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Hippo Gozdowski

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Hippo Gozdowski
Personal information
Born:(1902-03-26)March 26, 1902
Chicago, Illinois
Died:September 19, 1952(1952-09-19) (aged 50)
Toledo, Ohio
Position:Fullback, guard, center
Career history
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Casimir "Hippo" Gozdowski (March 26, 1902 – September 19, 1952) was an American football fullback for the Toledo Maroons of the National Football League.[1][2] Nicknamed "Hippo" because of his large size, Gozdowski was a well-known athlete in Toledo, playing professional and semi-professional football and baseball for many years in the city.[3]

Early life

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Casimir Gozdowski was born on March 26, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois, but had moved to Toledo, Ohio by the time he reached his twenties.

Football career

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In 1922, Gozdowski played for the Toledo Maroons of the National Football League, which at the time was only three years old and had just begun to call itself the NFL.[1]

Gozdowski had not played college football, unlike most of the starters on the team.[4] He played backup to starting right guard Cap Edwards.[5]

Gozdowski's most prolific game saw him score two rushing touchdowns in a 39–0 rout of the Louisville Brecks, in which the Brecks failed to even get a first down.[1][5]

Baseball career

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In 1925, Gozdowski played pitcher for a Toledo semi-professional baseball team called the Eagles. Described as "a big Polish boy" and likened to Babe Ruth by the Sandusky Star-Journal, he was considered far and away the best player on the team.[6]

Later life and death

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Gozdowski died in Toledo on September 19, 1952, at the age of 50.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Hippo Gozdowski Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Hippo Gozdowski NFL Stats - Pro Football Archives". www.profootballarchives.com. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio on October 4, 1928 · Page 32". Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  4. ^ "Bulldogs and Toledo Make Real Problem". Canton Daily News. November 5, 1922. p. 10.
  5. ^ a b "Toledo Victor". Canton Daily News. October 30, 1922. p. 11.
  6. ^ "Toledo Babe Ruth Too Much for Eagles Who Lose Game; Score 3-2". Sandusky Star-Journal. May 4, 1925. p. 10.