Ex-Cowboys kicker, Austrian soccer star dies - Dallas Cowboys Forum

dguinta1 · 09-13-2005

Quote:

Fritsch switched sports after 14 years, won 1 Super Bowl with Dallas

VIENNA, Austria - Toni Fritsch, a former Austrian soccer player who switched sports and became an NFL place-kicker, died Tuesday. He was 60. Peter Klingelmueller, a spokesman for Rapid Vienna, the soccer club on which Fritsch played for 14 years, confirmed Fritsch’s death. The Austria Press Agency reported that Fritsch collapsed and died of heart failure in Vienna after eating at a restaurant.

Fritsch played in nine matches for the Austrian national soccer team and, in 1965, scored two goals for Austria as it defeated England 3-2 in London. Six years later, he moved to the United States after having been recruited by the Dallas Cowboys.

In an interview last year, Fritsch recalled how he had never seen a football before meeting with the Cowboys’ recruiter. A translator followed him during the early days of practice to help him understand the game.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9326300/

Doomsday101 · 09-13-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dguinta1

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9326300/

I'll never forget seeing him when he was with the Oilers standing on the sidelines at the Astrodome with his helmet in one hand and a cigarette in the other hand. LOL

Also recall reading in Walt Garrison book how the players on the team where trying to teach Tony english needless to say the word for good morning was a curse word and when Tony went to say Good Morning to Landry, Tom told the guys to stop teaching Tony english. LOL

TruBlueCowboy · 09-13-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doomsday101

I'll never forget seeing him when he was with the Oilers standing on the sidelines at the Astrodome with his helmet in one hand and a cigarette in the other hand. LOL

Also recall reading in Walt Garrison book how the players on the team where trying to teach Tony english needless to say the word for good morning was a curse word and when Tony went to say Good Morning to Landry, Tom told the guys to stop teaching Tony english. LOL

Yeah, Garrison had some good Fritsch stories. Some of the things that guy could do were amazing.

dguinta1 · 09-13-2005

Ahh the good ol' days with the master, Tom Landry.

CrazyCowboy · 09-13-2005

Sorry to hear about this........God be with him.

CliffnMesquite · 09-13-2005

Imagine closing your eyes in one world and opening them in another, and there's Tom Landry smiling at you.

Rest in peace Toni.

Woods · 09-13-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doomsday101

I'll never forget seeing him when he was with the Oilers standing on the sidelines at the Astrodome with his helmet in one hand and a cigarette in the other hand. LOL

Also recall reading in Walt Garrison book how the players on the team where trying to teach Tony english needless to say the word for good morning was a curse word and when Tony went to say Good Morning to Landry, Tom told the guys to stop teaching Tony english. LOL

Now that's something, a helmet in one hand and a cigarette in another.

Wonder if the league would tolerate that now-a-days?

CalCBFan · 09-13-2005

No, because there's no smoking indoors anymore...

fiveandcounting · 09-13-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dguinta1

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9326300/

thats a sreal hame

correction though Mike Clark was the kicker in the "72" super bowl not Fritsch

Redball Express · 09-13-2005

RIP.

Another one leaves. This is when you know we are getting up there as a franchise. Wasn't he the guy that tried to throw for a first down or was it a 2 pt. conversion in a SB after a botched snap..?

I remember NFL Films had a field day with that one.

Sad.

I think he was one of those guys they found with the old "Kicking Caravans" Tex Schramm thought up where they went to cities doing tryouts looking for the next Pete Gogolak.

parcellswaterboy

dougonthebench · 09-13-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiveandcounting

thats a sreal hame

correction though Mike Clark was the kicker in the "72" super bowl not Fritsch

If its Superbowl 6 you are talking about,Fritsch was on the team.I have the official team poster right above my computer,and Tony is #15,bottom row,4th from the left.Between Morton and Renfro.

Billy Bullocks · 09-13-2005

I was born in Austria...this is probably the only Cowboys player my dad(full on Austrian) knows. I just remember, in Austria, seeing highlites of him, the secret ninja onside kick he pulled. And yes, they showed the shot of him holding his helmet and smoking. What an ugly guy haha.