Tom Maentz
Encyclopedia
Tom Maentz is a former American football
player who played end for the University of Michigan
Wolverines
from 1954-1956. Maentz played on offense and defense and also served as the punter for the Michigan football team. Maentz and Ron Kramer
became known as Michigan's "touchdown twins" and were the first University of Michigan athletes to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated
. Maentz was a second-team All-American in 1955 and captain of the 1956 football team. In 1994, he was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
.
, Maentz enrolled at Michigan at the same time as Michigan's legendary Hall of Fame end, Ron Kramer
. Maentz and Kramer played together as ends on Michigan's freshman team in 1953 and were the starting ends for Michigan from 1954-1956. Though he played in Kramer's shadow, Maentz was also recognized as one of the best ends in the county. Kramer later recalled playing with Maentz on the freshman team, helping the varsity team prepare for the Ohio State game. Kramer noted, "Surprisingly, we started throwing the ball to Tom Maentz and me, and the backs couldn't cover us."
. In October 1955, Maentz was selected by the Associated Press as for the Lineman of the Week award after scoring two touchdowns in a 33-21 win over Iowa. Michigan Coach Bennie Oosterbaan
said of the pair, "They are the two greatest ends in the country." After the Iowa game, Michigan halfback Tony Branoff
said, "Tom played one of the greatest games. He's as good as Kramer and after he caught that touchdown pass Iowa's heads were down." In awarding Maentz Lineman of the Week honors, the Associated Press referred to him as "that other end" and noted:
Despite a back injury that required him to wear a protective plaster shell screwed to his hip pad, Maentz led Michigan in pass receiving yards in 1955 and was selected as an All-Big Ten end. Maentz also excelled as a kicker, punting 15 times in 1955 for 602 yards and an average of 40.1 yards. Maentz was also named a second-team All-American by the United Press for 1955. Detroit News sports writer Watson Spoelstra
published a column in 1955 about Maentz in which he wrote:
described Maentz as a "ideal athlete," who was a champion in the classroom and on the football field. Patanelli noted that Maentz had demonstrated his toughness, continuing to play football after suffering a broken jaw as a freshman, a neck injury as a sophomore, and a back injury as a junior.
After the 1956 season, Maentz played in the East-West All-Star Shrine Game and was named as a third-team All-American by the United Press, Central Press Association
, and Newspapers Enterprise Association.
as the fourth pick in the draft, and Maentz was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals as the 22nd pick in the draft. From their freshman year in 1954, Kramer and Maentz remained close friends. In 2001, Sports Illustrated published a profile of the two men, 35 years after their appearance on the magazine's cover. The article noted:
Kramer was one of the initial inductees into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 1978, and Maentz joined him as an inductee in 1994. In 2003, Maentz donated funds to build a new locker room for the Wolverines at Michigan stadium.
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 end 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
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...
from 1954-1956. Maentz played on offense and defense and also served as the punter for the Michigan football team. Maentz and Ron Kramer
Ron Kramer
Ronald J. Kramer was a multi-sport college athlete and professional American football player. Before embarking on a career in the National Football League, he lettered in football, basketball, and track at the University of Michigan in the 1950s...
became known as Michigan's "touchdown twins" and were the first University of Michigan athletes to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Maentz was a second-team All-American in 1955 and captain of the 1956 football team. In 1994, he was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
.
Early years
A native of Holland, MichiganHolland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
, Maentz enrolled at Michigan at the same time as Michigan's legendary Hall of Fame end, Ron Kramer
Ron Kramer
Ronald J. Kramer was a multi-sport college athlete and professional American football player. Before embarking on a career in the National Football League, he lettered in football, basketball, and track at the University of Michigan in the 1950s...
. Maentz and Kramer played together as ends on Michigan's freshman team in 1953 and were the starting ends for Michigan from 1954-1956. Though he played in Kramer's shadow, Maentz was also recognized as one of the best ends in the county. Kramer later recalled playing with Maentz on the freshman team, helping the varsity team prepare for the Ohio State game. Kramer noted, "Surprisingly, we started throwing the ball to Tom Maentz and me, and the backs couldn't cover us."
1955 season
Maentz and Kramer, who became known as Michigan's "touchdown twins," were the first Michigan football players to appear on the cover of Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. In October 1955, Maentz was selected by the Associated Press as for the Lineman of the Week award after scoring two touchdowns in a 33-21 win over Iowa. Michigan Coach Bennie Oosterbaan
Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
said of the pair, "They are the two greatest ends in the country." After the Iowa game, Michigan halfback Tony Branoff
Tony Branoff
Anthony "Tony" Branoff is a former American football player. He played at the halfback position for the University of Michigan from 1952 to 1955. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1953 Michigan Wolverines football team. He was the first sophomore to win the award...
said, "Tom played one of the greatest games. He's as good as Kramer and after he caught that touchdown pass Iowa's heads were down." In awarding Maentz Lineman of the Week honors, the Associated Press referred to him as "that other end" and noted:
"Little was heard of Maentz when the season started. He was overshadowed by big Ron Kramer, Michigan's other versatile end who himself snagged two passes for 79 yards and a touchdown ... It was Maentz who grabbed five passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns, including the one that gave Michigan its first lead over the Hawkeyes in the last three minutes of the game."
Despite a back injury that required him to wear a protective plaster shell screwed to his hip pad, Maentz led Michigan in pass receiving yards in 1955 and was selected as an All-Big Ten end. Maentz also excelled as a kicker, punting 15 times in 1955 for 602 yards and an average of 40.1 yards. Maentz was also named a second-team All-American by the United Press for 1955. Detroit News sports writer Watson Spoelstra
Watson Spoelstra
Watson N. "Waddy" Spoelstra was an American sportswriter for The Detroit News from 1945 to 1973. He served as the president of the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1968...
published a column in 1955 about Maentz in which he wrote:
"Tom Maentz isn't quite as big as Ron Kramer. He can't run as fast, but Maentz stepped up his speed this season ... OosterbaanBennie OosterbaanBenjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
marveled aloud about Maentz's spectacular catch just before the half at Minnesota. The play cleared the way to victory. Oosterbaan spoke with admiration of Maentz's catch of a 33-yard pass by Tony Branoff in the end zone against Iowa. 'He had to run like mad to get that ball,' Bennie said. 'Tom never gives up.' ... 'Tom never will be as big as Kramer,' Bennie said. 'But he is well knit.'"
1956 season
After Maentz was selected as the captain of the 1956 team, residents of his hometown held a "Tom Maentz Night" at the Holland Civic Center attended by 600 area residents. At the time, Maentz called it "the greatest honor I've ever received and I'll never forget it." Michigan ends coach, Matt PatanelliMatt Patanelli
Matthew L. "Matt" Patanelli was an American football, baseball and basketball player and coach. He played and coached all three sports at the University of Michigan and was selected as the Most Valuable Player on the 1936 Michigan Wolverines football team. He was also the first University of...
described Maentz as a "ideal athlete," who was a champion in the classroom and on the football field. Patanelli noted that Maentz had demonstrated his toughness, continuing to play football after suffering a broken jaw as a freshman, a neck injury as a sophomore, and a back injury as a junior.
After the 1956 season, Maentz played in the East-West All-Star Shrine Game and was named as a third-team All-American by the United Press, Central Press Association
Central Press Association
The Central Press Association was an American newspaper syndication company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. At its peak, the Central Press supplied features, columns, and photographs to more than 400 newspapers and 12 million daily readers.-History:Virgil Venice...
, and Newspapers Enterprise Association.
Later years
Kramer and Maentz both graduated in 1957, and both were drafted by professional football teams. Kramer was drafted by the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
as the fourth pick in the draft, and Maentz was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals as the 22nd pick in the draft. From their freshman year in 1954, Kramer and Maentz remained close friends. In 2001, Sports Illustrated published a profile of the two men, 35 years after their appearance on the magazine's cover. The article noted:
"Kramer, a two-time All-America, and Maentz, team captain in 1956, were two of the finest pass-catching ends in the country. They also played defense and even punted the ball. It seems they've done everything together since coming to Ann Arbor from different sides of the state. Maentz was the quiet kid from western Michigan, the son of a banker; Kramer was the unpolished Detroiter. But, says Kramer, they found a 'common denominator' in football, and for four years lived in the same dorms and at the Sigma Chi fraternity house. Both were married in 1957 and fathered boys born a day apart the following July."
Kramer was one of the initial inductees into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1978, and Maentz joined him as an inductee in 1994. In 2003, Maentz donated funds to build a new locker room for the Wolverines at Michigan stadium.
See also
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
- 1956 College Football All-America Team1956 College Football All-America TeamThe 1956 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1956...