Arnie Weinmeister
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rhein, Saskatchewan, Canada
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
.jpg) Weinmeister with the BC Lions in 1954 | |||||||||
| No. 44, 73, 63 | |||||||||
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| Position | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | March 23, 1923 Rhein, Saskatchewan, Canada | ||||||||
| Died | June 28, 2000 (aged 77) Seattle, Washington, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Jefferson (Portland, Oregon) | ||||||||
| College | Washington | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1945: 17th round, 166th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL/AAFC statistics | |||||||||
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Arnold George Weinmeister (March 23, 1923 – June 28, 2000) was a Canadian professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), National Football League (NFL), and Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). Renowned for his speed as a lineman, he went to four Pro Bowls in a six-year combined tenure in the AAFC and NFL. Weinmeister was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984, becoming the second Canadian to receive the honor; his six seasons is among the shortest for an inductee.[1] He also played in the WIFU in Canada for two seasons.
He was born in Rhein, Saskatchewan. His family moved from the village to Portland, Oregon before eventually settling in Seattle, Washington.[2]
Weinmeister was a two-time All-City tackle in high school, and played end, fullback and tackle during a 4-year tenure at the University of Washington which was interrupted by four years of army service. He was scouted by New York Yankees (AAFC) head coach Ray Flaherty while playing fullback.
Professional career
Weinmeister turned professional in 1948 and was a two-way tackle for the New York Yankees in the All-America Football Conference until 1949.[3] He mostly played defensive tackle for the New York Giants from 1950 to 1953.[3] During his final season in New York, he served as the team captain. In 1949, Weinmeister won second-team All-AAFC as a rookie followed by first-team All-AAFC honors, was voted All-NFL Choice for four consecutive years (1950–1953), and was selected to play in the NFL's Pro Bowl every year from 1950 to 1953.
He was on the inaugural roster for the BC Lions in 1954, having accepted their offer of $15,000, $3,000 more than the Giants paid him. He played for the team for two seasons.[4] He is one of five Saskatchewan natives to make it to the NFL (the other four being Jon Ryan, Rueben Mayes, Ben Heenan, and Brett Jones).
In 1984, Weinmeister was announced as part of the class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Weinmeister publicly thanked Tom Landry, who was a vocal advocate for Weinmeister. In 2024, in celebration of the 100th season of the Giants, the team announced the top 100 players in franchise history, with Weinmeister being ranked 21st.[5]
