Rod Breedlove obit

Legendary NFL, Allegany star Rod Breedlove dies at 83

 

He was not on the list.

Rodney Winston Breedlove "Rod" (Age 83) 

Of Conowingo, MD, passed away on May 25, 2021. Rod was born in Cresaptown, MD, to Douglas W. Breedlove and Catherine Louella Graves Breedlove, father of three children from his former marriage to the late Martha Sterbak Breedlove, Ruth Ann Andrews (Mack), Douglas Breedlove, and Mari K Moxley (the late Douglas "Doug" Moxley), grandfather of Jason "Jay" Andrews (Katy), Josh Andrews (Bobby Jo), and Sam Moxley. He also leaves behind numerous cousins in Ohio and his hometown of Cumberland as well as many friends. Mr. Breedlove played for the NFL for 10 years. He was drafted by the 49ers and then traded to the Washington Redskins, member of the All-Pro team in 1962, then on to the Pittsburgh Steelers in his final three years. After the NFL, Mr. Breedlove worked for the Metropolitan Meat, Poultry and Seafood Company.A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday June 3, 2020 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Mountain Branch Golf Club, 1827 Mountain Road, Joppa, MD 21085. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to NFL ALUMNI Caring for Kids Fund, 3000 MidAtlantic Drive, Suite 100, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 or www.nflalumni.org/donate, In memory of Rodney Breedlove, or Alleghany High School Football Program, 900 Seton Drive, Cumberland, MD 21507.

was a linebacker for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1960 to 1967. Breedlove was a one-time Pro Bowler in 1962.

Breedlove received an All-American honorable mention in 1957–59, AP All-ACC selection in 1957 and 1958, and All-ACC First Team selection in 1957 as a Maryland Terrapins guard.

Throughout Rod Breedlove's life, the 1956 Allegany High School graduate was most known for his relenting determination, on and off the gridiron.

 

The decorated Cumberland athlete died Tuesday at the age of 83.

Before he was a Pro Bowler in the National Football League, or the 1960 male Athlete of the Year at the University of Maryland, Breedlove needed to fight to even play on the Allegany eighth-grade team.

He faced two major obstacles. First, he was in the seventh grade; and second, he was in the seventh grade at Cresaptown Elementary, which at the time went through the ninth grade.

With his industrious buddy Zeddy Bowen, the pair hitchhiked for two seasons, catching rides after the school day ended and doing the same to get home at the conclusion of practice.

"If you don't give a total effort, you're letting your teammates down," the dedicated Breedlove once said.

Legendary Campers' head man Roy Lester liked what he saw from the promising young athlete.

Though Breedlove made the varsity team in what would have been his freshman season, Cresaptown's administration didn't want to lose him to the high school in Cumberland, as he was an honor student and a leader among his classmates set to begin his ninth-grade year.

The principal eventually relented, allowing him and several other Cresaptown students to begin their freshman years at Allegany in 1952.

But football was his passion, and the highly sought-after recruit accepted a scholarship to play defensive line at Maryland.

 

Prior to attending the flagship institution, Breedlove credited Lester — whose four years as the Campers' coach coincided with Breedlove's — with his development both as a player and as a man.

 

The duo would stay together for one more season, with Lester becoming the Terps' freshman coach. Lester eventually took over as head coach at Maryland from 1969-71.

 

"I learned more fundamentals under Roy Lester than under anyone else," Breedlove said. "He stressed execution, blocking and tackling, maximum effort. Many different types of players were on his squads but he molded them together, concentrating on team play. He made it a point to exercise strict discipline, made sure players kept up their studies, and got along very well with parents."

 

It was a family affair, with the Terps sporting a first-year coach named Tommy Mont, a Mount Savage native that led Allegany to a City Championship in 1939 before becoming an All-American quarterback in College Park.

 

Breedlove raked in numerous awards under Mont's tutelage. He was twice named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team, was the co-Captain of the North squad in the Senior Bowl and played in the All-America Bowl in Tucson, Arizona.

 

He was pictured on the cover of Street and Smith's annual college football magazine, a significant nod in the day, with only one athlete covering the publication a year.

After three times being listed as an All-American honorable mention from 1957-59 as a guard — now known as the defensive tackle position, Breedlove was drafted 35th overall by the NFL's San Francisco 49ers in the 1960 draft.

On the evening before the final preseason game, Breedlove was traded to the Washington Redskins when the squad lost their starting linebacker to injury.

As Breedlove proved earlier in life, no obstacle was too steep to overcome.

He could've easily taken the preseason contest off to learn the playbook following his coast-to-coast journey, with new surroundings and an army of new teammates.

At least this time he had transportation.

Breedlove flew all night, studying the playbook on the way, and he took the field and showed his new employer they made the proper decision.

After five seasons with the Redskins — who he made the 1962 Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams with — he moved on to the Pittsburgh Steelers to finish out the final years of an eight-year career.

Breedlove picked off 11 passes and recovered nine fumbles in 101 NFL games, 58 starts.

He was a recipient of the Dapper Dan Club's Top Award in 1958 and was inducted into the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980.

Upon retirement, he was employed for 25 years as a customer service representative by Metropolitan Meat, Seafood and Poultry Company. In November 2009, he was recognized for his achievements at halftime of the Homecoming Game.

In Breedlove's first game, he played a significant role in the Campers' 81-0 rout of Ridgeley High School at what was then Fort Hill Stadium. A stadium record that still stands to this day.

In 1956, Breedlove was named to the All-City and All-State teams and received the Charles Babst Award, an annual honor that goes to Allegany's top student-athlete.

Breedlove was more than just a standout on the gridiron. A three-sport standout, he played on a State Championship basketball team in Bill Bowers' final season, earning All-City and All-County status, and gave his all on the baseball diamond.