Arnold George Weinmeister (March 23, 1923 – June 29, 2000) was an American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 defensive tackle. He went to four Pro Bowl

Pro Bowl

In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...

s, but with only a six-year tenure in the All-America Football Conference

All-America Football Conference

The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...

 and National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 combined, his career is one of the shortest of any Pro Football Hall of Fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

 member. He was born in Rhein, Saskatchewan

Rhein, Saskatchewan

Rhein is a community in Saskatchewan. It was the hometown of Arnie Weinmeister, one of only two Canadians to be elected to the NFL Hall of Fame....

.

Early years

Weinmeister was a two-time All-City tackle in high school, and played end, fullback

Fullback (American football)

A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...

, and tackle during a 4-year tenure at the University of Washington

University of Washington

University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 which was interrupted by four years army service.

He was scouted by New York Yankees

New York Yankees (AAFC)

The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...

 (AAFC) head coach Ray Flaherty

Ray Flaherty

Raymond Paul Flaherty was a professional football player in the National Football League from 1926-1935. He was the head coach of the Boston/Washington Redskins from 1936–1942, where he won four division titles and two NFL Championships . Flaherty served in the United States Navy until 1945...

 while playing fullback.

Professional career

Weinmeister turned professional in 1948 and played defensive tackle for the New York Yankees in the All-America Football Conference until 1949, and for the New York Giants

New York Giants

The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 from 1950 to 1953.

During his final season in New York, he served as the team captain.

In 1949, Weinmeister won second-team ALL-AAFC as a rookie followed by first-team ALL-AAFC honors, was voted ALL-NFL Choice for four consecutive years (1950–1953), and was selected to play in the NFL's Pro Bowl

Pro Bowl

In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...

 every year from 1948 to 1951.

He is one of only three Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

 natives to make it to the NFL (the other two being Jon Ryan

Jon Ryan

Jonathan Robert Ryan is a Canadian professional gridiron football player who is currently the punter for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League...

 and Rueben Mayes

Rueben Mayes

Rueben Mayes is a Canadian who played in the National Football League from 1986 to 1993.He first gained notoriety as a running back at North Battleford Comprehensive High School in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. In 1980 Mayes led the NBCHS Vikings to an undefeated season and the SHSAA 3A...

).

External links

• Pro Football Hall of Fame: member biography
• Professional Football Researchers Association article