Dick Rifenburg Richard Gale " Dick " Rifenburg ( August 21 , 1926 – December 5 , 1994 ) was a pioneering television broadcaster for the forerunner to WIVB - TV in Buffalo . He was also a professional American football wide receiver who played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions in 1950 and had been an All - American end for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1944 and 1946 – 1948 . After retiring from football he settled in Buffalo and became a sports broadcaster . He worked as a color commentator for the Buffalo Bills and as a play - by - play announcer for the Buffalo Bulls . He hosted various television and radio sports shows and was eventually inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame . In college , he led the Big Ten Conference in single season receptions during his senior year and set Michigan Wolverines receptions records for both career touchdown and single - season touchdowns . He had also been a Michigan High School Athletic Association ( MHSAA ) state champion in both basketball and track & field . His college career was interrupted by World War II service , and his high school career was also affected by the war due to the MHSAA ' s cancellation of state championships in all sports in 1943 . High school . Rifenburg was born in Petoskey , Michigan , and raised in Kalamazoo , Michigan before his family moved to Saginaw , Michigan . Rifenburg was a star athlete at Saginaw ' s Arthur Hill High School in football , basketball , and track and field . In 1943 , Michigan canceled boys high school tournaments in all sports due to World War II , and they did not return until the fall of 1944 . In 1944 , he led Arthur Hill High to the MHSAA Class A high school basketball championship ( over Kalamazoo Central High School ) , scoring 24 points , including 17 in the second half , of the championship game . Rifenburg was also the state champion in 1944 in both the shot put and high jump . He also led Arthur Hill in football , and his high school accomplishments are featured in " Glory : The history of Saginaw County sports " by Jack Tany ( ASIN B0006RH9Z6 ) , which is a book on high school sports in Saginaw County , Michigan . Rifenburg was named All State in football , basketball and track . It is ironic that Rifenburg was born in Petoskey , Michigan in 1926 for several reasons . Ted Petoskey preceded Rifenburg as an All - American end on the University of Michigan football team . Petoskey had excelled as a representative of Saginaw County in MHSAA competition . Petoskey posted significant football accomplishments in 1926 making 1926 a significant year for himself as well . Achieving All - American status as an end at Michigan would be Rifenburg ' s next step after excelling in MHSAA competition . College . In the fall of 1944 , Rifenburg enrolled at the University of Michigan . The United Press syndicate ran a feature article about Rifenburg in September 1944 that opened as follows : " Another great end has made his appearance on the Big Ten football horizon in the person of Dick Rifenburg , 18 - year - old Michigan freshman . Every so often a great offensive end comes along , a player who has to learn how to play defense , but who has the natural speed , smooth actions , height and big hands that is the mark of an outstanding pass receiver . Rifenburg has laid claim to that rating . A loose - limbed 180 - pound freshman from Saginaw , Mich . , Rifenberg is being boomed as the Big Ten ' s next ' freshman sensation . ' " As a freshman , he caught two touchdown passes in his first college football game against Iowa . In an article titled " Teens and TNT , " " Time " reported on Rifenburg ' s performance : " Of the few teams already in action , Michigan ' s teens rang the freshman bell loudest last week by winning their opener , 12 - to - 7 , against the strong Iowa Seahawks ( Naval Pre - Flight ) ; 6 - ft . 4 Freshman End Dick Rifenburg caught passes and ran for both Michigan touchdowns . " Rifenburg ' s college career was interrupted by World War II service in the United States Navy , but after missing the 1945 season , he returned to play for the Wolverines from 1946 – 1948 . Rifenburg played for the Wolverines in consecutive undefeated National Championship seasons in 1947 and 1948 . He started nine games for the 1947 team . The 1947 team referred to as " Michigan ' s Mad Magicians " is considered to be the greatest University of Michigan football team of all time . Rifenberg and teammate Len Ford had the reputation as the team practical jokers . During the 1947 game against Wisconsin , Rifenburg started calling signals for the Badgers . Wisconsin ' s offense protested to officials , who " prowled the Wolverines secondary but never caught their man . " Rifenburg continued to scramble Badger signals , as Rifenburg ' s teammates laughed at his scheme . In the January 1 , 1948 Rose Bowl that season , Michigan rolled to a 49 – 0 victory over USC , and they outgained the Trojans 491 yards to 133 . Rifenburg caught a 29 - yard pass for the game ' s final score . In the 1948 championship season , Rifenburg scored eight touchdowns , caught 22 passes , and gained 610 yards ( 508 receiving and 102 rushing ) . Rifenburg was the second highest scoring end in the nation in 1948 , and he was a consensus All - American as a senior , being selected as first team on nine of the 11 All - American teams . Rifenburg led the Big Ten in receptions . Although Rifenburg finished fourth among midwestern Heisman voters in 1948 , he did not finish among the top eight . By comparison , Notre Dame end Leon Hart won the Heisman Trophy in 1949 but made only eight of the 11 All - American teams . It is not clear why Rifenburg did not finish higher . However , it is fairly clear that sportswriters of that era had a bias against Michigan . In the Associated Press poll at the end of the 1947 season , the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were ranked ahead of the University of Michigan , though both teams were undefeated . Some noted that every Southern AP voter had voted for Notre Dame , which had yet to integrate , whereas three of Michigan ' s star players ( Bob Mann , Gene Derricotte , and Len Ford ) were African - American . The Southern schools refused even to schedule games against schools that played African - American players . Rifenburg was considered one of the greatest Wolverine ' s of the 1940s . In four seasons with the Michigan Wolverines , Rifenburg played in 32 games and had over 1 , 000 yards of total offense . Rifenburg held the University of Michigan ' s single season and career record for touchdown receptions ( eight in a season ; sixteen career ) until his records were broken by Anthony Carter in 1980 . Professional career . In 1948 , Rifenburg was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 15th round of the NFL draft , and he was also drafted by the New York Yankees of the All - America Football Conference . He had intended to play in 1949 with the Yankees , but suffered a knee injury in a practice session for the August 1949 college All - Star game . Press accounts at the time noted that the injury " will probably keep him out of pro football all season , if not forever . " The incident led to a debate as to whether NFL owners should " bar their men from playing with the college all - stars . " Rifenburg landed a job at WJR radio in Detroit , but he left his sportscaster ' s job to join the Detroit Lions . In the 1950 NFL season , Rifenburg came back from his injury to play for the Detroit Lions . He played in 12 games and had ten receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown for the 1950 Lions . Rifenburg recalled that his playing time with the Lions was limited because the Lions also signed 1949 Heisman Trophy winner Leon Hart , who played the same position . In May 1951 , he announced he was retiring from professional football to become sports director at a radio station in Buffalo . He was hired as a sportscaster by WBEN ( now known as WIVB ) , which had just started the first television station in Buffalo and the only one serving Southern Ontario . This was an early foray into television by the Buffalo Evening News . In the 1950s , Rifenburg hosted a popular panel show called " Let ' s Talk Sports " in Buffalo and also pioneered an early morning exercise program . He also worked for WBEN ( AM ) and WBEN ( FM ) and as the sideline announcer for Buffalo Bills games along with Van Miller , the long time Bills play - by - play announcer . In addition , he served as the play - by - play announcer for the University of Buffalo Bulls football team . As a radio broadcaster , he is remembered for things ranging from ski reports , to 17 years worth of " Breakfast At — " programs live from various local restaurants , to 27 years as the WBEN - AM All Night Show host . After 30 years with WBEN and a change in ownership for the station , his show was replaced with the Mutual Network ' s The Larry King Show . In the 1980s , Rifenburg taught communications at Buffalo ' s Medaille College and served as a disc jockey on Public Broadcasting ' s radio station WEBR ( now WDCZ ) . He also sold ads for Buffalo Evening News competitor , Buffalo Courier - Express . Rifenburg ' s final employer was Erie County , who hired him as an inmate training supervisor at the Erie County Correctional Facility . Rifenburg was posthumously inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in September 2007 . He was given the Golden Age Award which is reserved for " those who did it first , the people who had no pattern to follow . " The Hall of Fame award was presented to Rifenburg ' s wife , Jane . In her acceptance speech , Jane Rifenburg observed that despite all of her late husband ' s achievements , there was one thing he had never received : " He had a great career , but he never had a trophy . And now he has . " Family . Rifenburg lived 37 of his years in Buffalo . His wife , the former Jane Morris , was the head of the Buffalo Jills cheerleaders when they met . Rifenburg , who was survived by three sons , ( Douglas A . , Gary R . , and Bruce R . ) one daughter ( Wendy J . Colf ) and two grandchildren , died in Cheektowaga , New York in December 1994 ; he was 68 years old . Doug was a 1988 first team football All - Western New York linebacker for Clarence High School .