Former Eagle, Penn footballer dies at 88

College Football Hall of Famer and former Penn offensive lineman George Savitsky passed away this week after a battle with pneumonia, CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank reported.

Savitsky was 88.

A four-time All-American with the Quakers from 1944-47, Savitsky helped lead the Red and Blue to 24-7-1 record over that span. In his senior season, in which he played alongside all-time great Chuck Bednarik, Penn went 7-0-1 and finished No. 7 in the nation. It was the last time the Quakers finished the season with a Top 25 ranking.

A multi-sport athlete, Savitsky also played on the wrestling team, threw shot put on the track and field team and served as a manager for the basketball team. Prior to attending Penn, he served for two years in the U.S. Marines, and upon graduation, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round. He played just 24 games across two seasons in the NFL — 1948 and 1949. The Eagles won the title both years.

Leaving professional football after the 1949 season, he chose to attend the Penn School of Dental Medicine. He enjoyed a successful career as dentist and an oral surgeon in South Jersey.

After being enshrined in the College Football H.O.F. in 1991, Savitsky was finally inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.