Frank Szymanski Frank Szymanski ( July 6 , 1923 – April 26 , 1987 ) was an American football player and probate judge in Wayne County , MI . He played college football at the University of Notre Dame and played for three teams in the National Football League , winning an NFL Championship with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1948 . Szymanski is of Polish descent . Football . High school . While living in Detroit , Szymanski played football at Northeastern High School and was voted to both All - City and All - State teams . He was elected to All - City teams as both a fullback and guard , and to All - State team as a tackle . College . Szymanski played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish under Frank Leahy in 1943 and under Edward McKeever in 1944 . In 1943 he started at center and linebacker for all ten games of the Irish ' s 9 - 1 season , after which they were named unanimous national champions for the first time since 1930 . He also played in the 1943 College All - Star Game defeating the defending NFL Champion Washington Redskins 27 - 7 . Szymanski served in the Navy for the beginning of the 1944 season and rejoined the team after a medical discharge for a 59 - 0 loss to rival Army which remains the largest defeat in Irish history . The Irish did not lose a game for the rest of the season as Szymanski played both sides of the ball , amounting 173 minutes of playing time in the final 180 minutes of the season . NFL career . Szymanski was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 1945 NFL Draft as the sixth pick overall . He played only 6 games in his rookie season but recorded the only interception of his career . Szymanski started his first game for the Lions in 1946 during a 10 loss season . He continued to play for the Lions in 1947 , playing in a career high 12 games and recording two fumble recoveries before moving to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 1948 season . On November 15 , 1947 the Lions paid tribute to their center by celebrating " Szymanski day " at historic Briggs Stadium . Szymanski arrived in Philadelphia at the right time and played in nine games during the season that brought the Eagles their first NFL Championship . The Eagles triumphed over the Chicago Cardinals in a brutal 7 - 0 game that featured heavy snowfall . As the defending champions the Eagles were invited to the College All - Star Game and on August 22 , 1949 Szymanski won his second such game , this time from the professional side of the ball . In his final season Szymanski recorded two more fumble recoveries while playing for the Chicago Bears in 1949 . Move to the court . While playing for the Detroit Lions Szymanski attended Detroit Law School at night . After his NFL career he practiced privately for a number of years before being appointed auditor general of Michigan by Governor G . Mennen Williams in 1956 . In 1959 Szymanski was elected probate judge in Wayne County . He served at that post until his death in 1987 . Recognition . In 1995 Szymanski was inducted into the National Polish - American Sports Hall of Fame for his impressive career . Szymanski was also named a member of the Wall Street Journal Law Blog Football Hall of Fame for his combined career of football prowess and legal stature . He received by far the most votes of any inductee , partially due to a campaign launched by his sons . Humor . In the 1940s Szymanski was called as a witness during a civil suit in South Bend . After the judge asked him how good of a center he was Szymanski thought for a bit and replied , " Sir , I ' m the best center Notre Dame has ever had . " A surprised Frank Leahy later asked the usually modest Szymanski why he had made such a statement . " I hated to do it , " he said . " But , after all , I was under oath . " This story about Szymanski was included in the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book .