Bennie Oosterbaan Totally Explained

Everything about Bennie Oosterbaan totally explained

Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan (born February 4, 1906 in Muskegon, Michigan; died October 25, 1990 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) was a three-time first team All-American football player and two-time All-American basketball player as well as a football, basketball and baseball coach at the University of Michigan. Despite the fact that he last played nearly 80 years ago, he's still widely regarded as one of the greatest football players in Michigan's storied history -- and one of the greatest all-around athletes in Big Ten conference history.

Athlete at University of Michigan

Oosterban began his atletic career at Muskegon High School where he was selected by the Detroit News as an All-State end in 1922-23. And in his junior year (1923) he led the Muskegon basketball team to a state championship and was named a High School All-American in basketball.
   At Michigan, Bennie Oosterbaan earned nine letters -- three apiece in football, basketball, and baseball. In its obituary of Oosterbaan, The Sporting News described him as a "phenomenal student-athlete who in his senior year at Michigan "was captain of the football team, led the Big Ten Conference in scoring in basketball and was the league's leading hitter in baseball, a sport he hadn't pursued while in high school."
   As a sophomore in 1925, Oosterbaan led the Big Ten with eight touchdowns. That year, the Wolverines outscored their opponents 227-3. The team shut out every team they faced, except a 3-2 defeat to Northwestern at Soldier Field late in the season. Oosterbaan's defensive play was outstanding as well, and he was key in shutting out the Illini and Red Grange 3-0 in 1925. Five players from the 1925 team were named All-Americans, including Benny Friedman and Oosterbaan.
   In 1926, Friedman and Oosterbaan were both named All-Americans after leading the Wolverines to a 7-1 record and their second consecutive Big Ten Conference championship. That year, his 60-yard run with a recovered fumble helped Michigan to a 7-6 victory over Minnesota in the annual Little Brown Jug game.

Coaching career at Michigan

After graduating, Oosterbaan declined offers to play professional football. According to friend and player Ron Kramer, Oosterbaan grew up in the Dutch Reformed Church and didn't sign a professional football or baseball contract "because of his religious background and his mother. Dutch Reformed didn't play football on Sundays." He was succeeded by Bump Elliott.
In 1959, Oosterbaan became Michigan's director of athletic alumni relations and held that position until he retired in 1972.
A poll of Michigan alumni and friends in 1979 selected Oosterbaan as U-M's greatest all-time football player. He was the highest ranked football player, ahead of Michigan Wolverines football legends Ron Kramer (#7), Fielding Yost (#9), Rick Leach (#22), Fritz Crisler (#31), and Harry Kipke (#40).

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