Fritsch: Filling Hinkle’s shoes

Continued from previous week

“Another football player from a small college has clicked as a professional,” The Journal Times stated that fall. “Young Ted Fritsch, stubby fullback brought to Green Bay from Stevens Point Teachers College to succeed Clarke Hinkle, is replacing the veteran all the way.

In addition to gaining representation among leading ground gainers of the National league, Fritsch has taken first place in field goal kicking, a department in which Hinkle was supreme for two campaigns before joining the Coast Guard.”

Stats released in late October of that season showed the Packers players leading in individual offense stats.

“Figures released [Oct. 21, 1942] showed the Packers had the league’s leading passer, Cecil Isbell; leading pass receiver, Don Hutson; the leading scorer, also Hutson; and the high-ranking field goal kicker, Ted Fritsch,” the Marshfield News-Herald acclaimed about their local Spencer boy.

And Fritsch wasn’t the only one excelling; the Packers offense was doing well as a whole.
“The average number of scorers for the Packers usually ran around 10, and the 1942 figure of 15 is believed to be an all-time high,” Art Daley wrote for the Press-Gazette. “Thirteen of these scored at least one touchdown. The other two, Ted Fritsch and Dick Weisgerber, scored by the toe (by kicking). Fritsch getting four field goals and an extra point. Weisgerber booting two extra points.

“The Packers rolled up 41 touchdowns, 39 extra points and five field goals for an even 300 points in 11 league contests. They counted 28 touchdowns on passes and 13 on rushing. Don Hutson scored 17 of the air touchdowns and finished with 138 points. He added 33 extra points and one field goal.”

After the season ended, Fritsch went to work as a substitute mail carrier at the Stevens Point office, where he had attended college.

Back in Stevens Point for just a short time, he was called to report for military service.

Would this be the end of Fritsch’s professional football career with the Green Bay Packers?

To be continued