Frederick N. Baer (July 2, 1932 – March 21, 2007) was an
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
player. He played at the
fullback position for the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
from 1952 to 1954. He was chosen as the
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
on the
1954 Michigan Wolverines football team.
Early years
Baer's home town was
La Grange, Illinois
La Grange ( ; often spelled LaGrange) is a village (United States)#Illinois, village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,321 at the 2020 census.
History
The area around La Grange was first s ...
. He attended
Fenwick High School in
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, adjacent to Chicago. It is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 26th-most populous municipality in Illinois, with a population of 54,318 as of the 2020 census. Oak Park was first se ...
.
[ He played fullback for the Fenwick Friars in the ]Chicago Catholic League
The Chicago Catholic League (CCL) is a high school athletic conference based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. All of the schools are part of the Illinois High School Association, the governing body for Illinois scholastic sports. While some ...
during the 1949 and 1950 football seasons; in 1949, he played in the same backfield with 1953 Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
winner Johnny Lattner. Baer and Lattner were both later inducted in the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame.
University of Michigan
Baer enrolled at Michigan in 1951. In May 1952, the ''Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
'' wrote that Baer "sparkled" in spring practice, leading Michigan head coach Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Oosterbaan ( ; February 24, 1906 – October 25, 1990) was an American football end and head coach for the University of Michigan. He was a three-time All-American college football player, a two-time All-American basketball player, and ...
to say, "He's going to be a real football player. I don't know if he'll be ready by fall but he could be." As a sophomore in 1952, Baer started three games at fullback,Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
on October 23, 1954, as he gained 94 rushing yards on 17 carries (5.5 yards per carry) and scored two touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s. The following week against Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, he rushed for 92 yards on 22 carries (4.2 yards per carry) and scored one touchdown. In his final game for Michigan, he gained 75 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per carry against Ohio State
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
. Baer played for the Wolverines on defense as well as offense and was considered "a vicious tacker and a hard runner." After the 1954 season, Baer was selected as the Most Valuable Player on the 1954 Michigan football team.[ He was also selected to play in the Blue-Gray All-Star Football Classic. He scored the winning touchdown for the blue team on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from ]Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
's Vic Eaton.
Baer graduated from Michigan in 1955 with a bachelor of arts degree in history.
Professional football
Baer was selected by the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in the 14th round (161st overall pick) of the 1955 NFL draft
The 1955 NFL draft was held January 27–28, 1955 at the Warwick Hotel in New York City.
This was the ninth year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick determined by lottery. With the previous eight winners ineligible from the draw, onl ...
. He signed with the Packers in February 1955.
Death
Baer died in March 2007 at age 74; he was a resident of La Grange, Illinois at the time of his death.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baer, Fred
1932 births
2007 deaths
Sportspeople from La Grange, Illinois
Players of American football from Cook County, Illinois
American football fullbacks
Michigan Wolverines football players