Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
BURGMEIER, Ted
BURGMEIER, Ted. (Dubuque, IA, Nov.11, 1955--East Dubuque, IL, July 7, 2013). An all-state athlete in football, basketball and track (pole vaulting, which he also excelled at while at Notre Dame) at WAHLERT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, Burgmeier was recruited mainly by the in-state schools, until he signed with Notre Dame.
Notre Dame’s formerly used “birddog” recruiting method seems archaic today. The Burgmeier family was friends with a local attorney in Dubuque who was a classmate of Notre Dame athletics director Ed “Moose” Krause. He would keep Krause informed about Burgmeier, and finally the information trickled down to the Notre Dame coaching staff. A scout observed him play basketball, watched Burgmeier's football films with his coaches, visited with him, and then invited Burgmeier for a visit to the campus. Legendary coach Ara Parseghian then offered Burgmeier a scholarship.
After leading the Irish to their eighth top-5 finish in eleven years, Parseghian stepped down and was replaced by Dan Devine who had a dropback, pro-style offense, while Burgmeier was a running quarterback. Burgmeier played quarterback at Notre Dame for about two weeks in his freshman year before becoming the No. 2 free safety. Burgmeier capped the spring with a 33-yard touchdown reception from quarterback and future famed pro-football player Joe Montana in the Blue-Gold Game.
In the fifth game of 1975, the sophomore duo of Joe Montana-Burgmeier became legendary when the Irish rallied from a 14-0 fourth-quarter deficit at North Carolina and escaped with a 21-14 victory. The winning score came on a short eight-yard out pattern from Montana to Burgmeier that the latter turned into an 80-yard touchdown with just 1:03 remaining. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7a0EDBcMt8
Entering Burgmeier’s junior year in 1976, the Irish had a veteran split end in senior Dan Kelleher and an emerging future star in sophomore Kris Haines, but were short at corner. To get the best athletes on the field, Burgmeier was moved to his third different position in three years.
Drafted in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins, Burgmeier made it to the last cut and then was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs halfway through the season to play safety and special teams. That rookie season would be his last in football. He tried out with a number of different teams, and went to Canada to try out.
After the short career in the National Football League, Burgmeier, his wife and son returned to East Dubuque. He used his degree in business administration to become a national sales manager for A.Y.MCDONALD MANUFACTURING COMPANY where he worked for twenty-five years. In 1998, Burgmeier was inducted into the Iowa High School Football Hall of Fame.
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Source:
Di Carlo, Angelo. "Irish Football Great Ted Burgmeier Dies of Heart and Lung Failure," July 8, 2013, http://www.wndu.com/sports/headlines/Irish-football-great-Ted-Burgmeier-dies-of-heart-and-lung-failure-214661101.html
R.I.P. Notre Dame Hero Ted Burgmeier - Notre Dame - 247Sports. http://notredame.247sports.com/Article/RIP-Notre-Dame-Hero-Ted-Burgmeier-138116
http://www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com/condolence.cfm?ID=1795
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BurgTe20.htm
