The Chicago Bears First Round Selection in 1951, Gene Schroeder, died at the age of 95.
Schroeder, the former oldest player in the NFL and the Chicago Bears died of natural causes on Tuesday in St. John, Indiana, confirmed his daughter Carole Schroeder.
“He was just someone who really loved his family, loved his life, loved his career,” Carole told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I really appreciated all the time we had with him.”
“I think of him as a very successful person,” he added.
The Bears selected Schroeder with the twelfth general selection in the NFL Draft of 1951 before leading the team with 461 reception yards as a rookie. The product of Virginia doubled as an open and security receiver during her time in the suction city.
Schroeder was born in Washington, DC on March 3, 1929, and grew around the capital of the United States before heading to Virginia for the university.
The legend of the Chicago Bears Gene Schroeder died for natural causes in Indiana at the age of 95
The Bears selected Schroeder, a bidirectional player, with the 12th selection in the 1951 NFL draft
In his second season with the Bears, Schroeder had an even better campaign before missing his third year and part of 1954 to serve in the Navy. While serving his country, Schroeder suffered an important injury to the Achilles tendon that affected the rest of his career.
Schroeder concluded his career at the NFL in 1957 with a single appearance in Pro Bowl.
In a 2024 interview with Sun-Times, Schroeder said he was “bitten by the football error very, very early” and sat in his father's lap to listen to transmissions on the radio when he was not playing on the street.
He also admitted to detest the team that would later represent in the NFL.
'I hated bears. They always beat my red skins, '' he said.
Schroeder graduated from the University of Virginia in 1950 with a Bachelor of Commerce. After being recruited by the Bears, he grew near the chief coach and Chief George Halas.
The former gentleman remembered how Halas helped him during his one -year period in the Navy with an advance of $ 2,500 in his contract and a new set of tires for his car. Halas also helped Schroeder get a job in the steel industry.
“Coach Halas was wonderful to play and never raised his voice,” said Schroeder. “It was like a father for me.”
Schroeder married his wife Doris in 1952 and had three daughters, Nancy, Gail and Carole.
After retiring from football, he worked for Sales, Management and Marketing departments of Olin Mathieson Corporation for 17 years. He also co -founded his own aluminum alloy business, Trialco Inc., in Chicago Heights and served as president before retiring in 2005.