Early life
Retzlaff played football at Ellendale School District, Ellendale High School in Ellendale, North Dakota, and starred in track and field and college football, football at South Dakota State University, South Dakota State College. In 1952, he rushed for 1,016 yards, a school record. He was later inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame.Football career
Retzlaff was selected in the 1953 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League but he did not make the team. After two years in the U.S. Army he was sold to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played running back, wide receiver and tight end for 11 seasons, having converted from fullback in the start of his career. In 1958, despite having never caught a pass in college, he led the NFL with 56 pass receptions. He went to the Pro Bowl five times, and he won the Bert Bell Award for NFL player of the year in 1965, when he caught 66 passes including ten touchdowns. He was president of the NFL Players Association. He averaged 16.4 yards per catch and lost only four fumbles in his career. In 2005, he was named to the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's third HOVG class.Post football career
From 1969 to 1972, he was the Eagles' vice president and general manager. In 1973 and 1974, he worked as a color analyst for NFL coverage on NFL on CBS, CBS television. Retzlaff's number 44 jersey has been retired by the Eagles. When he retired, he was the alltime leader for receptions and receiving yards for Philadelphia (on his death in 2020, he was still third in receptions and second in yards, having been passes in both by Harold Carmichael).Personal life
Retzlaff married his wife Patty in 1954, having four children. Retzlaff died on April 10, 2020, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, at the age of 88.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Retzlaff, Pete 1931 births 2020 deaths American football ends American football halfbacks American football tight ends Philadelphia Eagles executives Philadelphia Eagles players South Dakota State Jackrabbits football players National Football League announcers National Football League general managers Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players People from Ellendale, North Dakota Players of American football from North Dakota Presidents of the National Football League Players Association Military personnel from North Dakota Trade unionists from North Dakota National Football League players with retired numbers