George Kraemer
George Lambert Kraemer (June 2, 1894 – September 22, 1974), sometimes listed as George Kramer,[1] was an American football player. He played professional football as a guard for the Minneapolis Marines from 1916 to 1924. He also served for many years with the Minneapolis Fire and Police Departments.
Personal information | |||
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Born: | Joliet, Illinois | June 2, 1894||
Died: | September 22, 1974 80) Chicago, IL | (aged||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||
Position: | Guard, tackle | ||
Career history | |||
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Career NFL statistics | |||
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Early years
Kraemer was born in 1894 in either Joliet, Illinois,[1] or Minnesota.[2]
Professional football
Kraemer played professional football for the Minneapolis Marines in 1916 prior to the formation of the National Football League (NFL).[3] When the NFL was formed, the Marines were includeed, and Kraemer continued with the club in its NFL years from 1921 to 1924. He played primarily as a guard, but also as a tackle and back. He appeared in 19 NFL games, 10 as a starter.[2][1] He also played in 1926 for the Twin City All-Stars, at which time the Minneapolis Daily Star wrote that he had "performed brilliantly on various professional football teams of local repute in the last few years at a guard position."[4]
Fire/police career and later years
While playing football, Kraemer held jobs initially with the Minneapolis Fire Department stating in 1917, then transferring to the Minneapolis Police Department in 1923.[3][5] While serving with the police department, Kraemer received eight commmendations and killed three men in the line of duty. One of his commendaations was for arresting 97 vagrants in a two-day period.[3] In 1931, he engaged in a gunfight with a prowler that put him on the front page of The Minneapolis Star.[6] In 1945, Kraemer left the police department and operated a bar in Minneapolis until 1950.[3]
Kraemer died of a heart attack in 1965 at age 68 at his home in Minneapolis.[3]
References
- "George Kramer". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- "George Kraemer". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- "Mr. Kraemer, Detective, Bar Owner, Dies at 68". The Minneapolis Star. October 7, 1965. p. 15B – via Newspapers.com.
- "Paul Des Jardien Will Captain All-Star Team". Minneapolis Daily Star. September 16, 1926. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Des Jardien Signs To Oppose Nevers". The Minneapolis Journal. September 16, 1926. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Gunman, Shot in Duel, Dying". The Minneapolis Star. July 3, 1931. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.