Fred Bednarski (12 December 1936 – 23 March 2024) was a placekicker in American football.[1] He is often credited with introducing the "soccer-style" kick to American football, which revolutionized the element of place-kicking in the sport.[2]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | 12 December 1936 Uście Biskupie, Poland (today Ustia, Ukraine) |
| Died: | 23 March 2024 (aged 87) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Texas |
| Position: | Kicker |
Early life
editBorn in Uście Biskupie, Poland (now in Ukraine), on 12 December 1936, before Soviet and then German occupation of the country in World War II, his family was taken to a Nazi labor camp outside of Salzburg, Austria in 1942, where they would spend three years.[3] He considered himself fortunate for having been taken a "labor" or "concentration" camp rather than an extermination camp, as was the fate for many other Polish families. At the camps, when they could find some free time, Bednarski recalls playing games with other camp detainees using makeshift soccer balls constructed from rolled-up socks.[4]
Career
editBednarski's football career began with the Texas Longhorns in 1956 after Head Coach Darrell Royal of the Washington Huskies was informed by his scout who had just returned from scouting Texas for the team about the "soccer-style" kicker named Bednarski. In contrast to the traditional football place kick in universal use at the time, in which the kicker would approach the placement from directly behind and strike the ball with his toe, Bednarski approached the placement from roughly a 45-degree angle and struck the ball with the instep of his foot, swinging his leg in a "golf club"-like motion.[4]
On 19 October 1957, Bednarski kicked the first-ever "soccer-style" field goal in American football history,[2] giving the team a 3-0 lead against Arkansas with the 38-yard kick.[3]
After College
editBednarski continued to live and work in Texas after graduation from the University of Texas. He died on 23 March 2024, at the age of 87.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Fred Bednarski Obituary, Boze Mitchell McKibbin Funeral Home, Waxahachie, Texas (March 2024), at https://memorials.bozemitchellmckibbin.com/fred-bednarski/5400726/
- ^ a b Sherrington, Kevin (8 December 2012). "Often overlooked, Texas' Bednarski is the true pioneer of soccer-style kicking in football". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b srr50 (11 February 2010). "UT's Fred Bednarski: College Football Pioneer". SB Nation. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Palmer, Christopher (9 February 2010). "Nazi labor camp survivor makes football history". University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ Fred Bednarski Obituary, Boze Mitchell McKibbin Funeral Home, Waxahachie, Texas (March 2024), at https://memorials.bozemitchellmckibbin.com/fred-bednarski/5400726/