George Savitsky bulldozes his way through the college football history books as one of the most dominant two-way tackles to ever take the field. From making four All-American teams to winning back-to-back NFL championships, this Penn legend anchors the standard for gridiron greatness.
Football Bio
July 30, 1924 – New York, New York – The legendary two-way tackle from the University of Pennsylvania, George Savitsky, was born. He was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in a class of 1991 by the National Football Foundation.
And George was unique too as he became a four-time All-American selection in 1945. He was the first player to do that since 1901. So, for 44 years, he was the only guy to be an All-American four times.
Now Savitsky played in the East-West Shrine Game as a first-year, second-year, and senior, becoming the only player ever chosen for the game three times. He’s got a lot of firsts going for him. And he was named to the all-time Shrine team.
I guess if you’re on there three times and everybody else is like one, you definitely deserve to be on that all-time team. He’s got to have some records, at least a playing time record there. But wow, three times making an East-West Shrine game.
He later played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL. And many experts consider Mr. Savitsky to be one of the best tackles in college football history to play both sides of the ball.
Savitsky commands respect on both sides of the line of scrimmage, securing his place in football lore. He brings championship grit to the professional ranks and remains a timeless icon of the game. Fans of Pigskin Dispatch can explore his lasting impact as a true ironman who mastered football in its most physical era.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1991.
- 4× All-American: First player to achieve this milestone since 1901 (1944, 1945, 1946, 1947).
- Consensus All-American: 1945.
- 2× NFL Champion: Won back-to-back NFL titles with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1948 and 1949.
- East-West Shrine Game Record: The only player ever chosen for the all-star game three times (freshman, sophomore, senior).
- All-Time Shrine Team: Named to the all-time roster for his exceptional play.
- First Freshman Captain: Appointed as the Penn Quakers’ team captain for the 1944 Michigan game, becoming the first freshman to hold the honor.
- NFL Draft: Selected in the 5th round (30th overall) of the 1947 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
