Rudolph James Tersch (November 20, 1894 – February 6, 1970) was an American football player, baseball coach, and deputy fire chief. He played professional football for the Minneapolis Marines of the National Football League (NFL) from 1921 to 1923. He served in the Minneapolis Fire Department from 1917 to 1959, retiring as first deputy chief.
| Personal information | |||
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| Born: | November 20, 1894 Minneapolis | ||
| Died: | February 6, 1970 (aged 75) Hennepin County, Minnesota | ||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||
| Position: | Tackle, guard | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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Early years
editTersch was born in Minneapolis in 1894.[1] He joined the Minneapolis Fire Department in 1917 at age 23.[2] He joined the U.S. Navy that same year when the United States entered World War I.[2]
Professional football
editTersch played semi-professional football for 14 years.[2] He also played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) as a tackle and guard for the Minneapolis Marines. He appeared in 15 NFL games, all as a starter, from 1921 to 1923.[3]
Later years
editTersch He also returned to the Navy for three-and-a-half years during World War II, serving as a fire marshal in Japan and Pearl Harbor.[2] He also served as the coach of the fire-police baseball team from the 1920s until the early 1950s.[2][4] In 1959, he was promoted from second deputy to first deputy chief of the Minneapolis Fire Department.[5] He retired in November 1959 at age 65.[2]
Tersch died in 1970 at Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis at age 75.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ "Rudy Tersch". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Town Toppers". The Minneapolis Star. March 13, 1959. p. 20A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rudy Tersch". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ "Camden Has 4-tilt Hurdle in State Legion Tourney". The Minneapolis Star. August 6, 1952. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jim Byrne (July 10, 1959). "Fire Chief Announces Promotions". Minneapolis Morning Tribune. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rudy Tersch Dies After Long Illness". The Minneapolis Tribune. February 7, 1970. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tersch funeral set for Monday". The Minneapolis Star. February 7, 1970. p. 12A – via Newspapers.com.