I'd like to take a crack at the real stuff." He was also known by the nicknames "automatic Jim," and the "mechanical toe."
Teammate 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...
later recounted a story from the 1942 season when he and Brieske were both sophomores. In the first game of the 1942 season, Brieske kicked a field goal to secure a 9–0 victory over the Great Lakes Naval Station
Naval Station Great Lakes
Naval Station Great Lakes is the home of the United States Navy's only boot camp, located near the city of North Chicago, Illinois, in Lake County. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago...
team. The next week, Brieske brought his hometown newspaper into the locker room. The headline read, "Jim Brieske, the Pride of Harbor Beach." Brieske showed it to his teammates and then took it into the coaches' locker room and showed it to them. Chappuis recalled that was "a bad mistake!" 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...
had Brieske play linebacker during practice that day, where he was "on his back all day." Eventually, Crisler walked over to Brieske who was lying on his back and said, "Brieske, you're not the pride of Harbor Beach, you're a jackass."
Military service
An injury kept Brieske from playing during the 1943 season, and he also missed the 1944 and 1945 seasons while serving in the United States NavyUnited 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...
.
1946 season
Brieske returned to the University of Michigan in time for summer football training in August 1946. He played for the 1946 Michigan Wolverines football team1946 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...
that finished the season ranked No.6 in the final Associated Press poll. Brieske completed 29 of 32 PATs in 1946 and also kicked a field goal. With 32 points, he was the Wolverines' leading scorer in 1946.
1947 season
Brieske graduated with his B.S. degree in 1947, and the Baltimore ColtsBaltimore Colts
Baltimore Colts may refer to the following football teams:* Baltimore Colts , an All-America Football Conference franchise and National Football League franchise that disbanded after the 1950 season...
offered him a contract to play professional football. Instead, he returned to Michigan in the fall of 1947 as a graduate student in the Business Administration School. He was the place-kicker 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 undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record. In an October 1947 article on the growth of specialization in football, The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
wrote:
"Brieske is one of the greatest kickers college football has ever had. He led the Wolverines in scoring, entirely with his foot, last season and in three games, this fall, converted on 23 of 25 attempts.
Brieske converted 52 of 57 PAT attempts and was the team's second leading scorer during the 1947 regular season. Only two of the five PATs Brieske failed to convert in 1947 were "misses" resulting from his own inaccuracy. Three of the misses resulted from balls that were fumbled or snapped poorly from the center.
Brieske had converted 31 of 34 PAT attempts in the first five games of the 1947 season and was the leading scorer in 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...
at the end of October. He converted 7 of 7 attempts against both Northwestrn and Stanford and 9 of 10 against Pitt. The fact that an extra point specialist led the conference in scoring drew national media attention. Sports writer Bob French wrote a column about Brieske titled, "Specialist Comes Into His Own." He called Brieske "one of the specialists who make this football era picturesque" and noted the irony that Brieske was the conference's leading scorer even though he had not been involved in an official play: "Brieske makes his points without using up any time at all. The watch is stopped when he goes into action after touchdowns. You might say he doesn't play; he just scores." The Los Angeles Times also noted the unusual nature of Brieske's contributions:
"Brieske has an enviable distinction. He has scored his 100 points in NO TIME AT ALL. No sir. It didn't take him one single minute to score all those points. Football rules call for the clock to be stopped on the try for extra point. That means Brieske, a third-string center, has booted all those tallies without ever officially being in a single football game."
Brieske explained the secret to his success: "You've got to believe you're going to kick that point and let nothing disturb your poise once you're set. I 'wish' it over every time."
Although ranked second 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 regular season, the Wolverines defeated the USC Trojans by a score of 49–0 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...
game, and were selected as the nation's number-one team by a 226–119 margin over Notre Dame
1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1947 college football season. The Irish, coached by Frank Leahy, ended the season with 9 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The 1947 team became the sixth Irish team to win the...
in an unprecedented post-bowl Associated Press poll. The 1947 team has been selected as the best team in the history of Michigan football.
After the 1947 season, Brieske was selected to play in the College All-Star Game against the NFL champion Chicago Cardinals. He was one of 10 players from the 1947 Michigan team invited to play in the game.
Placekicking records
- With 52 successful PAT conversions in 1947, Brieseke surpassed the national collegiate record of 47 conversions in a season set by Dick Walterhouse of Army and George Jernigan of Georgia. The official records dated back to 1937 when the National Collegiate Athletic Bureau began compiling statistics. Michigan's Tom HammondThomas S. HammondThomas Stevens "Tom" or "T.S." Hammond was an American business and political leader, soldier and football player and coach. He played football for Fielding H. Yost's renowned 1903, 1904 and 1905 "Point-a-Minute" football teams at the University of Michigan. In 1906, he served as the head coach...
kicked 65 extra points for the 1903 "Point-a-Minute" team1903 Michigan Wolverines football teamThe 1903 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1903 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost...
. - His total of 107 successful PAT conversions in three years set the Michigan career record. His career record was broken in 1974 by Mike LantryMike LantryMike Lantry is a former All-American football player. He was a left-footed place-kicker who played for Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan from 1972 through 1974. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1973 and set Michigan records for the longest field goal, most field goals,...
who converted 113 PATs. - He set Michigan's season record for successful PAT conversions by completing 52 of 57 attempts in 1947. His season record was broken in 1971 by Dana Coin who converted 55 PATs.
- He set Michigan's single-game record for successful PAT conversions by converting 9 of 10 attempts against Pitt on October 11, 1947. His single-game record was broken on November 7, 1981 by Ali Haji-SheikhAli Haji-SheikhAli S. Haji-Sheikh is a former American football placekicker for the University of Michigan and for three National Football League teams. Haji-Sheikh spent three seasons playing for the New York Giants. He had a superb rookie season, kicking 35 of 42 field goals and setting a then NFL record...
with 10 PATs. (James E. LawrenceJames E. LawrenceJames Edmund Lawrence was an American football player. He played college football for the 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled an 11–0 record and outscored opponents 644 to 12...
kicked 19 successful PAT conversions against Michigan AgriculturalMichigan State Spartans footballThe Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
in 1902, but the National Collegiate Athletic Bureau began compiling "official" statistics until 1937.) - He set the record for successful PAT conversions in conference play by converting 22 of 23 attempts in 1946. He tied his own record by converting 22 of 24 attempts in conference play in 1947.
- He set a Rose Bowl record with seven PATs in the 1948 Rose Bowl1948 Rose BowlThe 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...
. - He tied the Rose Bowl record set in 1931 with three PAT in one quarter during the 1948 Rose Bowl.
Later years and family
In January 1948, Brieske was selected by the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as the 97th pick in the 1948 NFL Draft
1948 NFL Draft
The 1948 National Football League Draft was held on December 19, 1947 at the Fort Pitt Hotel in Pittsburgh.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:...
. In April 1948, Giants President John V. Mara
Jack Mara
John V. Mara was a co-owner of the New York Giants; an American football team which plays in the National Football League. Jack was the son of Tim Mara and brother of Wellington, and served as the team's president for 24 years...
announced that the club had signed Brieske. Brieske played in several pre-season games for the Giants, but opted to return to Ann Arbor in September 1948 to complete his master's degree.
Brieske and his wife Ann had two childen, James Brieske, Jr., and Karen Brieske.
During the 1960s, Brieske was the director of student activities at Stevenson High School
Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Livonia, Michigan)
Adlai E. Stevenson High School is a public high school in Livonia, Michigan, a suburb west of Detroit.-History:Adlai E. Stevenson High School was built in 1965 to accommodate the rising population in Livonia due to the increased migration of people from the nearby city of Detroit to the suburbs...
in Livonia, Michigan
Livonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
.
In January 1967, Brieske was sick with cancer and had his right leg amputated from approximately eight inches below the knee. When the cancer returned, Brieske was hospitalized again in late October 1968. In late November 1968, he underwent surgery at the University of Michigan Hospital to remove lung growths. He suffered a stroke after the operation and remained in a coma until he died the following day. His funeral was held at St. Aidan's Roman Catholic Church in Livonia, and he was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
.