Gus Rosenow

Gustave Adolph Rosenow (1892 – June 15, 1974) was an American professional football player. From Menasha, Wisconsin, he was a member of the first Green Bay Packers team in 1919. He played with the Packers as a halfback until 1921 and also played basketball. He played football and basketball with only one arm, having lost the other in an accident as a child.

Early life Rosenow was born in 1892 and grew up in Menasha, Wisconsin. In 1904, at age 12, he climbed up a tree and was "hunting hickory nuts" when he slipped and fell, suffering three fractures in his left arm and dislocating his wrist. According to The Post-Crescent, "the lower part of the arm was jammed up about three inches into the flesh above the elbow". Two years later, he had another serious injury when a friend accidentally shot him through his leg. According to the News-Record, he played football for four years while in college before graduating in 1917.

After his graduation from Wisconsin, Rosenow became a principal in Daggett, Michigan. In Michigan, he also served as a football coach. In 1918, he became a football and basketball coach at Green Bay West High School, also teaching math and science at the school.

Professional career The 1919 Green Bay Packers, featuring Gus Rosenow (third from the right), went 10–1 during their inaugural season. Rosenow was set to coach football at West High School in 1919, but in September joined the newly-formed Green Bay Packers prior to their first game against Menominee. Rosenow scored a touchdown in a win against Ishpeming-Negaunee and later scored twice in a win against a Chicago team.

Rosenow coached basketball at West High School during the 1919–20 season, then continued playing for the Packers in 1920. He played his third and final season with the Packers in 1921 as they joined the American Professional Football Association (APFA) – now known as the National Football League (NFL).

During his career, Rosenow stood at and weighed . He mainly played as a left halfback, but also saw action at right halfback, fullback and quarterback with the Packers. With her, he had a son and four daughters. He remained in education after his football career, eventually serving as superintendent of schools in Niagara until his retirement around 1954. He died on June 15, 1974, at the age of 82, from a heart attack. At the time of his death, he was one of two surviving members of the original Packers; the other, Wally Ladrow, died one month later.