NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 71 - Sammy Behr, Rockford

The No. 71 player on our list was one of the greatest three-sport athletes in Rockford High School history.

In basketball, Sammy Behr led the Rabs in scoring his junior and senior years. In track, he won the 1927 IHSA state title in the shot put and finished second in the discus.

In football, Behr played end for the 1925 Rabs and was named honorable mention All-Big 7 for a team that went 4-5. In 1926, he moved to quarterback and led Rockford to an 8-1 mark and a conference championship. He was named first team all-conference after rushing for seven touchdowns, catching one - this was the single wing days where backs routinely ran, passed and went on receiving routes - and even returning one interception for a score.

Behr went to Wisconsin where he could play football and run track. He was a record-breaker in track. He won five Western Conference titles in the shot put at Wisconsin, setting both the indoor and outdoor records, and finished third, fifth and second at the NCAA Track Championships.

In football, Behr took over as starting quarterback of the Badgers beginning his sophomore year and ended up starting 21 of 23 games in 1928, 1929 and 1930. He ran for three touchdowns over his career, passed for two and had three TD receptions.

He led the Badgers to an 8-1 mark in 1928 and 6-2-1 in 1930. 

When his playing days were up in Wisconsin, he gave no thought to pro football, instead enrolling in medical school and becoming an orthopedic doctor. He returned to Rockford in 1939 and, other than serving in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945, practiced medicine here for more than 50 years.

Behr died in 2006.

No. 71 - Sammy Behr, Rockford
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1925	High School	Rockford	Honorable Mention All-Conference	0.5
1926	High School	Rockford	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Team	1
			Conference Champion	1
1927	College	Wisconsin	Player on Power 5 Freshman Team	2
1928	College	Wisconsin	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
1929	College	Wisconsin	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1930	College	Wisconsin	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
Total				23.5

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players