First athlete from Cleveland to compete in Olympics (1904), winning gold medal for Indian club swinging and tying for first place in horizontal bars. Won 14 National AAU championships and three National Turner titles. In 1948, at age 62, he was voted the outstanding amateur athlete in Northeastern Ohio and finished third in the balloting for the Sullivan Trophy given by AAU to the nation’s outstanding amateur athlete of the year.
Pan-American Games gold medalist in 1967. NCAA 191-pound champion in 1964 and runner-up at 177 pounds in 1963 at Ohio University where he won three Mid-American Conference championships compiled a career record of 76-3 and was named the University’s Athlete-of-the-Decade, 1960-70. Was Ohio high school champion at Parma High in 1954. As head wrestling coach at Ohio he guided team to seven consecutive conference championships.
NCAA and Big Ten champion at Michigan State University, 1951. National AAU junior champion in 1948, national AAU runner-up in 1949 and 1950 and five-time Lake Erie AAU champion. Wrestling coach at Cleveland John Marshall High School 24 years, producing state championship team in 1961 and 13 individual state champions. Charter member of Ohio High School Wrestling Hall of Fame. Picked by amateur Wrestling News as Coach-of-the-Year, 1969.
Ranked among the best athletes to come out of Cleveland West High, he starred in football, basketball and track there, twice winning the state high hurdle championships (1934 and 1935). Excelled in football on the University of Michigan team quarterbacked by Tom Harmon, was Big Ten high hurdles champion in track and was good enough in baseball to be signed to a pro contract by Washington. Was lost in action in World War II.
Established himself as the greatest place kicker in football during a 21-year career (1946-67) with the Cleveland Browns. Became the first player in NFL history to score 1,00 points and retired with NFL records for most career points scored, most field goals and most extra points. Also was a starting offensive tackle for 11 seasons. His most famous field goal gave Browns a last-minute 30-28 win over the Los Angeles Rams and the NFL championship in their first season (1950) in the league. Inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
Quarterbacked the New York Giants from 1929-1931, leading the teams to second place finishes in first two seasons. Giants owner Tim Mara purchased the entire Detroit Wolverines team in order to secure Friedman’s services. Was All-American quarterback at University of Michigan and part of the famed “Benny to Bennie (Oosterbaan)” passing combination there. Considered the greatest football player ever to play for Cleveland Glenville High School.
A long-time volunteer in the solicitation of business support and financial guarantees needed to hold major tennis events in Cleveland, he helped make possible the staging of seven Davis Cup matches, five Wightman Cup matches and 17 other major national and international tennis events in the city since 1964.
Won three national AAU handball championships and was runner-up twice in the years between 1926 and 1937. He was Cleveland YMCA handball champion 12 times, won the Ohio YMCA championships seven times and was the Ohio AAU champion five times.
A two-time NCAA All-American (1972 and 1973) and the Big Ten All-Around champion at the University of Michigan after winning numerous AAU Junior Olympic and senior AAU championships at West Tech High. Won the national YMCA’s Elite division all-around championship in 1976.
Captained the 1924 St. Ignatius High School football team which defeated Cathedral Latin for the City Championship, winning All-Scholastic honors as a fullback and linebacker. Went to college at John Carroll University where he played four seasons as a fullback on offense and linebacker on defense, twice winning All-Ohio fullback laurels. Inducted into the JCU Football Hall of Fame in 1975.