View source for George Sauer

{{Short description|American football player, coach (1910–1994)}}
{{for|his son, the American football wide receiver|George Sauer Jr.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = George Sauer
| image = George Henry Sauer.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Sauer from 1934 ''Cornhusker''
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1910|12|11}}
| birth_place = [[Stratton, Nebraska]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1994|2|5|1910|12|11}}
| death_place = [[Waco, Texas]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[University of Nebraska]]
| player_years1 = 1931–1933
| player_team1 = [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]]
| player_years2 = 1935–1937
| player_team2 = [[Green Bay Packers]]
| player_years3 = 1942
| player_team3 = [[Pensacola Naval Air Station Goslings football|Pensacola NAS]]
| player_positions = [[Halfback (American football)|Halfback]]
| coach_sport1 = Football
| coach_years2 = 1937–1941
| coach_team2 = [[New Hampshire Wildcats football|New Hampshire]]
| coach_years3 = 1946–1947
| coach_team3 = [[Kansas Jayhawks football|Kansas]]
| coach_years4 = 1948–1949
| coach_team4 = [[Navy Midshipmen football|Navy]]
| coach_years5 = 1950–1955
| coach_team5 = [[Baylor Bears football|Baylor]]
| coach_sport6 = Basketball
| coach_years7 = 1938–1939
| coach_team7 = [[New Hampshire Wildcats men's basketball|New Hampshire]]
| admin_years1 = 1950–1958
| admin_team1 = [[Baylor Bears|Baylor]]
| admin_years2 = 1961
| admin_team2 = [[New York Titans (football)|New York Titans]] (GM)
| admin_years3 = 1962–1969
| admin_team3 = {{nowrap|[[New York Jets|New York Titans/Jets]] (dir. pro pers.)}}
| admin_years4 = 1969–1970
| admin_team4 = [[Boston Patriots]] (GM)
| overall_record = 78–55–9 (football)<br>3–14 (basketball)
| bowl_record = 0–3
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 2 [[Yankee Conference|New England Conference]] (1937, 1940)<br>2 [[Big Eight Conference|Big Six]] (1946–1947)
<br>[[American Football League|AFL]] champion ([[1968 AFL Championship Game|1968]]) <br>[[Super Bowl]] champion ([[Super Bowl III|III]])<br>[[List of NFL champions (1920–1969)|NFL champion]] ([[1936 NFL Championship Game|1936]])
| awards = 
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1933 College Football All-America Team|1933]])
* 3× First-team All-[[Big Eight Conference|Big Six]] ([[1931 All-Big Six Conference football team|1931]], [[1932 All-Big Six Conference football team|1932]], [[1933 All-Big Six Conference football team|1933]])
| statlabel1    = Games played
| statvalue1    = 20
| statlabel2    = [[Starting lineup|starts]]
| statvalue2    = 10
| coaching_records = 
| CFBHOF_year = 1954
| CFBHOF_id = 1565
}}
'''George Henry Sauer Sr.''' (December 11, 1910 – February 5, 1994) was an [[American football]] player, coach, college sports administrator, and professional football executive.

==Career==
Sauer attended the [[University of Nebraska]] where he was an All-American halfback under [[Dana X. Bible]] from 1931-1933. After college, he played for the [[Green Bay Packers]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL) from 1935 to 1937, helping them win the 1936 NFL championship as their starting left halfback. Sauer left professional football in 1937 and coached at the [[University of New Hampshire]] from 1937 to 1941, compiling a record of 22-18-1.<ref>{{cite web |title=George Sauer Sr. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/440604378/?terms=%22George%2BSauer%22%2B%22navy%22 |website=The Boston Globe |access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref> He left his coaching position and enlisted in the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] in 1942 and was commissioned as an officer after completing the requisite training.<ref>{{cite news |title=George Sauer enlist in U.S. Navy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39833782/george-sauer-enlists-in-u-s-navy/ |newspaper=Lincoln Journal Star |date=17 April 1942 |page=1 |access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref> After he completed his military service, he coached for two years at [[University of Kansas]], he compiled a 15–3–2 (.786) record, winning the conference title in each season.<ref>{{cite web |title=GEORGE SAUER |url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1565 |website=National Football Foundation Hall of Fame |access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref> After he left Kansas, Sauer coached at the [[United States Naval Academy]] (1948–1949), and [[Baylor University]] (1950–1955), compiling a career college football record of 78–55–9 and earning trips to both the [[Orange Bowl]] and the [[Gator Bowl]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mosher |first1=Curt |title=The Best of the Big Red Running Backs |date=September 1998 |publisher=Sports Publishing |location=Champaign, IL |isbn=1-58261-001-0 |pages=146–150 }}</ref> Sauer remained at Baylor as Athletic Director until 1960 when he became the first [[General manager (American football)|General Manager]] of the [[New York Jets|New York Titans]] of the [[American Football League]]. The Titans later reorganized and in 1963 were renamed in as the [[New York Jets]]. As director of player personnel, Sauer drafted and signed his own son, [[George Sauer Jr.]] as a [[wide receiver]].<ref>{{cite web |title=George Sauer |url=https://cvgs.cu-portland.edu/who-are-volga-germans/culture/biographies/sauer-sr-george |website=Concordia University - The Center for Volga German Studies }}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Sauer remained with the Jets until 1969 when he was named general manager of the [[Boston Patriots]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex Navy Football Coach Sauer is Dead at 81 |agency=The Baltimore Sun |date=February 9, 1994}}</ref>

Sauer appeared as an imposter on the February 26, 1962 episode of the game show [[To Tell The Truth]].<ref>{{cite web |title=To Tell The Truth |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVwf9t32dTQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/QVwf9t32dTQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|website=[[CBS]] |access-date=26 April 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Sauer died in 1994 after a 10 year battle with [[Alzheimer's disease]]. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Lillian, son [[George Sauer Jr.]], and daughter, Dana.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sauer, former Baylor coach, dies after illness |agency=Austin American Statesman (Austin, TX) |date=February 8, 1994}}</ref>

Sauer was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] as a player in 1954 and in 1998 was inducted into the University of New Hampshire Wildcats' Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://unhwildcats.com/sports/2015/7/23/Development_0723150850.aspx |title=UNH Wildcats - Hall of Fame |website=unhwildcats.com |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref>

==Head coaching record==
===Football===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[New Hampshire Wildcats football|New Hampshire Wildcats]]
 | conf      = [[New England Conference]]
 | startyear = 1937
 | endyear   = 1941
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1937 college football season|1937]]
 | name         = [[1937 New Hampshire Wildcats football team|New Hampshire]]
 | overall      = 7–1
 | conference   = 1–0
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1938 college football season|1938]]
 | name         = [[1938 New Hampshire Wildcats football team|New Hampshire]]
 | overall      = 3–6
 | conference   = 1–1
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1939 college football season|1939]]
 | name         = [[1939 New Hampshire Wildcats football team|New Hampshire]]
 | overall      = 3–5
 | conference   = 1–1
 | confstanding = T–2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1940 college football season|1940]]
 | name         = [[1940 New Hampshire Wildcats football team|New Hampshire]]
 | overall      = 5–3
 | conference   = 2–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1941 college football season|1941]]
 | name         = [[1941 New Hampshire Wildcats football team|New Hampshire]]
 | overall      = 4–3–1
 | conference   = 0–0–1
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = New Hampshire
 | overall    = 22–18–1
 | confrecord = 5–2–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Kansas Jayhawks football|Kansas Jayhawks]]
 | conf      = [[Big Eight Conference|Big Six Conference]]
 | startyear = 1946
 | endyear   = 1947
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1946 college football season|1946]]
 | name         = [[1946 Kansas Jayhawks football team|Kansas]]
 | overall      = 7–2–1
 | conference   = 4–1
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1947 college football season|1947]]
 | name         = [[1947 Kansas Jayhawks football team|Kansas]]
 | overall      = 8–1–2
 | conference   = 4–0–1
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | bowlname     = [[1948 Orange Bowl|Orange]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 12
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Kansas
 | overall    = 15–3–3
 | confrecord = 8–1–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Navy Midshipmen football|Navy Midshipmen]]
 | conf      = Independent
 | startyear = 1948
 | endyear   = 1949
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1948 college football season|1948]]
 | name         = [[1948 Navy Midshipmen football team|Navy]]
 | overall      = 0–8–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1949 college football season|1949]]
 | name         = [[1949 Navy Midshipmen football team|Navy]]
 | overall      = 3–5–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Navy
 | overall    = 3–13–2
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Baylor Bears football|Baylor Bears]]
 | conf      = [[Southwest Conference]]
 | startyear = 1950
 | endyear   = 1955
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1950 college football season|1950]]
 | name         = [[1950 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]
 | overall      = 7–3
 | conference   = 4–2
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 15
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1951 college football season|1951]]
 | name         = [[1951 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]
 | overall      = 8–2–1
 | conference   = 4–1–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = [[1952 Orange Bowl|Orange]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 9
 | ranking2     = 9
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1952 college football season|1952]]
 | name         = [[1952 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]
 | overall      = 4–4–2
 | conference   = 1–3–2
 | confstanding = 5th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1953 college football season|1953]]
 | name         = [[1953 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]
 | overall      = 7–3
 | conference   = 4–2
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1954 college football season|1954]]
 | name         = [[1954 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]
 | overall      = 7–4
 | conference   = 4–2
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | bowlname     = [[1954 Gator Bowl (December)|Gator]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 18
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1955 college football season|1955]]
 | name         = [[1955 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]
 | overall      = 5–5
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Baylor
 | overall    = 38–21–3
 | confrecord = 19–14–3
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 78–55–9
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = 
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{College Football HoF|1565}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl=george-sauer-2 |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=S/SaueGe20 |rotoworld= }}

{{Navboxes
|list =
{{New Hampshire Wildcats football coach navbox}}
{{New Hampshire Wildcats men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Kansas Jayhawks football coach navbox}}
{{Navy Midshipmen football coach navbox}}
{{Baylor Bears and Lady Bears athletic director navbox}}
{{Baylor Bears football coach navbox}}
{{New England Patriots general manager navbox}}
{{1936 Green Bay Packers}}
{{1933 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sauer, George}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American football halfbacks]]
[[Category:Baylor Bears athletic directors]]
[[Category:Baylor Bears football coaches]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers players]]
[[Category:Kansas Jayhawks football coaches]]
[[Category:NFL general managers]]
[[Category:Navy Midshipmen football coaches]]
[[Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players]]
[[Category:New England Patriots executives]]
[[Category:New Hampshire Wildcats football coaches]]
[[Category:New Hampshire Wildcats men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:New York Jets executives]]
[[Category:Pensacola Naval Air Station Goslings football players]]
[[Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:United States Navy officers]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:People from Hitchcock County, Nebraska]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Nebraska]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Nebraska]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Nebraska]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Nebraska]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]