Former Michigan Wolverines great, Denver Bronco Rob Lytle passes away
On Sunday 21 November, former University of Michigan and Denver Broncos running back Rob Lytle passed away at the age of 56, according to The Associated Press.
According to the report, Lytle was taken to the Memorial Hospital in Fremont, Ohio, after suffering from an apparent heart attack on Saturday night. Friends and former teammates were understandably saddened by the news, but lauded Lytle’s great character and
selfless actions in retrospect.
“I knew he had some issues with a stroke a while back, but I don’t know if that was related,” saoid Rick Leach, a teammate of Lytle’s at Michigan. “I do know he was a special guy, who was a mentor to me. He was one of the toughest guys I ever played with and
one of the best leaders, who made the ultimate sacrifice for us by playing fullback at times.”
Likewise, Dave Brandon remembers his former Wolverines teammate vividly, and will cherish the legacy that Lytle leaves behind. “Rob was a teammate and an incredibly terrific guy,” said Brandon, who coincidentally serves as Michigan’s current athletic director.
“When I heard the news this morning, I was sickened by it. It’s a sad day because we’ve lost someone who was a great example of a Michigan man.”
Lytle made his mark at Michigan, helping his Wolverines capture three Big Ten championships during his time in Ann Arbor. He finished his collegiate career with 26 touchdowns and 3,317 rushing yards, which stood (at the time) as the highest total in the program’s
storied history.
In 1976, Lytle was elected to the All-American team, and also won the Big Ten’s MVP award. He also finished in third place that season, behind Pittsburgh’s Tony Dorsett and Ricky Bell from the University of Southern California, in the race for the prestigious
Heisman Trophy.
Following his illustrious career at Michigan, Lytle was drafted by the Denver Broncos, for whom he played all seven of his NFL seasons.
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