treetown

November 21st, 2019 at 9:40 PM ^

With due respect, probably the best UM football player to become a physician was Ralph Straffon MD, Fellow American College of Surgeon (FACS) 1928-2004.

He was born in Croswell, MI. He played fullback and linebacker for the Croswell High football team that was Class C State Champions in 1944. He went to the UM and his career had an interruption due to that thing called World War 2. Upon return he was a MEDICAL STUDENT WHILE PLAYING ON THE TEAM as a fullback. He was on the 1949 team with Alvin Wistert, and Don Dufek. He was part of the team that won the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1951 14-6 over Cal

He was originally interested in orthopedics but then moved onto urology serving under Reed Nesbit, the head of urology from 1947 to  1968; studied renal dialysis and transplantation in Boston and instituted the hemodialysis program here, all while still doing his urology residency.

In 1959 he finished training and began to work in Cleveland. He became chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Urology Department in 1963 and did the first cadaveric renal transplant there in 1963. He rose to lead not just urology but the whole surgery program there from 1983 to 1987 and later as chief of staff and on the board of governors for the clinic. Professionally he was a national leader in urology and became president of the American Board of Urology in 1997 and chaired the urology residency review committee from 1978 to 1980. He won all of the major American Urological Association awards  and was a member of the Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons. 

He kept up his football ties and regularly attended reunions including the 50th anniversary team reunion in 2001 when he was recognized at Michigan stadium. 

Finally, this is the centennial year for urology at the University of Michigan 1919 to 2020.

https://www.facs.org/~/media/files/publications/bulletin/2004/2004%20march%20bulletin.ashx

https://www.facs.org/~/media/files/publications/bulletin/2004/2004%20march%20bulletin.ashx (page 37) small error in the football part listing USC rather than Cal - Michigan beat Cal in the Rose Bowl 14-6. The Michigan USC victory was in the Jan. 1948 team and Straffon wasn't on that team (1947 team)

https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1948&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND

https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1949&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND

https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/search.php?data=football&year_option=equals&year=1950&sortby=lastname%2C+firstname%2C+year&find=FIND

Joined: 11/10/2010

MGoPoints: 6339

RGard

November 21st, 2019 at 5:03 PM ^

Great job Louis.  Good luck and best wishes.

Not taking anything away from Louis' accomplishment, but this calls to mind the time Jim Harbaugh angered some folks at UofM back in 2007 when he questioned UofM's approach to academics for the student athletes...

JH said to the Ann Arbor News:

“I would use myself as an example. I came in there, wanted to be a history major, and I was told early on in my freshman year that I shouldn’t be, that it takes too much time, too much reading, that I shouldn’t be a history major and play football.”

Seems Jim Harbaugh made some changes for his student athletes.  Positive changes that remove impediments to a student's choice of major or course study.

Joined: 10/20/2014

MGoPoints: 57073

drjaws

November 21st, 2019 at 8:27 PM ^

I’d be interested to know how many football (or hockey) players went on to med school in general, even if not at UM.

 

hell of an accomplishment 

Joined: 02/26/2014

MGoPoints: 46778