George Starke

After graduating from Columbia College, Starke was drafted by the Washington Redskins and appeared with the Redskins in three Super Bowls - 1972, 1982 and 1983, helping them win Super Bowl XVII.

Starke's professional football career lasted thirteen years and, at the time of his retirement, Starke had been captain of the Redskins for five years. He was named one of the 70 greatest players in Redskins history.^[1]

The 6'5", 255-pound Starke was known by many as the "Head Hog" of "The Hogs," the Redskins' famous offensive line which also included Russ Grimm, Don Warren, Rick Walker, Mark May, Joe Jacoby and Jeff Bostic.^[2] The Hogs stayed together with a few other later additions nearly a decade after Starke's retirement in 1984.

Following his retirement from professional football, Starke attended Ford Motors Dealer Operations School and opened "George Starke Ford" in Emmitsburg, Maryland. At the same time, he launched a career in television broadcasting.

In 1997, Starke founded the "Excel Institute" in Washington, D.C., a not-for profit adult education vocational training school for at risk individuals above the age of sixteen. After graduating over 500 students trained as auto technicians, Starke retired from the Institute on October 1, 2010.

Starke's other endeavors include "Head Hog BBQ" restaurants in Bethesda, Maryland and Rockville, Maryland named after the famous Washington Redskins offensive line of which he was the senior member.

Following his retirement from the Institute, Starke started Starke Communications, a communications firm that provides communications, public relations and marketing services to corporate clients.

Early years

Starke grew up in New Rochelle, New York and attended public schools there. His father, George Starke, Sr., was a high school principal in Yonkers, New York and his mother, Shirley Starke, was a registered nurse.

Upon graduation from New Rochelle High School, Starke received a series of football awards, including All-Westchester County, All-Metropolitan, All-State and All-American. He was inducted into the New Rochelle and Westchester County Halls of Fame.

College career

Starke decided to attend Columbia College after having traveled much of the United States on a college tour that was sponsored by the many institutions offering him admission and full scholarships. The last college he visited prior to accepting Columbia College was Notre Dame. Had he gone there, he would have teamed with Notre Dame's quarterback Joe Theisman who later teamed with Starke in the Super Bowl victory over the Miami Dolphins.

One last attempt to sidetrack Starke's Columbia decision was made by the University of Virginia, which offered him the opportunity to not only attend their school on full scholarship, but also be the person to desegregate their college. Starke declined this offer.

While at Columbia College in New York City, Starke led his college football team in receptions as a tight end in 1969. At Columbia, Starke majored in physics and, in addition to football, also played center on a Columbia basketball team that featured All-Americans Jim McMillan and Haywood Dotsun. That Columbia basketball team would rise in the collegiate national basketball rankings to number 2 in the United States, just below UCLA. In 1983, Starke received Columbia's highest graduate award, the "John Jay Award" for prestigious graduate achievement.

Pro football

In spite of being drafted by the Redskins, Starke's pro football career had a rough start. Two weeks into Redskins training camp in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Starke was cut by the Redskins and went to Kansas City, Missouri to try out for the Kansas City Chiefs. After spending the remainder of the training camp with the Chiefs and being told he would make the squad, Starke was the last player cut by head coach Hank Stram just before the season began. In July 1972, Starke journeyed to Thousand Oaks, California to try out for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys trained in the hills 40 miles north of Los Angeles to escape the heat of suburban Dallas, Texas. After six weeks of training camp with the Cowboys, Starke was cut but he was asked by the Redskins to return and try again.

One year later and one year wiser, Starke made the Redskins roster. Placed originally on the taxi squad, Starke eventually moved up to the regular roster and by mid 1973 the starting position as right tackle. Initially, Starke played on coach George Allen's "Over the Hill Gang" and by 1979 under coach Jack Pardee, he was named offensive captain of the team. In 1981 under new coach Joe Gibbs, a young group of offensive linemen developed. This group, which became known as the "The Hogs" later went on to become the most famous offensive group of linemen to ever play in the National Football League. Regardless of the fact that he was ten years older than the rest, Starke became their leader and as such he became known as the "Head Hog".

Starke's first Super Bowl was with the "Over the Hill Gang" in 1972. Later with the "Hogs", Starke returned for Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XVIII after the 1982 NFL season and 1983 NFL season winning the first against the Miami Dolphins and losing the second against the Oakland Raiders. Starke's last full football season was 1984. He retired during training camp in 1985.

Life with the Hogs

Prior to retiring during the years 1983 and 1984, Starke capitalized on the notoriety of the "Hogs" by bringing them together getting each of them to invest $500.00 and forming a corporation called "Super Hogs". "Super Hogs" became the first professional athletes of any sport to market themselves outside of the National Football League oversight. "Super Hogs" created a clothing line, beer company, sold various "Hogs" themes merchandise and produced the two most successful football posters of all times: (1) Hogs Night Out and (2) The Grave Yard Dogs.

Life after the Skins

After retiring from the Washington Redskins in September 1985, Starke began working simultaneously on two careers. He was accepted into Ford Motor Companies Dealer Operations Training School in Baltimore, Maryland. Two years later, he graduated and along with a partner opened "George Starke Ford" in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

At the same time, Starke began his career in television broadcasting building on his many T.V. appearances in conjunction with local sports personalities who interviewed him as captain of the Washington Redskins. These interview shows included regular appearances with Glen Brenner - Local Channel 9, Bernie Smilovitz - Local Fox Channel 5 and others. After his retirement from pro football, Starke hosted PM Magazine and co-hosted the show "Redskins Saturday Night" with Pete Wysocki. In addition, Starke began working as a host for Hometeam Sports (Comcast) and a color commentator for ESPN College Football and CBS National Football League Broadcasts co-hosted with James Brown.

The "Redskins Saturday Night" shows went on to win several local Emmies. In 1989, Starke founded a beer company called "Head Hog Premium Beer" that sold beer within the historic Redskins broadcast footprint, which extended from Delaware in the north to Georgia in the south. That company evolved into "Head Hog BBQ Restaurants" in Bethesda, Maryland and Rockville, Maryland.

In 1996 being alarmed by the spike in youth violence in the District of Columbia and determining that violence was primarily a job issue, that involved a large number of youth who were illiterate and therefore unemployable, rather than a crime issue, Starke founded a not-for profit job training facility he named the Excel Institute. The Institute was designed as a two-year adult education program for at risk youth above the age of sixteen that provides basic education, life skills counseling and autotech vocational training. Two basic tenets of the Institute were that (1) anyone above the age of sixteen who wanted to attend was admitted and (2) all students were on full scholarship - i.e., nobody had to pay. In October 2010, after graduating over 500 students, Starke retired from management and the Board of the Excel Institute.

After retirement from the Institute, Starke founded Starke Communications, a communications firm that provides communications, PR and marketing services to corporate clients. Starke Communications also provides motivational speakers for its clients.

Personal

George Starke lives with his wife "Petra Smeltzer Starke" in Beverly Hills, California. Petra Starke, who grew up in Prague as Czech national, graduated from Georgetown University Law Center cum laude and used to practice law in Washington, D.C., including in the Obama White House. She is currently the President & CEO of Bikram's Yoga College of India, L.P. & Bikram, Inc., the international chain of the original hot yoga studios. They share their residence with son George Lawrence Starke, IV and the family dog "Mr. BiG", a 5-pound Chihuahua.

References

External links

http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/feb00/feb00_feature_starke.html - A 2000 Columbia College article about Starke.
http://www.redskins.com/team/bios/starke_george.htm - Redskins.com biography of Starke.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A44371-2004Jun15?language=printer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A45442-2004Jul12?language=printer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39776-2004Jul9.html

Washington Redskins 1971 NFL Draft selections

Cotton Speyrer Conway Hayman Willie Germany Mike Fanucci Jesse Taylor George Starke Jeff Severson Dan Ryczek Bill Bynum Tony Christnovich Glenn Tucker

Draft years 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1950 AAFC 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Washington Redskins Super Bowl XVII champions

3 Mark Moseley 5 Jeff Hayes 7 Joe Theismann 8 Bob Holly 17 Tom Owen 20 Joe Lavender 21 Mike Nelms 22 Curtis Jordan 23 Tony Peters 25 Joe Washington 29 Mark Murphy 30 Nick Giaquinto 32 Vernon Dean 38 Clarence Harmon 39 Otis Wonsley 40 Wilbur Jackson 44 John Riggins (MVP) 45 Jeris White 46 LeCharls McDaniel 47 Greg Williams 50 Larry Kubin 51 Monte Coleman 52 Neal Olkewicz 53 Jeff Bostic 54 Peter Cronan 55 Mel Kaufman 56 Quentin Lowry 57 Rich Milot 58 Stuart Anderson 62 Donald Laster 63 Fred Dean 65 Dave Butz 66 Joe Jacoby 68 Russ Grimm 69 Perry Brooks 71 Garry Puetz 72 Dexter Manley 73 Mark May 74 George Starke 75 Pat Ogrin 76 Mat Mendenhall 77 Darryl Grant 78 Tony McGee 79 Todd Liebenstein 80 Virgil Seay 81 Art Monk 82 Rich Caster 84 Mike Williams 85 Don Warren 86 Clint Didier 87 Charlie Brown 88 Rick Walker 89 Alvin Garrett

Head coach: Joe Gibbs

Coaches: Don Breaux Joe Bugel Dan Henning Larry Peccatiello Richie Petitbon Wayne Sevier Warren Simmons Charley Taylor LaVern Torgeson

80 Greatest Redskins

21 Terry Allen RB 1995–98
56 LaVar Arrington LB 2000–05
41 Mike Bass CB 1969–75
20 Cliff Battles B 1932–37
33 Sammy Baugh QB 1937–52
31 Don Bosseler FB 1957–64
53 Jeff Bostic C 1980–93
4 Mike Bragg P 1968–79
80 Gene Brito DE 1951–53, 1955–58
43 Larry Brown RB 1969–76
77 Bill Brundige DE 1970–77
65 Dave Butz DT 1975–88
21 Earnest Byner RB 1989–93
84 Gary Clark WR 1985–92
51 Monte Coleman LB 1979–94
53 Al DeMao C 1945–53
36 Chuck Drazenovich LB 1950–59
35 Bill Dudley RB 1950–51, 1953
17 Turk Edwards T 1932–40
44 Andy Farkas FB 1938–44
37 Pat Fischer CB 1968–77
28 Darrell Green CB 1983–2002
68 Russ Grimm G 1981–91
55 Chris Hanburger LB 1965–78
57 Ken Harvey LB 1994–98
56 Len Hauss C 1964–77
75 Terry Hermeling OT 1970–80
27 Ken Houston S 1973–80
70 Sam Huff LB 1964–67, 1969
66 Joe Jacoby T/G 1981–93
47 Dick James RB 1955–63
76 Jon Jansen OT 1999–08
80 Roy Jefferson WR 1971–76
9 Sonny Jurgensen QB 1964–74
22 Charlie Justice RB 1950, 1952–54
17 Billy Kilmer QB 1971–78
26 Paul Krause DB 1964–67
79 Jim Lachey T 1988–95
14 Eddie LeBaron QB 1952–53, 1955–59
72 Dexter Manley DE 1981–89
71 Charles Mann DE 1983–93
58 Wilber Marshall LB 1988–92
73 Mark May T 1981–89
79 Ron McDole DE 1971–78
63 Raleigh McKenzie G 1985–94
53 Harold McLinton LB 1969–78
40 Wayne Millner E 1936–41, 1945
49 Bobby Mitchell FL 1962–68
30 Brian Mitchell RB 1990–99
81 Art Monk WR 1980–93
3 Mark Moseley K 1974–86
29 Mark Murphy S 1977–84
21 Mike Nelms KR 1980–84
52 Neal Olkewicz LB 1979–89
23 Brig Owens LB 1966–77
26 Clinton Portis RB 2004–10
65 Vince Promuto G 1960–70
44 John Riggins RB 1976–79, 1981–85
11 Mark Rypien QB 1987–93
60 Chris Samuels OT 2000–09
83 Ricky Sanders WR 1986–93
76 Ed Simmons T 1987–93
87 Jerry Smith TE 1965–77
60 Dick Stanfel G 1956–58
74 George Starke T 1973–84
72 Diron Talbert DT 1971–80
42 Charley Taylor WR 1964–77
84 Hugh Taylor WR 1947–54
21 Sean Taylor S 2004–07
7 Joe Theismann QB 1974–85
67 Rusty Tillman LB 1970–77
85 Don Warren TE 1979–92
25 Joe Washington RB 1981–84
17 Doug Williams QB 1986–89

Administration

George Allen Head Coach 1971–77
Bobby Beathard General Manager 1978–89
Joe Bugel Offensive Line Coach 1981–89, 04–09
Ray Flaherty Head Coach 1936–42
Joe Gibbs Head Coach 1981–92
Richie Petitbon Defensive Coordinator 1978–92

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