Sport: Football
Born: July 30, 1924
Died: September 4, 2012
Town: Camden, New Jersey
George Michael Savitsky was born July 30, 1924 in New York City and grew up in Camden, NJ. Big, tough and athletic, George was a standout lineman for Billy Palese’s Camden High School varsity and served as captain of the unbeaten 1942 squad. The Panthers outscored heir opponents 220–8 that year. George was the BMOC at Camden; he was a champion shot putter for the track team, played violin in the school orchestra and acted in student theatrical productions. He was also a graceful swimmer and diver.
Every college in the East had their eyes on George, but he enrolled in the Marines after graduation and served for two years before returning stateside. He enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in 1944 and, because of wartime manpower shortages, was allowed to play varsity football as a freshman. At 6’3” and 230 pounds, George had no trouble holding his own as a two-way tackle, dominating the middle of the line. Over the course of four seasons, he became college football’s first four-year first-team All-American. The Quakers were a Top 10 team in his sophomore and senior seasons.
George tutored Chuck Bednarik on the fine points of destroying the man in front of you and Bednarik developed into the best two-way player in college ball. The team’s quarterback, fellow New Jerseyan Skip Minisi, joined George and Chuck on the All-America team in 1947, when the Quakers defeated 7 of the 8 Top 10 teams they played (and tied the 8th, Army, 7–7). George wrestled for Penn in the winter, competed for the track team in the spring and taught swimming at the Jersey Shore in the summers. He also continued his music career at Penn.
The Philadelphia Eagles drafted George in 1947 but he elected to stay at Penn and finish his degree. He joined the team in 1948 and helped the Eagles win the NFL title. The Eagles repeated as league champs in 1949. Heading into 1950, George decided it was time to move on. NFL salaries for starting players were $5,000–$10,000 and he was embarking on a career in dentistry. He paid his way through the Penn School of Dental Medicine and opened a successful practice in Haddonfield.
George and his Penn teammates often reunited in Philadelphia for big games. They called themselves the Mungermen after their coach, George Munger. George retired to Ocean City and passed away at the age of 88.