Rob Lytle
Robert William Lytle (November 12, 1954 – November 20, 2010) was an American football running back who excelled at the University of Michigan before a professional career with the Denver Broncos in the National Football League.[1] At Michigan from 1973 to 1976, Lytle set school records for career rushing yards with 3,317 and single-season yards with 1,469 in 1976, earning consensus All-American honors, Big Ten Most Valuable Player, and a third-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting that year.[2][3] Selected fifteenth overall in the 1977 NFL Draft, he appeared in 87 games over eight seasons, accumulating 1,451 rushing yards and scoring a touchdown in Super Bowl XII as a rookie.[1] Lytle was posthumously inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.[3] Examination of his brain after death from a heart attack revealed moderate to severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), attributed to an estimated 24 concussions sustained across his football career from youth through the pros.[4][1]Early Life
Upbringing and Family Background
Robert Lytle was born on November 12, 1954, in Fremont, Ohio.[5] He was raised in the city, a small industrial community in Sandusky County known for its manufacturing and agricultural roots.[6] Lytle's early years reflected a strong local orientation, with his family maintaining ties to Fremont that prompted his return there after his professional career to raise his own children.[5] He developed an early affinity for athletics, beginning workouts with the Fremont Ross High School football team during the summer of 1968, prior to entering eighth grade, under the guidance of coach Chuck Shuff, who identified his potential.[6] Specific details about his parents remain limited in public records, though correspondence from Ohio State coach Woody Hayes addressed well-wishes to Lytle and his parents, indicating familial support for his pursuits.[6]High School Athletic Career
Rob Lytle attended Ross High School in Fremont, Ohio, participating in football as a running back for the school's [Little Giants](/page/Little Giants) team.[7][6] Over his high school career, Lytle amassed 2,573 rushing yards.[6] As a senior in 1972, he rushed for 1,469 yards, earning first-team All-Ohio honors from United Press International and second-team recognition from the Associated Press.[8][6] He also recorded 562 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns during his tenure.[9]Collegiate Career
Arrival at University of Michigan
Lytle, a graduate of Ross High School in Fremont, Ohio, where he excelled in football, enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1973 to pursue a collegiate career with the Wolverines.[9][10] His recruitment drew interest from top programs, ultimately narrowing to Michigan under Bo Schembechler and rival Ohio State under Woody Hayes, with Hayes making personal visits to discuss topics like Civil War history while Schembechler reviewed game film.[4] Lytle committed to Michigan despite Hayes' intense recruitment efforts, marking a notable choice in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry context.[11] Upon arrival, Lytle joined the team as a tailback and fullback, contributing to a program that emphasized a power-running offense under Schembechler.[12] The 1973 Wolverines finished with a 10-0-1 record, including a tie in the Rose Bowl, though Lytle's freshman contributions were limited as he adapted to Big Ten competition.[2] His integration into the squad laid the foundation for subsequent seasons, where he would emerge as a key rusher in a backfield that prioritized toughness and blocking alongside running.[13]Record-Setting Performances
During his senior season in 1976, Lytle established a then-single-season Michigan record for rushing yards with 1,469 on 278 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt, while scoring 13 rushing touchdowns.[13][14] This performance led the Big Ten Conference and ranked seventh nationally, contributing to Michigan's Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl appearance.[13] Lytle also set a school record that year for the most 150-yard rushing games in a single season, achieving five such outings, including 165 yards against Purdue on October 2 and 182 yards against Illinois on October 16.[14][15] Over his career from 1974 to 1976, he amassed 3,317 rushing yards, surpassing the previous Michigan career record held by Tim Killian.[16][13] Additionally, Lytle recorded 15 career 100-yard rushing games, another Wolverine mark at the time.[13]Individual Awards and Team Contributions
Lytle received the University of Michigan's Maulbetsch Award in 1974, recognizing mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability as determined by the team's lettermen.[5] As a senior in 1976, he was named the Big Ten Conference's Most Valuable Player and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after rushing for a then-school-record 1,469 yards and 14 touchdowns.[13] That season, Lytle also garnered consensus All-American recognition and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Tony Dorsett and Ricky Bell.[4] As team captain and MVP in 1976, Lytle anchored Michigan's rushing attack, contributing to a 10-2 record that included a victory over Ohio State and a Big Ten championship, culminating in a Rose Bowl appearance and a No. 3 national ranking.[13] Over his career from 1973 to 1976, he helped the Wolverines secure three Big Ten titles, amassing 3,317 rushing yards—a mark that surpassed the previous Michigan career record—and 26 touchdowns while ranking among the team's top contributors in a run-heavy offense under coach Bo Schembechler.[4][5] His efforts also propelled the team to the 1976 Orange Bowl following the 1975 season.[5]Professional Career
NFL Draft Selection
Rob Lytle was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft.[1][17] The draft occurred on May 3, 1977, in New York City, where the Broncos viewed Lytle as a promising running back to bolster their backfield after his productive college tenure at the University of Michigan, including a senior season with 1,123 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.[7][17] Despite expectations from some scouts for a first-round selection based on his All-American status and third-place finish in 1976 Heisman Trophy voting, Lytle fell to the second round, potentially due to concerns over his 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame relative to other top prospects like Tony Dorsett, who went second overall.[17][18] Lytle signed a multi-year contract with the Broncos shortly thereafter on July 6, 1977, joining a team that had reached the playoffs the previous season and was building toward contention under head coach Red Miller.[7]Denver Broncos Years
Lytle played his entire seven-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos from 1977 to 1983, appearing in 87 games as a running back.[1] During this period, he primarily served as a backup and situational contributor behind primary rushers like Otis Armstrong and Johnny Keyworth, accumulating 1,451 rushing yards on 376 carries for an average of 3.9 yards per attempt and 12 rushing touchdowns, along with 61 receptions for 562 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns.[1][7] In his rookie 1977 season, Lytle recorded 104 carries for 408 yards and 1 rushing touchdown, plus 17 receptions for 198 yards and 1 receiving score over 14 games, aiding the Broncos' run to their first Super Bowl.[19] He scored the team's only touchdown in Super Bowl XII on January 15, 1978, via a 1-yard run against the Dallas Cowboys, despite Denver's 27–10 defeat.[4] Lytle also contributed offensively in the playoffs that year, rushing for two touchdowns across the postseason games.[1] Lytle's production peaked in 1979 with 102 carries for 371 yards and 4 touchdowns, his highest single-season rushing total with the team, though he faced injury challenges that placed him on injured reserve late in the year.[7] He repeated postseason success in 1978, adding two more rushing touchdowns in the playoffs.[1] By his later years, his role diminished, with minimal carries in 1982 (2 attempts for 2 yards) amid roster changes and the 1982 players' strike.[7]| Year | Rush Att | Rush Yds | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 104 | 408 | 1 | 17 | 198 | 1 |
| 1978 | 81 | 341 | 2 | 6 | 37 | 0 |
| 1979 | 102 | 371 | 4 | 13 | 93 | 0 |
| 1980 | 57 | 223 | 1 | 18 | 177 | 0 |
| 1981 | 30 | 106 | 4 | 6 | 47 | 1 |
| 1982 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 1983 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |