100 Greatest - No. 12 Player: George Strohmeyer

Former McAllen High Bulldogs standout George Strohmeyer didn't always know what position he was going to play on any given week. According to The Valley Evening Monitor, the 1941 Bulldogs sported only seven seniors and dealt with injuries all season.

Bulldogs coach Marco Stewart had to rely on only four seniors, one of which was Strohmeyer, who had varsity experience to fill in many voids in order to keep McHi competitive. In 1941, Strohmeyer played fullback, guard, center, defensive end and kicker.

Known for his all-around talents while playing in deep South Texas, Strohmeyer was named the 12th-best player in Rio Grande Valley history. His abilities eventually were noticed by arguably the best college coach in the 1940s, Notre Dame's Frank Leahy, who brought Strohmeyer to South Bend in 1946.

Strohmeyer's talents were best described in a November 16, 1941, Monitor article in which he was the catalyst for an important win.

"McAllen's re-entry into the thick of the title scrap came at the expense of the San Benito Greyhounds, who finished their season with Friday's game," the article read. "George Strohmeyer's field goal from the 'Hounds' 21-yard line in the early moments of the game started the scoring. In the second quarter, Strohmeyer intercepted a San Benito pass and returned it to the 'Hounds' nine-yard line, setting up a Bulldogs touchdown."

McHi beat San Benito 30-6 and kept alive their chances at a District16-2A South Zone championship. But Edinburg High defeated McHi the following week to win the conference title.

Former Monitor columnist Henry Quinn called Strohmeyer "the best blocking back in Valley high school football during the currently closing season" in a November 1941 column. At the end of the year, Strohmeyer was named a District 16-2A first-team fullback, and the 1942 McAllen High yearbook described Strohmeyer as an all-valley back.

His blocking duties, whether in the backfield or on the offensive line, paved the way for Gerald Levermann, who was one of the top running backs in the Valley during the early '40s.

It is believed that Strohmeyer, who played at Texas A&M and then Notre Dame, where he won two national championships (1946 and 1947), holds the distinction of being the only Valleyite to be named a collegiate All-American.

In 1946, Strohmeyer was named a first-team All-American center by the International News Service, The Sporting News and Look magazine (Football Writers Association of America Selections 1946-70). He also was named as a second team All-American by United Press and by the American Football Coaches Association.

"Gaining wide attention because of his nosing out regulars for his position his freshmen year at the South Bend school, Strohmeyer took third-string honors on the Associated Press All-American team," a December 8, 1946, article in The Valley Evening Monitor read. "Strohmeyer earned NEA second-team honors and first on the New York Daily News selections and favorable comment from coaches and sports writers throughout the country."

Strohmeyer followed 1946 with a third-team selection by the Newspaper Enterprise Association in '47. The Fighting Irish were 17-0-1 during Strohmeyer's two years as a starter in what was a storied time for Notre Dame under the legendary Leahy.

He also was a draft pick of the National Football Conference's Los Angeles Rams and played two years in the defunct All-American Football Conference, where he played with the Chicago Hornets and Brooklyn Dodgers.

Peter Rasmussen covers high school football for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.

WHY THEY VOTED

Here's a summary of George Strohmeyer's career, which played a major part in the player's ranking at No. 12:

George Strohmeyer's final season with McAllen High was in 1941. He was a center, guard, defensive end and on the 1940 and 1941 Bulldogs teams that went a combined 14-5 in the Class 2A South Zone.

He played for Frank Leahy at Notre Dame, earning All-American honors in 1946 and 1947. He is believed to be the only Valley native to be a collegiate All-American.

His teams in South Bend, Ind., went 17-0-1 and took home two national titles. After playing for the Irish, Strohmeyer played two years in the defunct All-American Football Conference, suiting up for the Chicago Hornets and Brooklyn Dodgers.

THE SERIES

With the 100th season of high school football in the Rio Grande Valley upon us, The Monitor will take a look at the top 25 coaches, top 25 teams and top 50 players of all time.

THE PLAYERS

1: TBA
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2: TBA
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3: TBA
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4: TBA
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5: TBA
AUG. 20

6: TBA
AUG. 19

7: TBA
AUG. 18

8: TBA
AUG. 17

9: TBA
AUG. 16

10: TBA
AUG. 15

11: TBA
AUG. 14

12: George Strohmeyer
McAllen High

13: Roberto Garza
Rio Hondo

14: Mishak Rivas
Weslaco High

15: Tony Ellis
Brownsville Hanna

16: Bobby Ply
Mission High

17: Fred Edwards
Donna

18: Willie Crafts
Brownsville High

19: Jamaar Taylor
Mission High

20: Frank Hernandez
Mission High

21: Carlos Esquivel
Edinburg High

22: Jim Norris
Mercedes

23: Abel Gonzalez
Rio Grande City

24: John Mims
Mission High

25: Leo Araguz
Harlingen High

26: Juan Castillo
Port Isabel

27: Tommy Cox
La Feria

28: Jimmy Lawrence
Harlingen High

29: Luz Pedraza
Donna

30: Billy Garza
Brownsville Porter

31: Poppy Rodriguez
PSJA High

32: Jeremy Springer
Los Fresnos

33: Shon Flores
Port Isabel

34: Phil Hetrick
PSJA High

35: Joe Marichalar
Edcouch-Elsa

36: Alfredo Garza
Port Isabel

37: Charles LeGrange
Rio Grande City

38: Alfredo Lugo
Donna

(tie): Steve Alaniz
Edinburg High

40: Matt Gorges
Harlingen High

41: Justin Springer
Los Fresnos

(tie): Eliseo Pompa
Mission High

43: Donald Guillot
Port Isabel

44: Travis Sanders
Port Isabel

45: Gerald Lambert
McAllen High

(tie): Gonzalo Garcia
Brownsville High

(tie): John Lerma
Rio Grande City

48: Manny Gomez
Harlingen High

49: Donny Martin
Port Isabel

50: Robert Cortez
San Benito