Alan Ameche: The Story of "The Horse"

Foreword by Pat Richter

Any football-minded kid growing up on Madison’s East Side in the fall of  was undoubtedly a huge fan of the Madison East Purgolders and the Wisconsin Badgers. The Purgolders played in the Big Eight, and one of the schools in the conference was Kenosha Bradford. Its  team was regarded as one of the best ever in the state of Wisconsin. It was an extraordinarily talented bunch, which included quarterback Mario Bonofiglio, who started college at the University of Wisconsin and then transferred to play football at the University of Miami; end Tom Braatz, who played at Marquette and in the NFL; and Bobby Hinds who accepted a boxing scholarship at the University of Wisconsin and also boxed professionally . In addition there were two other players who went on to star at the University of Wisconsin. One was guard and placekicker Paul Shwaiko, and the other was “the Horse,” Alan Ameche. Ameche’s successor at running back at Kenosha, Eddie Hart, was aptly named “the Pony.” Five doors down from our house on Rutledge Street lived our Purgolder hero, Gary Messner, who went on to play center on the Wisconsin football team and become a teammate of Alan Ameche. On occasion Gary would have some of the Badger players over to his house, and invariably word would get around that they were coming and that’s where we headed. What a thrill it was to meet the players and get their autographs, but the guy who generated the most excitement and gave us the biggest thrill of all was the Horse. For us, he was no longer the feared running back of Madison East’s rival, Kenosha. Now he was to be cheered, for he was now a Wisconsin Badger. Alan was a great player for four years at Wisconsin, and his punishing running style gave credence to the nickname the Horse. He capped off his foreword Pat Richter ix illustrious career by being named the recipient of the Heisman Trophy, the most coveted award in college football. He was the first player so honored from the University of Wisconsin. We naturally followed his subsequent NFL career with the Baltimore Colts because he was still our hero, “the Horse.” We were thrilled and proud of his being a Badger when he scored the winning touchdown in what has been called “the Greatest Game Ever Played,” the Baltimore Colts’ win over the New York Giants in . During Alan’s six-year NFL career, he and teammate Gino Marchetti embarked on a very successful business career. Gino was a very tough defensive end who I played against when I joined the Washington Redskins in . They made a great team, on and off the field. On occasion, Alan would return to Madison after he retired, and it was gratifying to see that he was as genuinely gracious and humble as he was when we first met him at Gary Messner’s house in the early s. The humility that was his trademark, coupled with his on- and off-the-field success, had provided Alan, his wife Yvonne, and family, an opportunity to share that success with others. Their philanthropy meant as much to Alan and the family as Alan’s football prowess meant to his fans. In retirement, the Horse became an even bigger hero to us all.  Like Alan Ameche, Pat Richter enjoyed a legendary athletic career at the University of Wisconsin. Richter is Wisconsin’s last three-sport letterman, having lettered in football, basketball, and baseball in the same school year on three occasions. As the Badgers’ football tight end, Richter led the nation in receiving as a junior, was a two-time all-American, and set a Rose Bowl record with  receptions for  yards against Southern California in the  game. He was Wisconsin’s director of Intercollegiate Athletics for nearly fifteen years before retiring in . x foreword ...