Former Ohio State All-American offensive lineman Kurt Schumacher died on Friday. He was 70.
Schumacher was born to the late Albert and Mary Fier Schumacher on Dec. 26, 1952, in Cleveland. After an athletics-filled childhood in Northeast Ohio, Kurt Schumacher became a star athlete at Lorain High School. With a 6-foot-3, 200-plus-pound frame, he was recruited to play offensive line for the Buckeyes in 1971.
Over the next four years, Schumacher blocked for some of the best running backs in Ohio State history, including college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, Archie Griffin, and the Buckeyes' all-time touchdown leader, Pete Johnson. In 1974, his final collegiate season, Schumacher was named a consensus All-American as Griffin captured his first Heisman.
The New Orleans Saints drafted Schumacher No. 12 overall in the 1975 NFL draft. He spent the next three seasons in The Big Easy (1975-77) and played an additional season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1978). In four years, Schumacher appeared in 45 contests and made 13 starts. He also recovered two fumbles and advanced them 17 yards – an impressive 8.5 yards per attempt for the offensive lineman.
After Schumacher retired from the NFL, he worked for various incentive and motivational companies for 34 years. He then started his own business, which he operated for six years.
Schumacher is survived by his wife, Jackie; a son, Tim Schumacher and wife Sara of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; a daughter, Betsy Liston and husband Sonny of Stafford, Virginia; five grandchildren, Nathan, Grace, Kyle, Andrew, and Paige; brothers-in-law, Randy Krul and wife Kathy of St. Louis, Missouri and Bob Krul and wife Terri of Clifton Park, New York; and his two loving Greyhounds, Thea and Chase. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters and a brother.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date in St. James in Southport, North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Mr. Mo Project, a senior dog rescue, or the SECU Hospice House of Brunswick.
