Charlie Krueger
Charles Andrew Krueger (January 28, 1937 – February 5, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all with the San Francisco 49ers. In college, he was a two-time All-American at Texas A&M and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
| No. 70 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | January 28, 1937 Caldwell, Texas | ||||||||
| Died: | February 5, 2021 (aged 84) Clayton, California | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 256 lb (116 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Caldwell (TX) | ||||||||
| College: | Texas A&M | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1958 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Early life and education
Born and raised in Caldwell, Texas, Krueger graduated from Caldwell High School and played college football at Texas A&M University. He was twice an All-American under head coach Bear Bryant,[1] and his Aggie teammates included 1957 Heisman Trophy winner John David Crow, future NFL All-Pro linebacker and coach Jack Pardee, and future Aggies coach Gene Stallings.
NFL career
Krueger was taken in the first round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the 49ers, the eighth overall selection. He played defensive tackle for the team until his retirement in 1973.[2]
With the 49ers, Krueger wore number 70 and his number was retired by the team. Krueger's defensive teammates included Pro Football Hall of Fame members Dave Wilcox at linebacker and Jimmy Johnson at cornerback. He was one of the last linemen in the NFL to wear a two-bar "quarterback" facemask. His brother Rolf (b.1946) was also an NFL player with the St. Louis Cardinals and the 49ers, where the two played together in 1972 and 1973.
After retirement
At age 51 in 1988, Krueger was awarded more than $2.3 million in damages stemming from a lawsuit against the San Francisco 49ers. The judge found that Krueger received repeated anesthetic injections during his NFL career so that he could continue to play in spite of significant knee injuries. The decision found that the 49ers were not truthful with Krueger regarding the seriousness of his injuries, which left him with severe chronic pain after his playing days.[2][3]
He died at the age of 84 on February 5, 2021 following heart and kidney failure.[4]
References
- "Charlie Krueger". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
- Padwe, Sandy (June 27, 1988). "When trust is betrayed". Sports Illustrated. p. 80.
- "49ers Found Guilty of Fraud in Krueger Case". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 22, 1987. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
- Branch, Eric (5 February 2021). "49ers' Hall of Famer Charlie Krueger, rugged defensive tackle, dies at 84". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
External links
- Texas A&M Athletics – Hall of Fame – Charlie Krueger
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference