Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 02:29, 3 January 2025

Albert Weiner (January 24, 1911 – September 17, 1988), nicknamed "Reds" or "Red", was an American multi-sport professional athlete and coach. He played football as a back in the National Football League (NFL) with the Philadelphia Eagles for one season and also played several years of minor league baseball. Additionally, he also played with a number of non-NFL professional football teams.

Early life

Albert Weiner was born on January 24, 1911, in Woodbine, New Jersey. He was one of four brothers, each of whom were athletes, and three – Albert, Mickey, and Bernie – played professional football. His parents were initially opposed to any of the brothers playing sports, but later became "great fans" after Mickey, the oldest, began playing football.

Weiner attended Irvington High School in New Jersey where he was a standout athlete. He entered the school in 1926 and made the varsity teams in four sports as a freshman: baseball, track and field, football, and basketball. He went on to be considered the school's greatest athlete, according to The Star-Ledger, winning 15 varsity letters out of 16 possible, only missing one track and field letter as a sophomore due to injury. He was named the team captain in both football and basketball and recalled being named all-state in both football and baseball.

Weiner was a catcher in baseball, a back in football, and a guard in basketball. He batted over .400 in baseball and was described as "an excellent running back in the single wing in football, and a kicker of no mean pretensions," as well as a "fine guard" in basketball, despite standing at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m). He recalled that as a junior, he was named the best athlete in North Jersey by the World-Telegram. He said that he batted .475 as a senior but despite this did not repeat as the award-winner, as "Some kid from Clifton hit something like .625."

As baseball and track were held at the same time, whenever Irvington played both sports at home, Weiner "did double duty." The Star-Ledger described how, "In between innings, he would shuck his catching togs and jog over to the nearby track, pick up a javelin and throw for the track and field team."

College career

Weiner enrolled at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania in 1930. He was ineligible to play varsity sports that year as a freshman. During this time, he played basketball for a local Jewish all-stars exhibition team. Then, as a sophomore, Weiner won four varsity letters, in each of the four sports he starred in while at Irvington. Track and field was discontinued following the 1931 season, and thus Weiner was only able to achieve three varsity letters per year in subsequent seasons. Mid-season with the football team in 1931, he was promoted to being the starting quarterback.

Professional career

Football

Tanner McKee

Baseball

Coaching career

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1109575596/?match=1&terms=reds%20weiner

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1108374429/?match=1&terms=reds%20weiner

https://www.newspapers.com/image/274698288/?match=1&terms=reds%20weiner

https://www.newspapers.com/image/528401696/?match=2&terms=reds%20weiner

https://www.newspapers.com/image/48244623/?match=4&terms=red%20weiner

https://www.newspapers.com/image/72459805/?match=1&terms=red%20weiner

Personal life and death

Notes

1. In an interview with The Star-Ledger in 1952, he said that he captained the baseball team as well; however, in a later interview with the paper in 1975, he said that his biggest regret in sports was that "I never was captain of the baseball teams at either Muhlenberg or at Irvington, and I always wanted it."

References

1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1113695346/?match=1&terms=reds%20weiner
2. https://www.newspapers.com/image/72459805/?match=1&terms=red%20weiner
3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1108876153/?match=1&terms=reds%20weiner
4. https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/w/wein00600.html
5. "Al Weiner Stats". Pro Football Archives.
6. Heller, Dick (May 20, 1951). "Red Weiner packs a heavy punch into little Hillside–ask its big rivals". The Star-Ledger. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Heller, Dick (May 20, 1951). "Red Weiner packs a heavy punch into little Hillside–ask its big rivals". The Star-Ledger. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Heller, Dick (May 20, 1951). "Red Weiner packs a heavy punch into little Hillside–ask its big rivals". The Star-Ledger. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Glicken, Lloyde S. (September 26, 1988). "Weiner's career in sports filled with achievements". The Star-Ledger. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Heller, Dick (May 20, 1951). "Red Weiner packs a heavy punch into little Hillside–ask its big rivals". The Star-Ledger. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Glicken, Lloyde S. (February 20, 1975). "All-time Irvington great Weiner to call it a day". The Star-Ledger. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Muhlenberg Football Players Tendered Splendid Banquet to Mark Close of Successful Season". The Morning Call. December 13, 1933. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Weiner, Albert; Heller, Dick (May 25, 1952). "Red Weiner, ex-grid and baseball ace, 'batons' parade of stars at Hillside". The Star-Ledger. p. 52 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
14. Glicken, Lloyde S. (February 21, 1975). "Hillside will fete Weiner's 50 years in sports". The Star-Ledger. p. 40 – via Newspapers.com.
15. Weiner, Albert; Heller, Dick (May 25, 1952). "Red Weiner, ex-grid and baseball ace, 'batons' parade of stars at Hillside". The Star-Ledger. p. 52 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
16. Glicken, Lloyde S. (February 21, 1975). "Hillside will fete Weiner's 50 years in sports". The Star-Ledger. p. 40 – via Newspapers.com.
17. Glicken, Lloyde S. (February 20, 1975). "All-time Irvington great Weiner to call it a day". The Star-Ledger. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
18. Glicken, Lloyde S. (February 20, 1975). "All-time Irvington great Weiner to call it a day". The Star-Ledger. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
19. Glicken, Lloyde S. (February 20, 1975). "All-time Irvington great Weiner to call it a day". The Star-Ledger. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
20. Glicken, Lloyde S. (February 20, 1975). "All-time Irvington great Weiner to call it a day". The Star-Ledger. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
21. Glicken, Lloyde S. (September 26, 1988). "Weiner's career in sports filled with achievements". The Star-Ledger. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
22. Glicken, Lloyde S. (September 26, 1988). "Weiner's career in sports filled with achievements". The Star-Ledger. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
23. "Al Weiner Stats". Pro Football Archives.
24. Heller, Dick (May 20, 1951). "Red Weiner packs a heavy punch into little Hillside–ask its big rivals". The Star-Ledger. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
25. "Buffaloes Lose Basketball Game". The Morning Call. April 24, 1931. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
26. Heller, Dick (May 20, 1951). "Red Weiner packs a heavy punch into little Hillside–ask its big rivals". The Star-Ledger. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
27. Heller, Dick (May 20, 1951). "Red Weiner packs a heavy punch into little Hillside–ask its big rivals". The Star-Ledger. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
28. "Muhlenberg Makes 'Changes for Booster Game With St. Joe Friday". The Morning Call. October 13, 1931. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
29. https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/roobs-eagles-stats-tanner-mckee-cowboys-aj-brown/639452/