Benjamin (Benny) Friedman

Benjamin” Benny” Friedman

University of Michigan Football Player (1924 – 1926)
Detroit Wolverines Football Player (1928)

Benny Friedman was born in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from Glenville High School where he played football, baseball and basketball and led the football team to a city championship. Friedman went on to attend the University of Michigan where he excelled at quarterback earning All-American honors in his junior and senior seasons and earning the Big Ten’s MVP award as a senior. Friedman went on to a professional career with four teams over an eight-year period, earning First-team All-Pro honors on four occasions, passing for 66 touchdowns and running for an additional 18 touchdowns. During his professional career, he was often a player coach. In 1934 he accepted a head coaching position with City College of New York that lasted for eight seasons. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy, after his release he went to Brandeis University where he became Athletic Director for sixteen years and served as head coach for ten. Benny Friedman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, was inducted into the inaugural class of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1980 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1961. He passed away on November 24, 1982 at 77 years of age.