Legends of the 715: Pete Banaszak

Football season is upon us! For our next look at a 715 legend, we’re going to the far eastern part of the 715 region to a town called Crivitz.

The reason we’re going to Crivitz is because of a former player named Pete Banaszak.

Banaszak was born was born in Crvitz in 1944. He ended up going to the University of Miami to play football where he finished his three-year career with the Hurricanes rushing for 1,107 yards and nine touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns.

He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders 59th overall in the 1966 AFL Draft. He was a member of the 1967 AFL championship team, who lost the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II. He later would return to the Super Bowl and help the team to victory in Super Bowl XI against the Minnesota Vikings, where he scored two touchdowns.

Part of his legacy is being a part of the “Holy Roller” play lay that led to rule changes in the NFL about advancing fumbles.

So the next time you think of Crivitz, Wisconsin you can think of Pete Banaszak!