Ken Gorgal ST. BEDE ACADEMY Accomplishments • A three-sport athlete at SBA, Gorgal played college football at Purdue, where he was a QB, DB and punter; also played CF on the Purdue baseball team • In 1948, he set a Purdue football record that stood for more than 50 years by amassing 138 return yards in a game • Selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 1950 NFL Draft as a DB; Played in the NFL for the Browns, Bears and Packers but took a two-year stint in the U.S. Army during the Korean War • Two-time NFL Champion (1950 and 1954 with the Browns) and First Team All-Pro selection in 1953
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By Brandon LaChance
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WHERE are they NOW
pecializing in a single sport or activities with the same movements was not the norm in the 1940s. St. Bede graduate Ken Gorgal excelled in every athletic aspect offered to him including football, basketball and baseball. This was just the beginning of Gorgal (1929-2016) creating a resume undeniable for the NewsTribune’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame. “It means a lot to us. His roots being in Peru and from St. Bede – he loved St. Bede – coming out of the small town and what it did and provided to him means a lot,” said Mark Gorgal, who was Ken Gorgal’s third child after twins Diane and Denise, and before Renee. “To get this kind of recognition and this honor locally in your hometown area is really something special for him and for us. “We took him to St. Bede before he passed in 2016 and Diane and I went back in 2019. The love, commitment and endearment the community brought to
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A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame | September 29, 2021 17
