Dick Vidmer
Encyclopedia
Richard F. "Dick" Vidmer (born December 24, 1944) was an American football
player who played quarterback
for the University of Michigan
Wolverines football
teams from 1965 to 1967.
A native of Greensburg, Pennsylvania
, Vidmer played quarterback for Hempfield High School in the early 1960s. He was one of the finest prep quarterbacks ever produced in the State of Pennsylvania. He was recruited by many schools, including Ivy League schools, but enrolled at the University of Michigan.
As a freshman in 1964, Vidmer suffered a broken leg and torn ankle ligaments during a football practice session. Vidmer never recovered fully from the injury, recalling later, "I was never able to move around like I could before. It made a difference in my effectiveness. I was not as formidable a player as I once was." He started only three games in the 1965 season. In 1966, he was recovered sufficiently to be the starting quarterback in nine of Michigan's ten games. He also started four games at quarterback for the 1967 Wolverines. In his playing career at Michigan, Vidmer passed for 2,400 yards and 11 touchdowns. His career best game came against Minnesota in 1966 when Vidmer threw 15 completions for 210 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw for 258 yards in a 1966 victory over Oregon State. Vidmer was also an outstanding student at Michigan and was selected as an Academic All-American in 1966. He received three degrees from Michigan, a bachelor's degree in economics, a master's degree in international relations (1972), and a Ph.D. in philosophy (1978). He later taught at the University of Virginia
and served as an advisor to U.S. Congressman Don Bailey, a former Michigan football teammate. He also served as a county commissioner in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
. He was court-appointed to the county commissioner position in 1985 and elected to the position in November 1987. He became the chairman of the county commissioners. Vidmer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1983 and was forced to retire in 1999.
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...
player who played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
teams from 1965 to 1967.
A native of Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War...
, Vidmer played quarterback for Hempfield High School in the early 1960s. He was one of the finest prep quarterbacks ever produced in the State of Pennsylvania. He was recruited by many schools, including Ivy League schools, but enrolled at the University of Michigan.
As a freshman in 1964, Vidmer suffered a broken leg and torn ankle ligaments during a football practice session. Vidmer never recovered fully from the injury, recalling later, "I was never able to move around like I could before. It made a difference in my effectiveness. I was not as formidable a player as I once was." He started only three games in the 1965 season. In 1966, he was recovered sufficiently to be the starting quarterback in nine of Michigan's ten games. He also started four games at quarterback for the 1967 Wolverines. In his playing career at Michigan, Vidmer passed for 2,400 yards and 11 touchdowns. His career best game came against Minnesota in 1966 when Vidmer threw 15 completions for 210 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw for 258 yards in a 1966 victory over Oregon State. Vidmer was also an outstanding student at Michigan and was selected as an Academic All-American in 1966. He received three degrees from Michigan, a bachelor's degree in economics, a master's degree in international relations (1972), and a Ph.D. in philosophy (1978). He later taught at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and served as an advisor to U.S. Congressman Don Bailey, a former Michigan football teammate. He also served as a county commissioner in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
. He was court-appointed to the county commissioner position in 1985 and elected to the position in November 1987. He became the chairman of the county commissioners. Vidmer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1983 and was forced to retire in 1999.
Career passing statistics
| Season | Att | Comp | Int | Comp % | Yds | Yds/Comp | TD |
| 1965 | 66 | 31 | 6 | 47.0 | 454 | 14.6 | 1 |
| 1966 | 225 | 117 | 7 | 52.0 | 1609 | 13.8 | 10 |
| 1967 | 76 | 33 | 4 | 43.4 | 337 | 10.2 | 0 |
| |Career total | 367 | 181 | 17 | 49.3 | 2400 | 13.3 | 11 |