Bob Blaik
{{Short description|American football player and coach}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Bob Blaik
| image =
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| alma_mater = Colorado College
| player_years1 = 1949–1950
| player_team1 = Army
| player_positions = Quarterback
| coach_years1 = 1951
| coach_team1 = Colorado College (backfield)
| coach_years2 = 1956
| coach_team2 = Minnesota (backfield)
| coach_years3 = 1957–1958
| coach_team3 = Miami (backfield)
| coach_years4 = 1959–1960
| coach_team4 = Oklahoma (backfield)
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Robert Blaik is a former American football player and coach. He was the son of United States Military Academy head football coach Earl Blaik and played for his father until he was dismissed from the team due to his involvement in a cheating scandal.
Early life
Blaik played football, baseball, and ice hockey at Highland Falls High School in Highland Falls, New York.{{cite news |title=Bob Blaik Breaks Collar Bone as Suffern Repulses Highland Falls, 12 to 0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qthFAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA5&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Newburgh News |date=October 1, 1945}}{{cite news |last1=Gill |first1=Bo |title=Tuxedo Smashes Highland Falls, 10 to 4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58dkAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA4&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Newburgh News |date=June 13, 1945}}{{cite news |title=Alex Kosofsky Leads Fallsmen To Hockey Win |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5dFFAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Newburgh News |date=February 11, 1947}} In 1947, he played quarterback at Phillips Exeter Academy.{{cite news |last1=Moshier |first1=Jeff |title=Playing Square |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=56ULAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Evening Independent |date=November 18, 1947}}
College
Blaik entered the United States Military Academy in 1948. He made the varsity football team in 1949 and spent the year as the backup behind Arnold Galiffa. He received some playing time late in certain victories.{{cite news |title=Army Coach's Son Moves Up To End 'Dynasty Of Arnolds' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HtdRAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA5&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |date=November 30, 1949}} He threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Frank Fischl in a 42–7 victory over Penn State and scored two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing) in a 63–6 victory over Columbia.{{cite news |title=Bob Blaik Shows Much Poise As He Hurls Touchdown Pass |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D9lFAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Newburgh News |date=October 3, 1949}}{{cite news |title=Army Smothers Columbia 63–6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RuVfAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Sunday Morning Star |date=October 23, 1949}}
Galiffa graduated in 1950 and Blaik replaced him as starting quarterback.{{cite news |last1=Rice |first1=Grantland |title=Grantland Rice Says... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHgbAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA42&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=November 27, 1949}} Army won its first eight games of the season to extend its unbeaten streak to 28 games.{{cite news |title=Weekend Grid Stars |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5RNRAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA11&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Telegraph-Herald |date=November 20, 1950}} However, in the season-ending Army–Navy Game, the Cadets were upset by the Midshipmen 14–2.{{cite news |last1=Grimsley |first1=Will |title=Navy Upsets Army, 14-2, But Stands Pat on De-Emphasis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F0kuAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA9&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Day |date=December 4, 1950}} In that game, Blaik and Fischl completed 6 of 24 passes for 60 yards and threw 5 interceptions.{{cite news |last1=Considine |first1=Bob |title=Enraged Middies Stop Army, 14-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5jMcAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA23&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Deseret News |date=December 2, 1950}} Blaik also earned letters in baseball and ice hockey.{{cite news |title=Letter Winner |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bc5TAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Leader-Post |date=January 5, 1951}}
Prior to the start of the 1951 season, 90 cadets, including Blaik and 42 other members of the football team, were found to have cheated on exams. The students were required to withdraw from the academy or receive a general discharge.{{cite news |last1=McHugh |first1=Roy |title=Sports Week in Review |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nkgbAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=August 11, 1951}} Blaik enrolled at Colorado College on September 11, 1951.{{cite news |title=Colorado College Enrolls Bob Blaik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i91LAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA8&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Free Lance-Star |date=September 11, 1951}} However, he was ineligible to play football because the NCAA required a transferring player to sit out a year. He instead served an unofficial assistant to coach William C. Heiss. Blaik was chosen by former Army assistant Herman Hickman to be a member of the North team in that year's North–South Shrine Game.{{cite news |title=Bob Blaik In All-Star Game |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nq1bAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA21&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Washington Observer |date=December 14, 1951}} The South, led by Bill Wade won 35–7, with the North's only touchdown coming on a 42-yard pass from Blaik to Johnny Turco.{{cite news |title=Wade Stars As South Routs, North 35-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sXpZAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Painesville Telegraph |date=December 26, 1951}}
Post-playing career
Blaik assisted Heiss during the 1952 spring football practice.{{cite news |title=Blaik At Colorado |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vnQuAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Schenectady Gazette |date=March 6, 1952}} After receiving his bachelor of arts degree, he worked at the Stratford Army Engine Plant, where he was an expeditor in the purchasing department of the Bridgeport–Lycoming division of Avco.{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Sam |title=Ex-Army Grid Ace Joins Avco Staff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aVdWAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Sunday Herald |date=July 20, 1962}}
In 1956, Blaik became an assistant coach under former Army assistant Murray Warmath at Minnesota.{{cite news |title=Minnesoto (sic) Hires Bob Blaik As Assistant Coach |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iGgsAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Herald-Journal |date=March 1, 1956}} In 1957, he joined the coaching staff at Miami.{{cite news |title=Bob Blaik At Miami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c1lgAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA11&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Star-News |date=February 12, 1957}} Miami's head coach, Andy Gustafson, was an assistant to Earl Blaik at Dartmouth and Army and had known the younger Blaik since he was five years old.{{cite news |last1=Gill |first1=Bo |title=Stray Boots |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=icNFAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Newburgh News |date=February 21, 1957}} In 1959, Blaik became the backfield coach at Oklahoma.{{cite news |title=Bob Blaik Takes Sooner Grid Post |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RAAzAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |date=January 18, 1959}} He resigned after the 1960 season to enter private business.{{cite news |title=Blaik Resigns From OU Staff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5W9DAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA4&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Altus Times-Democrat |date=December 11, 1960}}
In 1961, Blaik joined his brother, Bill, in the oil business in Oklahoma.{{cite news |title=Blaik Goes For Oil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kT9QAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA4&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Evening Independent |date=February 21, 1961}} In 1973, he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he was a cattle rancher and broker.{{cite news |last1=Gill |first1=Bo |title=Stray Boots |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WOVfAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA64&dq |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Evening News |date=February 9, 1977}} As of 2018, he resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.{{cite news |last1=Tramel |first1=Berry |title=OU-Army connections: Bud Wilkinson hired Red Blaik's son, despite scandal |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/columns/berry-tramel/2018/09/19/ou-army-connections-bud-wilkinson-hired-red-blaiks-son-despite-scandal/60500722007/ |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=The Oklahoman |date=September 18, 2018}}
References
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{{Army Black Knights quarterback navbox}}
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Category:American businesspeople in the oil industry
Category:Army Black Knights baseball players
Category:Army Black Knights football players
Category:Army Black Knights men's ice hockey players
Category:Colorado College alumni
Category:Colorado College Tigers football coaches
Category:People from Highland Falls, New York
Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni
Category:Miami Hurricanes football coaches
Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers football coaches
Category:Oklahoma Sooners football coaches
Category:Players of American football from Colorado Springs, Colorado