 Speer c. 1929 | |
| Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – No. 48; 12; 17 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Tackle |
| Class | 1930 |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 27, 1907 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died: | June 10, 1938 (aged 31) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Georgia Tech (1927-28; 1930) |
| Bowl games | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Frank R. Speer (May 27, 1907 – June 10, 1938) was a college football player and wrestler.[1]
Speer was an All-American tackle for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the Georgia Institute of Technology;[2] part of its national championship team of 1928. He first made the All-Southern team as a sophomore in 1927.[3] One writer in 1930 said Vance Maree and Frank Speer had the reputation as "the toughest pair of tackles in the south."[4] Speer is a member of the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame.[5]
Speer once lost in a wrestling match with Bronko Nagurski due to a kneeing foul.[6] In another wrestling match, he caused former World Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey, who was officiating the contest, to knock him out.[7]
On June 1, 1938, Speer became ill but still participated in a wrestling match with Dorv Roche at Atlanta's Warren Arena.[8] Following the match, he developed a fever and was taken to a hospital, where he died June 10 of bronchial pneumonia.[1] He is interred at Atlanta's Hollywood Cemetery.[9]