Jim Ostendarp
Encyclopedia
James Elmore "Jim" Ostendarp (February 15, 1923 – December 15, 2005) was an American football
player and coach. He played professional football for the New York Giants
from 1950 to 1951 and the Montreal Alouettes
in 1952. He was the head football coach at Amherst College
for 33 years from 1959 to 1991. He also served as president of the American Football Coaches Association
in 1982.
Ostendarp later attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
, where coaches told him he was too small to play high school football. Refusing to accept their decision, Ostendarp established his ability by playing semi-professional football on Sundays. He made the Polytechnic high school football team as a senior and earned All-State honors.
He received a scholarship to the University of Maryland
and played one year of football there. With the outbreak of World War II
, he joined the U.S. Army and served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He fought in the European Theater of Operations
and played football with the 7th Army team.
After the war, Ostendarp enrolled at Bucknell University
in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
. He played football at Bucknell and set a team rushing record in 1949 with an average of 6.9 yards per carry.
of the National Football League
. He played as a halfback
for the Giants during the 1950
and 1951 NFL season
s. The Giants were 19–4–1 in 1950 and 1951, with Ostendarp serving as a backup to the team's leading rushers Eddie Price
and Choo Choo Roberts
. Ostendarp appeared in seven games for the 1950 Giants and scored two touchdowns, including one against his hometown Baltimore Colts on November 19, 1951. He also rushed for 144 yards in 1950, including a career-long 55-yard run against the New York Yankees
on December 3, 1950. Ostendarp also returned nine punts for 117 yards and four kickoffs for 83 yards.
During the 1952 season, Ostendarp played halfback for the Montreal Alouettes
in the Canadian Football League
. In an interview with The Montreal Gazette, Ostendarp discussed the process of adjusting to Canadian rules:
Ostendarp made the adjustment to Canadian rules, led the Big Four in rushing yards, and received the Lord Calvert Trophy as the Most Valuable Player on the 1952 Alouettes team.
Following the 1952 season, Ostendarp was reported to have had a contract disagreement with Montreal's team management. In early June 1953, The Montreal Gazette reported that Ostendarp had agreed to salary terms with the Alouettes, but Ostendarp announced a short time later that he had accepted a coaching position at Bucknell University
and would not be returning to the Alouettes.
, he was approached by a group of ten to twelve year olds who were playing football. He recalled his introduction to coaching as follows:
He began his formal coaching career as an assistant football coach at Bucknell from 1953 to 1954. He later served as an assistant coach at Williams College
(1955–57) and Cornell University
(1958).
. He held that position for 33 years from 1959 to 1991. He led the Amherst Lord Jeffs to undefeated, untied seasons in 1960 and 1984. He also led his teams to 13 Little Three
(Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan) championships and nine one-loss seasons. In his 33 years as head coach, Ostendarp compiled an overall record of 168–91–5 and a .646 winning percentage. Four of Ostendarp's Amherst players went on to play in the NFL
: Sean Clancy
’78, Doug Swift
’70, Jean Fugett
’72 and Freddie Scott
’74.
Ostendarp received the Kodak AFCA New England Coach of the Year award in 1961 and 1964; the UPI Small College Coach of the Year award in 1964; the New England Football Writers' Division II and III Coach of the Year award in 1984; and the Gridiron Club of Boston's New England Division II and III Coach of the Year award in 1984.
Ostendarp was also one of the first football coaches to use computerized statistics to develop his game strategy for opposing teams. In the early 1960s, some of Ostendarp's players used a computer at the University of Massachusetts
to compile opponents' statistics to help their coach plan for upcoming games.
Ostendarp announced his resignation as Amherst's head coach in March 1992 at age 68.
One of Ostendarp's former players noted, "He was a professor who happened to teach football." He emphasized balance and making time for family. One of his former players recalled that Coach Ostendarp "made a point of introducing his players to classical music and art, sometimes taking them to the Mead Art Museum
during afternoon practice time." The Boston Globe cited the following incident as an example of Ostendarp's balanced approach to athletics:
Joe Schell, who played for Ostendarp in the late 1960s, recalled that Ostendarp made sure his players were good students and good citizens. Schell, who went on to become an investment banker, recalled, "For me, next to my father, he was the most influential man in my life."
sought to televise the 100th annual game between Amherst and Williams College
, Ostendarp refused to accommodate the network's demand to change the kickoff. The national broadcast would have generated substantial revenue for the school, but Ostendarp held firm, telling The Wall Street Journal
, "We're in education. We aren't in the entertainment business. ... We don't have the stadiums, the crowds, the bands, the cheerleaders or the teams to play on television. We're No. 1 in the country in small academics. To put us on TV and say, 'This is Amherst,' well, it just doesn't measure up." When some Amherst alumni protested his decision, Ostendarp said he couldn't care less, adding, "I've got tenure. I'm a full professor." Ostendarp's decision drew national media coverage. The Boston Globe called it "A Glorious Blackout" and added: "When the Man-of-the-Year and Coach-of-the-Year awards are considered, every list should contain the name of Jim Ostendarp. The football coach of Amherst College represents values that have almost disappeared."
, and had three sons, Jim, Jan, and Carl, and four daughters, Teresa, Anne, Beth, and Heidi. In 1981, Ostendarp's son, Jan Ostendarp, returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown against Williams to lead Amherst to its first Little Three championship since 1968. In December 2005, Ostendarp died at the Soldier's Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts
, of complications from Alzheimer's disease
.
On October 20, 2007, at Amherst's homecoming football game, Amherst President Anthony W. Marx and former Amherst players spoke about Ostendarp and unveiled a bronze plaque (pictured above) dedicated in his honor.
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 and coach. He played professional football for the New York Giants
New 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...
from 1950 to 1951 and the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
in 1952. He was the head football coach at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
for 33 years from 1959 to 1991. He also served as president of the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
in 1982.
Early years
Ostendarp was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1923. He began playing football at age eight and later recalled his early years playing the game as follows:"I grew up in Baltimore and all the kids play football in that city. On a Sunday afternoon there must be 50 kids' games going on there. They're all neighborhood teams. I started playing first for a team that was formed by the kids on the street I lived on. We played against kids from the nearby streets. When I was 10 I played for a club team. I mean we just got together and formed a club and gave it a name. We sold fruit and held raffles to get the money to buy uniforms."
Ostendarp later attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute is a US public high school founded in 1883. Though established as an all-male trade school,it now is a institution that emphasizes mathematics, the sciences, and engineering. It is located on a tract of land in North Baltimore at Falls Road and Cold Spring Lane,...
, where coaches told him he was too small to play high school football. Refusing to accept their decision, Ostendarp established his ability by playing semi-professional football on Sundays. He made the Polytechnic high school football team as a senior and earned All-State honors.
He received a scholarship to the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
and played one year of football there. With the outbreak of 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...
, he joined the U.S. Army and served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He fought in the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
and played football with the 7th Army team.
After the war, Ostendarp enrolled at Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...
. He played football at Bucknell and set a team rushing record in 1949 with an average of 6.9 yards per carry.
Professional football
In July 1950, Osetendarp signed with 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...
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...
. He played as a halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for the Giants during the 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 1951 NFL season
1951 NFL season
The 1951 NFL season was the 32nd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Baltimore Colts owner Abraham Watner faced financial difficulties, and thus gave his team and its player contracts back to the league for $50,000. However, many Baltimore fans started to protest...
s. The Giants were 19–4–1 in 1950 and 1951, with Ostendarp serving as a backup to the team's leading rushers Eddie Price
Eddie Price
Edward J. Price was an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He played college football at Tulane University and was drafted in the second round of the 1950 NFL Draft. Price led the NFL in rushing in 1951...
and Choo Choo Roberts
Gene Roberts
Gene Roberts may refer to:* Gene Roberts , American editor and professor of journalism* Gene Roberts , former NFL running back...
. Ostendarp appeared in seven games for the 1950 Giants and scored two touchdowns, including one against his hometown Baltimore Colts on November 19, 1951. He also rushed for 144 yards in 1950, including a career-long 55-yard run against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (NFL)
The New York Yankees were a short-lived professional American football team from 1926 to 1928. The team was a member of the first American Football League in 1926, and later the National Football League from 1927-1928. They played their home games at Yankee Stadium...
on December 3, 1950. Ostendarp also returned nine punts for 117 yards and four kickoffs for 83 yards.
During the 1952 season, Ostendarp played halfback for the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. In an interview with The Montreal Gazette, Ostendarp discussed the process of adjusting to Canadian rules:
"When I first came up here and learned that you only had three downs in which to make 10 yards. I wondered if a team ever moved the sticks. All I could think of is how difficult it is in American football where there are four downs. But I soon saw that it could be done. In fact, I think three downs makes it a better game for the crowd."
Ostendarp made the adjustment to Canadian rules, led the Big Four in rushing yards, and received the Lord Calvert Trophy as the Most Valuable Player on the 1952 Alouettes team.
Following the 1952 season, Ostendarp was reported to have had a contract disagreement with Montreal's team management. In early June 1953, The Montreal Gazette reported that Ostendarp had agreed to salary terms with the Alouettes, but Ostendarp announced a short time later that he had accepted a coaching position at Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
and would not be returning to the Alouettes.
Early coaching career
Ostendarp began an informal coaching career in 1952 while playing for the Montreal Alouettes. While walking near the campus of McGill UniversityMcGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, he was approached by a group of ten to twelve year olds who were playing football. He recalled his introduction to coaching as follows:
"I showed them a few fundamental things like how to carry the ball and how to hold it for a kick or a pass. A few days later I was up there again and they said they were going to form a team and would I coach them. I taught them one formation and gave them a few plays -- a smash off tackle, an end sweep and a couple of pass patterns. A couple of Sundays later they waited for me after the game at the stadium to tell me they'd won their first game."
He began his formal coaching career as an assistant football coach at Bucknell from 1953 to 1954. He later served as an assistant coach at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
(1955–57) and Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
(1958).
Coaching and awards
In March 1959, Ostendarp was hired as the head football coach at Amherst CollegeAmherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
. He held that position for 33 years from 1959 to 1991. He led the Amherst Lord Jeffs to undefeated, untied seasons in 1960 and 1984. He also led his teams to 13 Little Three
Little Three
The "Little Three" is an unofficial athletic conference of three elite liberal arts colleges in New England, United States. The "Little Three" are:* Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts* Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut...
(Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan) championships and nine one-loss seasons. In his 33 years as head coach, Ostendarp compiled an overall record of 168–91–5 and a .646 winning percentage. Four of Ostendarp's Amherst players went on to play 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...
: Sean Clancy
Sean Clancy
Sean Thomas Clancy is an English footballer who plays as either a left back or left midfielder for Fleetwood Town. He made his professional debut for Blackpool FC whilst still in high school at the age of 16...
’78, Doug Swift
Doug Swift
Doug Swift is a former American football linebacker who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins. Swift moved into the starting lineup as a rookie and held the strongside linebacker position for the next six seasons, including the Dolphins' Super Bowl victories...
’70, Jean Fugett
Jean Fugett
Jean Schloss Fugett, Jr. is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League. A 6'3", 225 lbs...
’72 and Freddie Scott
Freddie Scott (American football)
Freddie Lee Scott is a former American football wide receiver who played from 1974 through 1983 in the National Football League...
’74.
Ostendarp received the Kodak AFCA New England Coach of the Year award in 1961 and 1964; the UPI Small College Coach of the Year award in 1964; the New England Football Writers' Division II and III Coach of the Year award in 1984; and the Gridiron Club of Boston's New England Division II and III Coach of the Year award in 1984.
Ostendarp was also one of the first football coaches to use computerized statistics to develop his game strategy for opposing teams. In the early 1960s, some of Ostendarp's players used a computer at the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
to compile opponents' statistics to help their coach plan for upcoming games.
Ostendarp announced his resignation as Amherst's head coach in March 1992 at age 68.
Influence on players
Ostendarp also served on Amherst's faculty as a professor of physical education. He became known for the influence he had on players beyond the football field. Asked by a reporter whether he was interested in coaching at a bigger school, Ostendarp replied, "Where would you go after Amherst?" His players referred to him affectionately as "the Darp" and considered him "one part football coach and one part professor." According to a tribute published by Amherst College following Ostendarp's death, his attire at football games was legendary: "It was easy to spot him on the sidelines. Regardless of the weather, Jim always wore his dark three-piece suit and Fedora."One of Ostendarp's former players noted, "He was a professor who happened to teach football." He emphasized balance and making time for family. One of his former players recalled that Coach Ostendarp "made a point of introducing his players to classical music and art, sometimes taking them to the Mead Art Museum
Mead Art Museum
Mead Art Museum is an art museum associated with Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts and is a member of Museums10.The Mead Art Museum has a wide ranging collection of over 16,000 items, with a particular strength in American art, including notable works of the Hudson River School and woodcut...
during afternoon practice time." The Boston Globe cited the following incident as an example of Ostendarp's balanced approach to athletics:
"During a practice session one afternoon in the 1980s, Amherst College football coach James E. Ostendarp stopped his players' drills so they could pause and appreciate the beauty of a sunset over the Berkshires. The moment was indicative of Mr. Ostendarp's approach to the game, his former players said, as he instructed them to appreciate more than just football in their lives."
Joe Schell, who played for Ostendarp in the late 1960s, recalled that Ostendarp made sure his players were good students and good citizens. Schell, who went on to become an investment banker, recalled, "For me, next to my father, he was the most influential man in my life."
ESPN controversy
When ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
sought to televise the 100th annual game between Amherst and Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, Ostendarp refused to accommodate the network's demand to change the kickoff. The national broadcast would have generated substantial revenue for the school, but Ostendarp held firm, telling The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, "We're in education. We aren't in the entertainment business. ... We don't have the stadiums, the crowds, the bands, the cheerleaders or the teams to play on television. We're No. 1 in the country in small academics. To put us on TV and say, 'This is Amherst,' well, it just doesn't measure up." When some Amherst alumni protested his decision, Ostendarp said he couldn't care less, adding, "I've got tenure. I'm a full professor." Ostendarp's decision drew national media coverage. The Boston Globe called it "A Glorious Blackout" and added: "When the Man-of-the-Year and Coach-of-the-Year awards are considered, every list should contain the name of Jim Ostendarp. The football coach of Amherst College represents values that have almost disappeared."
Family
Ostendarp married Shirley Reidinger in 1953. They lived in Sunderland, MassachusettsSunderland, Massachusetts
Sunderland is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, part of the Pioneer Valley. The population was 3,777 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and had three sons, Jim, Jan, and Carl, and four daughters, Teresa, Anne, Beth, and Heidi. In 1981, Ostendarp's son, Jan Ostendarp, returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown against Williams to lead Amherst to its first Little Three championship since 1968. In December 2005, Ostendarp died at the Soldier's Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
, of complications from Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
On October 20, 2007, at Amherst's homecoming football game, Amherst President Anthony W. Marx and former Amherst players spoke about Ostendarp and unveiled a bronze plaque (pictured above) dedicated in his honor.