This past Saturday much of the country watched as Jameis Winston was awarded the 2013 Heisman Trophy. The Heisman Trophy is one of the highest accolades awarded to any individual athlete and many of its winners go on to great athletic careers as players in the National Football League (NFL). One former winner, Richard “Dick” Kazmaier, declined to continue his athletic career as a part of the NFL; but continued to have a huge impact in the world of sports. Kazmaier, the last Ivy Leaguer to win the Heisman, played halfback for Princeton and won the award in 1951. After graduating from Princeton and then Harvard Business School, Kazmaier went on to form Kazmaier Associates, a company that consulted on sports marketing and manufacturing. Kazmaier, the father of six daughters, was a major supporter of women’s sports. He was instrumental in garnering support for the passage of Title IX and served as the president of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Kazmaier, who passed away on August 1, 2013, left a lasting impact on women’s sports and his story encourages girls and women to participate and excel in sports on and off the field.
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