When a former North Dakota farm boy retired from the National Football League in 1966, he was the all-time leader in receptions for the Philadelphia Eagles. Yet, he had never caught a pass while in college.

Pete Retzlaff broke many athletic records in high school, college and the pros, and after retiring from playing football, he served as vice president and general manager of the Eagles from 1969 to 1972.

Retzlaff was named an All-Pro five times, won the Player of the Year Award in 1965, and his Eagle jersey, number 44, was retired. Mysteriously, he has not been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Palmer Edward Retzlaff was born Aug. 21, 1931, on a farm in Albion Township, near Ellendale, to Fred and Ella Retzlaff.

While in the eighth grade, he tried out for the football team. His mother was against him playing football at an early age, so he did not tell her. He soon learned that practice was not a lot of fun because the older players used the younger players as blocking dummies.

Frustrated after three weeks of practice, Retzlaff returned home to confess to his mom what he had done and that he was going to quit football. She told him, "You're not quitting anything, you're staying out for football."

This message stayed with him and he later told a reporter, "I was never brought up to quit at anything that I started."

His persistence to play football soon paid off. During his freshman year, the Ellendale Cardinals football team went undefeated and unscored upon. They outscored their opponents 125-0.

In high school, Retzlaff excelled in all sports, but it was in track and field that he gained most of his glory. On May 18, 1949, while participating in a competition in Devils Lake, Retzlaff heaved the discus 162 feet, 5 inches, breaking the existing North Dakota record by more than 25 feet.

After graduation in 1949, Retzlaff enrolled at the Normal and Industrial College in Ellendale where he starred in football and track. After his second year, he transferred to South Dakota State (now South Dakota State University) at Brookings.

Retzlaff soon demonstrated that he was one of the premier running backs in Division II football, rushing for more than 1,000 yards both years he attended SDSU and breaking the single season rushing record for that school.

He also played baseball, but it was again in track and field where Retzlaff was gaining national recognition. At a track meet in Sioux Falls on May 22, 1952, Retzlaff finished first in the discuss, shot put and high jump, and was fourth in the javelin throw. His discuss and shot put throws were conference records.

A little more than two weeks later, he competed in the National Intercollegiate track and field championship at Abilene, Texas. At this June 5 event, Retzlaff threw the discuss 164 feet, 11 inches, and the shot put 50 feet, 8½ inches. Both of these were National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics records. For this feat, Retzlaff was awarded the first Herbert B. Marett Outstanding Performer Award. He was later inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame.

After two outstanding seasons of football at SDSU, Retzlaff was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1953. However, the Korean conflict was still unresolved, and he was drafted into the Army. When he returned from the service, Retzlaff found out that the Lions had placed him on waivers and he was purchased by the Philadelphia Eagles for $100.

The Eagles coach, Hugh Devore, decided to move Retzlaff from fullback to receiver and, during his first two seasons, Retzlaff averaged one reception per game. In 1958, the Eagles acquired a new quarterback, Norm Van Brocklin, who was very impressed with Retzlaff and believed that he had the makings to be an outstanding receiver.

During the first season Retzlaff and Van Brocklin played together, 1958, Retzlaff led the NFL in receptions. In 1960, the Eagles were the best team in the NFL winning the championship title. Head coach Buck Shaw retired after that season, and Van Brocklin believed that he would be named as Shaw's replacement. When that did not happen, Van Brocklin turned in his resignation and signed with an expansion team, the Minnesota Vikings.

The Eagles turned to their backup quarterback, Sonny Jurgensen, as Van Brocklin's replacement, and Retzlaff continued to be one of the best receivers in the NFL.

In 1965, Retzlaff was selected as the Bert Bell Player of the Year. That same year he also became president of the Players Association where he fought for health benefits and pension programs for NFL players.

His last season as a player was 1966 and, for the forth consecutive year, Retzlaff led the Eagles in receptions, yards and touchdowns. When he retired, he held the Eagles franchise records in all of those categories.

He briefly served as general manager for the Eagles.

For many years Retzlaff has split his time between his home in Gilbertsville, Pa., and his farm in McAllen, Texas. One honor that has eluded him, and is long overdue, is induction into the NFL Hall of Fame.

(Written by Curt Eriksmoen and edited by Jan Eriksmoen. Reach the Eriksmoens by e-mail at cjeriksmoen@;cableone.net.)