On this Memorial Day, I remember Al Blozis, the New York Giants' all-pro tackle who lost his life in January 1945 fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, just six weeks after playing in the 1944 NFL Championship against Green Bay.

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Besides football, Blozis also excelled in track and field; while at Georgetown, he was the world record holder in the shot put and would have been the favorite to win gold at the 1940 Olympics if the Helsinki Games hadn't been canceled because of outbreak of World War II.

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Drafted in the 5th round in 1942, Blozis played for the Giants in 1942 and 1943 before joining the military. He also played three games in 1944 while on furlough. He was an all-star as a rookie and all-pro by Year 2. He was voted on the NFL 1940s all-decade team.

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When two of the patrol's men failed to return, Blozis went out to look for them in the middle of the night. German machine-gun fire followed after he left and he never returned. His death was confirmed four months later, and his remains were buried in northern France.

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On Jan. 31, 1945, six weeks after the Giants' 14-7 loss to the Packers in the 1944 title game, Lt. Blozis was on his first patrol. He led nine men through the deep snows of the Vosges Mountains in France.

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Blozis loved professional football but loved his country even more. Because of his size (6-6, 250), he was initially rejected by the military, but after repeated tries he convinced the Army to accept him. While training at Fort Benning, he set the Army's grenade toss record.

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