Robert Derleth Robert J . " Bob " Derleth ( June 9 , 1922 – December 16 , 2012 ) was an American football lineman . He played college football for the University of Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1942 , 1943 , 1945 and 1946 — missing the 1944 season due to military service . He also played professional football for the Detroit Lions in 1947 . Biography . Derleth was born in Marquette , Michigan in 1922 . After graduating from Bishop Baraga High School in 1941 , Derleth enrolled at the University of Michigan . He joined the Michigan Wolverines football team coached by Fritz Crisler in 1942 . He started several games for the Wolverines at the tackle position in 1943 . Derleth was also the captain of the Michigan Wolverines men ' s ice hockey team in 1943 . After the 1943 season , Derleth was inducted into the U . S . Navy and assigned to aviation training cadet at the Iowa Pre - Flight School in Iowa City , Iowa . He also played football on the Navy ' s Iowa Seahawks team . The 1944 Iowa Seahawks included star players such as Les Horvath , and defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1944 by a score of 30 to 6 . Derleth also took up track while in the Navy as reflected in a June 1945 wire report : " Bob Derleth and Bobby Mickelson took up track for the first time this season . Proof that Derleth , a former Michigan football tackle , catches on quickly is illustrated by his 133 feet 7 - inch cast of the discus which brought him the all - time Seahawk mark in the event . " While Derleth was serving in the Navy , the Detroit Lions selected him as a late pick in the 29th round of the 1944 NFL Draft . Upon being placed on inactive status by the Navy in October 1945 , Derleth elected to return to the University of Michigan rather than play professional football . The Associated Press reported that Derleth ' s return to the team had " sparked " the Wolverines . The article continued : " Derleth reported for practice yesterday after being placed on inactive dutv by the Navy . The Marquette , Mich . , lineman immediately was issued a uniform and put in considerable time at the right guard spot during scrimmage . The former aviation cadet said he was in ' pretty good ' physical shape and was an inch taller and about 14 pounds heavier than the last time he played for Michigan . In 1942 he was six - two and weighed 203 . " Derleth did not return to the starting lineup for Michigan in 1945 , but he did see action in the November 1945 " Homecoming " game against Minnesota . During the 1946 season , Derleth returned to the starting lineup at the tackle position . Derleth suffered a concussion in the 1946 game against Illinois and did not play the following week . After his 1946 season at Michigan , Derleth was drafted in by the Chicago Rockets in the 1947 AAFC draft , this time being taken as the 25th overall pick . In May 1947 , Derleth signed instead with the Detroit Lions , who still held the NFL rights to his services . At the time Derleth signed with the Lions , he weighed 230 pounds . The 1947 Detroit Lions team included six former Michigan football players , including Derleth ' s Wolverine teammates Bob Westfall , Merv Pregulman , Bob Wiese , and Elmer Madar . Derleth appeared in only one game for the Lions in 1947 . He was later recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the honor roll of more than 1 , 000 NFL personnel to serve in the military during World War II . Derleth later became the president of Motor Wheel Corporation , a position he held from 1967 to 1979 . He died in December 2012 at a hospice in Lansing , Michigan , at age 90 .