Martin Zoll
{{Short description|American football player (1900–1968)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Martin Zoll
| image = File:Martin Zoll, 1919 Packers.png
| caption = Zoll in 1919
| position = Guard
| number =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1900|11|12}}
| birth_place = Howard, Wisconsin, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1968|10|14|1900|11|12}}
| death_place = Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
| high_school = Green Bay (WI) West
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 9
| weight_lb = 185
| college = none
| teams =
- Green Bay (1918)
- Green Bay Packers (1919–1922)
- De Pere (1924)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 1
| pfr = ZollMa20
}}
Martin Alysious Zoll (November 12, 1900 – October 14, 1968) was an American professional football guard and wrestler. A brother to fellow professional football players Carl and Dick Zoll, he attended Green Bay West High School and joined the Green Bay Packers in their inaugural 1919 season, remaining with them through 1922. He was also a wrestler and frequently competed at events featuring his brother Carl. At the peak of his wrestling career, he competed for the Wisconsin state championship in his weight class.
Early life
Zoll was born on November 12, 1900, in Howard, Wisconsin.{{Cite web|url=https://profootballarchives.com/players/z/zoll00600.html|website=Pro Football Archives|access-date=February 22, 2025|title=Marty Zoll Stats}} The son of a stonecutter, he was one of seven children, and his two brothers – Carl and Dick, were also professional football players, both being guards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/121359621|newspaper=The New York Times|author=Smith, Red|title=Sports of The Times: Champions Under Canvas|author-link=Red Smith (sportswriter)|date=March 30, 1980|page=S3|id={{ProQuest|121359621}} }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166335046/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 19, 1973|page=19|title=Carl F. Zoll}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166384974/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 23, 1937|page=13|title=Waiting For Visit Of Brother And Son}} {{Open access}} During his youth, he worked with his father as a stonecutter.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166341696/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 30, 1918|page=8|title=Wrestling Bouts Draw Fair Crowd At Bijou Theater}} {{Open access}} He attended Green Bay West High School where he played football.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166446741/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 26, 1918|page=5|title=Zoll Wins First Match Of Season In Hard Grapple}} {{Open access}}
Professional career
=Wrestling=
Following in the footsteps of his brother Carl, a top wrestler, Zoll began competing in wrestling by early 1918, often as the preliminary card for events where his brother was the main fight. He trained under Tom Condon,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166448544/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 3, 1919|page=4|title=Articles Signed For Bout Between Zoll And Heyman}} {{Open access}} his brother's manager, and the Green Bay Press-Gazette noted that he was a natural fighter.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166447851/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 24, 1919|page=10|title=Strength Will Be Prominent Factor In Monday's Bout}} {{Open access}} He weighed {{convert|170|lb|kg}} by 1919 and was considered a middleweight.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166451045/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 19, 1919|page=9|title=Carl Zoll Faces Strangler Lewis At Turner Hall}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-12121919-carl/13805307/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 12, 1919|page=10|title=Zoll Is Training For Sanders Bout Here On Dec. 23}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/62313831/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 27, 1920|page=9|title=First Big February Wrestling Show}} {{Open access}} At the start of his career, he was rivals with Martin Heyman of De Pere, Wisconsin, and he also competed a number of times against Eddie Ahrens of Center.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166448243/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 22, 1919|page=4|title=Martin Zoll Accepts Challenge Of Heyman}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent/166451745/|newspaper=The Post-Crescent|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 5, 1920|page=6|title=Ahrens And Zoll Are Ready For Their Bout}} {{Open access}} By August 1919, he was noted to have been "going great ... on the canvas and [he] is becoming a finished grappler."{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166450311/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 21, 1919|page=8|title=Showers Stop Mat Bouts At Gillett Harvest Festival}} {{Open access}}
Around the start of 1920, Zoll left his manager Tom Condon and began competing independently.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166454852/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 18, 1921|page=5|title=Martin Zoll Will Wrestle Drzinski At Big Suamico}} {{Open access}} He was successful in the 1920 season and began "throwing his opponents with apparent ease," and in December he fought against Henry Stoeff for the state middleweight championship.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern/166454589/|newspaper=The Oshkosh Northwestern|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 22, 1920|page=12|title=It Will Be A Real Wrestling Match}} {{Open access}} He was able to knock Stoeff down once but ended up losing the bout.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166454714/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 27, 1920|page=10|title=Martin Zoll Is Beaten On Mat In Oshkosh Go}} {{Open access}} The following month, he defeated Frank Divensky in what the Press-Gazette described as "one of the best wrestling bouts ever staged here," which featured a record audience.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166454964/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 20, 1921|page=5|title=Martin Zoll Wins Big Suamico Bout}} {{Open access}} He continued wrestling until at least 1923.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/24736188/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 24, 1923|page=11|title=Local Wrestler Wins}} {{Open access}}
=Football=
In 1918, Zoll began playing for a semi-professional football team based in Green Bay, which had gone undefeated by the start of November.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166343004/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=November 9, 1918|page=10|title=Menominee Plays Green Bay Eleven Sunday Afternoon}} {{Open access}} He was the team's starting guard and played alongside his brother Carl. The following year, he joined the newly-formed Green Bay Packers and played with them, also alongside his brother.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-10111919/11423659/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 11, 1919|page=8|title=Packers To Face Racine Champions Sunday Afternoon}} {{Open access}} In the team's first-ever game, he started at left guard and helped the Packers defeat the North End Athletic Club by a score of 53–0.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-1919-sept-15-g/9806258/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 15, 1919|page=5|title=Packers Wallop Menominee Crew In Initial Game}} {{Open access}} The 1919 Packers won their first 10 games before a loss to the Beloit Fairies in the season-finale, by a score of 6–0.{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1919greenb.html|access-date=February 21, 2025|title=1919 Green Bay Packers|website=Pro Football Archives}} He continued playing for the team in 1920, contributing to their 10–1–1 record.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/47270014/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 27, 1920|page=9|title=Lambeau Ties Score By Goal From Field}} {{Open access}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1920grebp.html|website=Pro Football Archives|access-date=February 21, 2025|title=1920 Green Bay Packers}} He returned in 1921, as they became members of the American Professional Football Association (APFA) (renamed National Football League (NFL) in 1922).{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/47270487/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 11, 1921|page=10|title=Joe Hoeffel Will Help Take Charge Of Packers Squad}} {{Open access}} He made an appearance in one APFA game during the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Z/ZollMa20.htm|website=Pro Football Reference|title=Martin Zoll Stats|access-date=February 22, 2025}} He was also a member of the Packers in 1922, but did not appear in any NFL games.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-record/166456112/|newspaper=News-Record|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 7, 1922|page=8|title=Bay Packers Have Plenty Home Talent}} {{Open access}}
After his stint with the Packers, Zoll played for a team in De Pere, Wisconsin, in 1924, along with his brother Carl.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166357580/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 17, 1924|page=29|title=De Pere City Team To Play West Allis}} {{Open access}} Each of the three Zoll brothers played only one game for the Packers in the NFL.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Z/ZollDi20.htm|website=Pro Football Reference|access-date=February 21, 2025|title=Dick Zoll Stats}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Z/ZollCa20.htm|website=Pro Football Reference|title=Carl Zoll Stats|access-date=February 21, 2025}}
Later life and death
After his sports career, Zoll worked for the Northwest Engineering Company for 25 years until retiring at the start of 1966.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/43623999/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 14, 1968|page=34|title=Martin Zoll, Ex-Packer, Dies at 67}} {{Open access}} He was a member of the Packers Alumni Association and the St. Jude's Church.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166457031/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 14, 1968|page=33|title=Martin Zoll}} {{Open access}} He was married and had two sons and three daughters. He died on October 14, 1968, at a Green Bay hospital, at the age of 67.
References
{{reflist}}
{{1919 Green Bay Packers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoll, Martin}}
Category:Players of American football from Wisconsin
Category:Green Bay Packers players
Category:People from Howard, Wisconsin
Category:Sportspeople from Brown County, Wisconsin