Badgers QB Icon Ron Vander Kelen passes away at age 76

[Da-news-now]

Today’s Wisconsin Badger fan likely has fond memories of Russell Wilson and his magical season in 2011 or the run of Rose Bowl’s started by Scott Tolzien and Co., but for a different generation there was only one name that mattered at quarterback — Ron Vander Kelen.

On Tuesday morning, it was announced that Vander Kelen had died of natural causes at the age of 76.

While the current generation of fans and students can look fondly back on three-straight Rose Bowl trips, those who grew up in the 1950’s and lived long after it know how precious a Rose Bowl experience can be.

That’s in large part because of the magic that was Ron Vander Kelen and the 1962 season. In fact, few players are as iconic in Rose Bowl history as Vander Kelen is.

He led the No. 2-ranked Badgers against No. 1 ranked USC in the 1963 Rose Bowl, losing what many consider to be the best Rose Bowl game of all-time and still earning MVP honors thanks to a record 401-yard passing performance on the day.

That 401-yard day is still second in the Badgers’ all-time single game passing record book, trailing only Darrell Bevel’s 423-yard day against Minnesota back in 1993.

Back to the Rose Bowl, Vander Kelen keyed a massive comeback, helping the Badgers put up 23 points in the final quarter before ultimately losing to the Trojans 42-37. It was that comeback and Wisconsin’s gritty performance on offense under Vander Kelen that spark many to call it simply the greatest Rose Bowl of all-time.

He was a native of a town called Preble (which is now part of Green Bay proper), playing for Preble High School and after his days at Wisconsin was selected by the AFL’s New York Jets in the 1963 draft, but chose to sign as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. He managed a five-year career with the Vikings, but never became a star beyond his glory days at Wisconsin.

All of that is a remarkable story considering Vander Kelen had played just 90 seconds of college football (and at defensive back no less) in his career before the 1962 season.

“Nobody really knew him,” All-American end Pat Richter, also a UW senior in 1962, said last year via the Wisconsin State Journal. “We all thought John Fabry would be the starter. Or Hal Brandt.”

He was an afterthought in the battle for the starting quarterback position to outsiders, but eventually won the job and led UW to what many still consider to be the greatest season in school history.

There’s no doubting his legacy and the fact that one season can have a lifetime of impact on people, both those around for it and those who would only later here of its legends.

The post Badgers QB Icon Ron Vander Kelen passes away at age 76 appeared first on Madtown Badgers.

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[TW]

I have a connection with that team. My cousin played for the Badgers during that era, and I met, and knew a lot of the players. I met Vandy on several occasions. I didn't get to know him well. He was a competitor. He had a lot of talent surrounding him. That may have been the best Badger football team based on each team's era, that there ever was. They could have, and should have, won the national title that day.

If you watch the final seconds of the game, you'll see that the officials allowed time to run off the clock that cost the Badgers at chance at the win. I've always felt that USC didn't beat them. The clock did. Because, if they would have gotten back the 30 to 45 seconds ran off the clock near the end, they would have scored, and been national champs.

It's the only time in my life that I cried over the ending of a football game. Those guys worked so hard to get there, and Milt Bruhn did everything he could to get them ready for that chance. It was, as far as I'm concerned, one of the greatest moments in Wisconsin football history. 42-37. I'm serious! They would have scored and won.

Four days later, I was on my way back to Vietnam for my second tour. I took a Wisconsin Athletic Department t-shirt with me. I wore it over there every day that I could, until it finally fell apart.