Rich Stotter
(1945 - 2015 )
Rich Stotter was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 5, 1945. He attended Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, Ohio before playing football at the University of Houston, where he became one of the greatest players in the school’s history.
Stotter was a three-year letter winner with Houston in the mid-1960s. He started out as a guard and later played linebacker. In 1965, the Cougars finished with a record of 4-5-1. The following year, they improved dramatically, averaging 33.5 points per game and finishing 8-2 and ranked No. 17. In 1967, the team finished 7-3 and ranked No. 18. Stotter was a consensus All-America selection and an academic All-American.
After graduating, Stotter was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 14th round of the NFL Draft. That year he played linebacker in only three games. His career lasted from 1968-1970.
In 2000, he was inducted into the University of Houston Athletic Hall of Fame.
He died in Cleveland on May 4, 2015.
Sources: Roger Treat, The Encyclopedia of Football, (New York: A.S. Barnes and Co., 1976).
Bob Carroll, Michael Gershman, David Neft, and John Thom, Eds., Total Football: The official Encyclopedia of the National Football League, (New York: HarperCollins, 1999).
“Rich Stotter,” Wikipedia.
Photo courtesy of Janet Stotter.
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