Gordy Soltau facts for kids
Soltau on a 1952 Bowman football card
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| No. 82 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver / placekicker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 25, 1925 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| Died: | October 26, 2014 (aged 89) Santa Clara, California, U.S. |
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| Career information | |||||||||||||
| College: | Minnesota | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1950 / Round: 3 / Pick: 30 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Gordon Leroy Soltau (born January 25, 1925 – died October 26, 2014) was an American professional football player. He played as a wide receiver for nine seasons. All his professional career was with the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
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Early Life and Military Service
Gordon Soltau was born in Duluth, Minnesota. When he was finishing high school, World War II began. He joined the United States Navy to serve his country.
He became part of the first group of special Navy divers called Frogman. These divers were experts in underwater demolition, meaning they could destroy things underwater. Gordon saw action in both the Pacific Ocean and Europe. He was part of the Office of Strategic Services, which was a special intelligence agency.
After the war ended in 1945, Gordon went to the University of Minnesota. There, he played football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. His coach, Bernie Bierman, helped him become a skilled receiver, placekicker, and defensive player.
Football Career Highlights
In 1950, Gordon Soltau was 25 years old when he was picked in the NFL draft. The Green Bay Packers chose him in the third round. However, he was soon traded to the Cleveland Browns. From there, he was asked if he wanted to play for the San Francisco 49ers, and he agreed.
During his time in the NFL, Gordon played two important roles. He was both a wide receiver, catching passes, and a placekicker, kicking field goals and extra points.
- In his first year (1950), he caught 14 passes for 170 yards and scored one touchdown. As a kicker, he made 26 out of 28 extra points. He also made four of eight field goals.
- The next year, 1951, was even better. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl, which is an honor for top players. He caught a career-high 59 passes for 826 yards and seven touchdowns. He scored 26 points in one game against the Rams. This was a 49ers record for 39 years!
- In 1952, he had another great year and made the Pro Bowl again. He caught 55 passes for 774 yards and seven touchdowns. He was also named First-team All-Pro, meaning he was one of the best players in the league.
- His kicking was excellent in 1953. He made 48 out of 49 extra points, which was a career best. He also had his best field goal percentage, making 10 out of 15 attempts. He was the first NFL player to score 6+ touchdowns and make 10+ field goals in the same season. He made the Pro Bowl for the third time.
- Gordon played until 1958. In his career, he caught 249 passes for 3,487 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also made 70 field goals and 284 extra points. He was one of only three players in NFL history to achieve both 25 touchdowns and 70 field goals.
In 1957, the 49ers made it to the postseason. They played against the Detroit Lions for a chance to play in the Championship Game. Gordon made all three extra points and two field goals. The 49ers were leading 27-7, but they lost the game 31-27.
Working for Players' Rights
Back in Gordon Soltau's playing days, most professional football players needed other jobs. This was because their football salaries were not enough to live on during the off-season.
In 1954, Gordon started working as a sales representative. He worked for a company that sold printing and office supplies. He eventually became a high-ranking executive at the company before he retired.
Gordon also played a big role in helping football players get better treatment. He was the first player representative for the San Francisco 49ers. At that time, there were only 12 teams in the league. Many players felt that team owners were not treating them fairly. They wanted to start a "Players Association" to speak up for themselves.
Some team owners did not like this idea. They even threatened to cut players who joined the association. But players from six younger teams, including the 49ers, decided to meet. They wanted to talk about three main issues:
- A pension plan (money for players after they retired)
- Pay for playing in exhibition games (practice games before the season)
- Getting playing shoes provided (players had to buy their own shoes back then)
The players started their association and paid a small fee each year. Gordon convinced the 49ers owner, Tony Morabito, to take the fee directly from the players' paychecks. Other teams refused, so representatives had to collect the money themselves! Because of his hard work for the players, Gordon earned the nickname "The Senator."
It took four years for the owners to finally discuss these issues. In 1962, they agreed to start a pension plan for players. Gordon Soltau also helped create the Northern California Chapter of the NFL Alumni Association. This group helps former NFL players.
On June 16, 2008, the Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, even declared it "Gordy Soltau Day" to honor him.
Life After Football
Gordon Soltau retired from playing football in 1959. Later, he was honored by being inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
After his playing career, Gordon worked as a sports commentator. He spent ten years as a color commentator for CBS, talking about games. He then worked for five years at a radio station, KSFO.
Gordon also loved to play golf. He played in ten of Bing Crosby's famous Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournaments at Pebble Beach.
Personal Life
Gordon Soltau lived in Menlo Park, California, with his wife, Nancy. They had three children. His daughter, Jill, worked for Hewlett Packard for 25 years before retiring. His son, John, is a packaging designer. His other son, Mark, is a journalist for Golf Digest magazine. Mark even created Tiger Woods's website when Tiger became a professional golfer.
Gordon Soltau passed away on October 26, 2014, at the age of 89. He was survived by his wife and three children.
