Blumhardt, Howard

1946 Bowdle/1950 USD graduate. Blumhardt — “The Bowdle Blaster” — earned eight letters in three sports at USD in Football, Track, and Basketball, but it was on the football field where he made his biggest impact. He was a four-year starter as a bruising, pile-driving fullback. Some newspapers claimed many opponents would bounce off him when they tried tackling the 215-pound Blumhardt. He helped the Coyotes earn a share of the North Central Conference title in 1947 as a college sophomore when Blumhardt was only 18 years old and named an All-American. That season, Blumhardt was the only unanimous All-NCC selection. The Coyotes went 14-5-1 in 1947 and 1948 (beat SDSU 26-7 and 33-0 those two seasons). Blumhardt was named to a number of all-opponent teams during those two all-conference football seasons in which he scored a whopping 76 points in NCC play. Amos Alonzo Stagg, one of the most historic and influential figures in college football, wrote Howard a letter in 1947 stating he was one of the best fullbacks he had seen play that year. By the end of 1947, the major DI school (Bradley) in Peoria had seen enough of Blumhardt and the Coyotes. On Nov. 8, the USD’s football team traveled to Peoria and beat Bradley 20-13 (Blumhardt had one touchdown and most of the Coyotes 252 rushing yards). On Dec. 31, the U’s basketball team — of which Blumhardt was a member — went to Peoria to face undefeated (11-0) and No. 1-rated Bradley. The Coyotes won 54-51; Bradley went on to finish 28-3 that season. During his playing years he received numerous letters from legendary “Pro Football Hall of Fame” coaches like “Papa Bear” George Halas, founder and coach of the Chicago Bears, and Weeb Ewbank, coach of the Cleveland Browns who took the Jets the Super Bowl in 1969 with Joe Namath, each asking him to come play for their teams if he were to end his collegiate career. In 1949 and now a senior, injuries began to slow him down, but Curley Lambeau, co-founder of the Green Bay Packers and then Coach of the Chicago Cardinals notified him that he had been drafted in the 21st round of the 1950 NFL Draft. However, Blumhardt’s patriotic call to duty was more motivating to him as an outstanding military ROTC student at USD. He accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army the summer 1950 after graduation from USD and left for the Korean War. He was severely wounded in action at the battle of Chosen Reservoir (Purple Heart recipient) that December.  Blumhardt went on to have a distinguished and decorated military career serving in the Army from 1950-76, with combat tours in Korea and Vietnam, retiring as a full Colonel.