Roy Riegel

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Roy Riegels (born  April 4, 1908 in Oakland , †  March 26, 1993 in Woodland, California ) was an American college football player . He played for the University of California, Berkeley from 1927 to 1929 , and came to nationwide acquaintance through a mistake in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1929, which earned him the nickname "Wrong-Way Riegels" and has been at the most memorable moments in the present college football history is counted.

The Rose Bowl 1929

In the Rose Bowl in 1929, in which the California Golden Bears against the Georgia Institute of Technology competed, who as took center playing Roy bar in the middle of the second quarter a fumble of an opposing player at the 30-yard line of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on . However, due to the crowd that occurred, he lost his bearings when trying to avoid an opposing player. He then ran 69 yards towards his own end zone , assuming a touchdownto be able to achieve. He was followed by his teammate Benny Lom, who tried in vain to draw his attention to his mistake and only reached him shortly before the end zone of the Golden Bears , as well as several players from the Yellow Jackets , who finally tackled him at the 1-yard line brought down.

The California Golden Bears decided in view of the resulting game situation for a punt attempt by Benny Lom, which was blocked by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and led by safety to two points for Georgia Tech . Roy Riegels was comforted by his teammates and during the half-time break the coach convinced him to continue playing in the game despite the mistake. He played an outstanding second half but couldn't prevent his team from losing. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won by touchdown with a final score of 8: 7 and thus also won the national championship.

Further life

Roy Riegels was named team captain of the Golden Bears during his senior year and was also voted All-American . He finished his studies in 1931 and then led a normal life. During the Second World War he served in the American Air Force . He later served as a high school and college football coach and ran his own agrochemical company. He retired in 1976 after selling his company.

His fame, gained through the Rose Bowl of 1929, occasionally led to television appearances and interviews in later years. Roy Riegels also wrote several times in the press and in letters to football players who had made mistakes similar to himself. He died of Parkinson's-related complications in Woodland, California in 1993 at the age of 84 . Two years before his death he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame , and in 1998 he was inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame at the University of California, Berkeley.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Riegels, Roy
BRIEF DESCRIPTION american football player
DATE OF BIRTH April 4, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Oakland
DATE OF DEATH March 26, 1993
Place of death Woodland, California