Bill Rieth
{{Short description|American football player (1916–1999)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Bill Rieth
| image = Bill Rieth.jpg
| number = 6, 54, 3
| birth_date = {{birth date|1916|6|20}}
| birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1999|10|15|1916|6|20}}
| death_place = Lorain, Ohio, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lbs = 203
| high_school = Lorain (Ohio)
| college = Carnegie Mellon
| undraftedyear =
| pastteams =
- Cleveland Rams ({{NFL Year|1941}}–{{NFL Year|1942}}, {{NFL Year|1944}}–{{NFL Year|1945}})
| highlights =
| pfr = R/RietBi20
}}
William John Rieth, Jr. (June 20, 1916 – October 15, 1999) was an American professional football guard who played four seasons with the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Western Maryland College and Carnegie Mellon University.
Early life and college
William John Rieth, Jr. was born on June 20, 1916, in Cleveland, Ohio.{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/r/riet00200.html | title=Bill Rieth | publisher=profootballarchives.com | accessdate=26 December 2024}} He attended Lorain High School in Lorain, Ohio.
He first played college football for the Western Maryland Green Terror of Western Maryland College, where he earned All-Maryland honors.{{cite web | url=https://www.lorainsportshalloffame.com/rieth-jr-william/ | title=Rieth, Jr., William | publisher=lorainsportshalloffame.com | accessdate=26 December 2024}} He transferred to play for the Carnegie Tech Tartans of the Carnegie Institute of Technology and lettered in 1938. The 1938 Tartans were awarded the Lambert Trophy, distinguishing them as the best college football team in the East.{{cite news |title=Carnegie Tech Officially Awarded Lambert Trophy |work=The Christian Science Monitor |date=December 6, 1938 |location=Boston, MA |page=12}} They were invited to their first and only bowl game in school history, the Sugar Bowl,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ek0bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KkwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3959%2C79326 |work=Pittsburgh Press |last=Smith |first=Chester L. |title=Tartans primed for Sugar Bowl victory over TCU |date=January 1, 1939 |page=1, sports }} where they lost to national champion TCU, {{nowrap|15–7.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e00bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KkwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1733%2C528727 |work=Pittsburgh Press |last=Smith |first=Chester L. |title='Too much O'Brien,' story of Tech's downfall |date=January 3, 1939 |page=22}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nLhRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=a2kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3438%2C2409269 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=52,000 see T.C.U. beat Tech, 15-7 |date=January 3, 1939 |page=1}}}}
Professional career
Rieth signed with the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League (NFL) in 1941. He played in six games, starting one, for the Rams during the 1941 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RietBi20.htm | title=Bill Rieth | publisher=pro-football-reference.com | accessdate=26 December 2024}} He appeared in ten games, starting four, in 1942. Rieth became a free agent after the 1942 season and later re-signed with the Rams in 1944.{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/r/riet00200.html | title=Bill Rieth NFL Transactions | publisher=profootballarchives.com | accessdate=26 December 2024}} He played in nine games, starting three, in 1944 and recorded one interception. He appeared in one game for the Rams in 1945 and was released later that year.
Later life
References
{{reflist}}
{{1945 Cleveland Rams}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rieth, Bill}}
Category:Players of American football from Cleveland
Category:American football guards
Category:American football centers
Category:Carnegie Mellon Tartans football players