George Schulgen
Inducted 2012
Hometown: Santa Rosa
High School: Santa Rosa High School
College: Rice University
Best Known for: Football
A terror on the ball field for Santa Rosa in the early 1960s, Schulgen advanced to Rice and became a two-time All-Southwest Conference second team pick on defense for the Owls.
Schulgen, the Big Redhead from Santa Rosa, was All-District three times, the Class A Texas Player of the Year in 1963, named to the Super Team All-State, and received a rare accolade when he was named high school All-American by Scholastic Sports Magazine that season. He averaged 20 tackles per game, set school records in the discus, and was the basketball team's leading scorer.
At Rice, he got the chance to play for the grizzled veteran Jess Neely, then near the end of his 27-year career at the university. From 1965-1967, Schulgen was a three-year starter and two-time All-SWC performer at middle guard for the Owls. In one of his greatest efforts, the Valley native was tabbed as the Player of the Game when Rice upset UT in Austin in 1965. His teammates for the Owls in the mid-1960s included future pros Chuck Latourette and Hugo Hollas.
Though he would undergo nine knee surgeries in all, Schulgen was a force for Rice, and signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins of the NFL. The scouts loved his toughness and determination, and many noted that had he not been injured, Schulgen would have carved out a career in the pros.
