Ed Molinski (August 20, 1917 – June 26, 1986) was a

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

player for the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

. He later became a

doctor Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

after being involved in

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and college coaching.

Football career

Molinski played his high school ball at

Massillon Washington High School Washington High School, commonly referred to as Massillon High School or Massillon Washington High School, is a 9th to 12th grade secondary school within the Massillon City School District in the city of Massillon, Ohio. The school colors are ...

Massillon, Ohio Massillon is a city in western Stark County, Ohio, United States, along the Tuscarawas River. The population was 32,146 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Massillon is a principal city of the Canton–Massillon metropolitan area, whic ...

, where he played for legendary coach

Paul Brown Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 – August 5, 1991) was an American American football, football coach and executive in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), the National Football League (NFL), and the American Football League (AFL). ...

from 1934 to 1936 and was on the 1935 National Championship team. After graduating, he moved on to

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

where he played for another legendary coach,

Robert Neyland Robert Reese Neyland (; February 17, 1892 – March 28, 1962) was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of Brigadier general (United States), brigadier general. He served three stints as ...

. Molinski was a standout at

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

in both high school and college. While at Tennessee, he helped lead the teams there to a 31–2 record and three undefeated regular seasons. He was a member of the 1938 Tennessee team that won the

National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

, and the 1939 team that put together an unscored upon regular season. That year, Molinski was named to several

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n teams. He was also named All-American the following season in 1940. In 1939, he was named to the 1939 College Football All Polish-American Team. Molinski was an All-American at the guard position, but was noted as a great player on both sides of the ball. He played on the

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for his entire career at Tennessee. Molinski was known as a fiery player during his time at Tennessee, a benefit for the offensive and defensive line positions. His temperament was apparent when he was ejected early in the 1939

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...

, the final game for the 1938 championship team. Molinski was elected to the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

in 1990, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.

Other

Molinski was also involved in

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...

boxing. He was the state heavyweight champion in

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, while also captaining the university boxing squad. He was a National Golden Glove Semi-Finalist during his amateur career. After college, Molinski served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

during

, reaching the rank of second lieutenant. Following the war, Molinski worked as an assistant football coach and a history professor at the Memphis State and

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...

in addition to studying for a medical degree. The then Dr. Molinski finally settled in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

and practiced medicine until his death. Molinski earned the M.D. degree from the UT Center for the Health Sciences. He also spent 35 years serving as a physician/general practitioner who served underprivileged communities in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition, he was the Memphis State football team doctor and professional fight doctor for the city.

References

* 2006 University of Tennessee Football Media Guide {{DEFAULTSORT:Molinski, Ed 1917 births 1986 deaths American people of Polish descent All-American college football players American football guards Tennessee Volunteers football players United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps officers College Football Hall of Fame inductees Players of American football from Massillon, Ohio