Ed Molinski (August 20, 1917 – June 26, 1986) was a Hall of Fame college football player for the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...

. He later became a

doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

after being involved in

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, and college coaching.

Football career

Molinski played his high school ball at

Massillon Washington High School Washington High School, commonly referred to as Massillon High School or Massillon Washington High School, is a 9th to 12th grade secondary school within the Massillon City School District in the city of Massillon, Ohio, United States. The schoo ...

in Massillon, Ohio, where he played for legendary coach

Paul Brown Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 – August 5, 1991) was an American football coach and executive in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). Brown was both the co-founder and first coach of the Clevela ...

from 1934 to 1936 and was on the 1935 National Championship team. After graduating, he moved on to

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

where he played for another legendary coach,

Robert Neyland Robert Reese Neyland (; February 17, 1892 – March 28, 1962) was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach at the Univ ...

. Molinski was a standout at

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

in both high school and college. While at Tennessee, he helped lead the teams there to a 31–2 record and three undefeated regular seasons. He was a member of the 1938 Tennessee team that won the

National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

, and the 1939 team that put together an unscored upon regular season. That year, Molinski was named to several

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n teams. He was also named All-American the following season in 1940. In 1939, he was named to the

1939 College Football All Polish-American Team The 1939 College Football All Polish-American Team was the first all-star College Football Team of Polish-Americans. The team was selected by five American sport scribes from leading American newspapers. All members were of Polish descent. First ...

. Molinski was an All-American at the guard position, but was noted as a great player on both sides of the ball. He played on the

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

for his entire career at Tennessee. Molinski was known as a fiery player during his time at Tennessee, a benefit for the offensive and defensive line positions. His temperament was apparent when he was ejected early in the 1939

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game ...

, the final game for the 1938 championship team. Molinski was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.

Other

Molinski was also involved in

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...

boxing. He was the state heavyweight champion in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, while also captaining the university boxing squad. He was a National Golden Glove Semi-Finalist during his amateur career. After college, Molinski served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

during

, reaching the rank of second lieutenant. Following the war, Molinski worked as an assistant football coach and a history professor at the

Memphis State } The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering, the Center for Ea ...

and

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...

in addition to studying for a medical degree. The then Dr. Molinski finally settled in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

and practiced medicine until his death. Molinski earned the M.D. degree from the UT Center for the Health Sciences. He also spent 35 years serving as a physician/general practitioner who served underprivileged communities in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition, he was the Memphis State football team doctor and professional fight doctor for the city.

References

* 2006 University of Tennessee Football Media Guide

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Molinski, Ed 1917 births 1986 deaths American people of Polish descent All-American college football players American football guards Tennessee Volunteers football players United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps officers