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Eugene William Gedman (January 9, 1932 – August 19, 1974) was an American football player, a running back for four seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), 1953 and 1956 through 1958. The Lions won league titles in 1953 and 1957. He served in the military during the 1954 and 1955 seasons.

Biography

Born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, a suburb southeast of Pittsburgh, Gedman graduated from Duquesne High School in 1949. He played college football at Indiana University in Bloomington, where he was the Hoosiers' captain and most valuable player (twice), and All-Big Ten. He played in the East–West Shrine Game and was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 1953 NFL draft, the fifteenth overall pick.

During his fifth training camp, Gedman was waived by the Lions in mid-September 1959. A few days later he was later withdrawn from waivers and put on the injured list, due to a knee injury from the previous season. In 1963, he won a $15,000 workmen's compensation settlement from the club.

After football

In the early 1960s, Gedman coached in the United Football League, at Indianapolis and Grand Rapids, and was a pension administrator for the city of Detroit. He was later a sales manager for a fire extinguisher company in Chicago. Gedman died at home in 1974 of a heart attack at age 42.

References

1. Hammel, Bob; Klingelhoffer, Kit (1999). Glory of Old IU, Indiana University. Sports Publishing Inc. p. 114.
2. "Army takes Gedman". Pittsburgh Press. February 24, 1954. p. 24.
3. Strickler, George (July 7, 1954). "Lions to open drills minus six regulars". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 3.
4. "Gedman most valuable at Indiana again". Chicago Daily Tribune. November 27, 1952. p. 1, part 9.
5. "Colts cut Lyles; Lions Gedman". Milwaukee Sentinel. press dispatches. September 16, 1959. p. 4, part 2.
6. "Keep Gedman". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. September 18, 1959. p. 4, part 2.
7. "Gedman to get $15,000 from Lions". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. November 2, 1963. p. 4, part 2.
8. "Grid players win verdicts in 3 courts". Gettysburg Times. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. November 2, 1963. p. 5.
9. "Ex-Lion Gedman Grand Rapids pilot". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 15, 1962. p. 4S.
10. "Gedman quits Detroit post". Owosso Argus-Press. Michigan. Associated Press. November 28, 1969. p. 22.
11. "Former Lion Gedman is dead". Pittsburgh Press. August 20, 1974. p. 26.

External links

• Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference · 
• Indiana University Athletic Hall of Fame Archived 2015-09-19 at the Wayback Machine – Gene Gedman

• 1974 deaths
• 1932 births
• American football running backs
• Detroit Lions players
• Indiana Hoosiers football players
• People from Duquesne, Pennsylvania
• Players of American football from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania