A two-way star on the gridiron and one of
the first great wrestlers during the varsity era, Stan Szymanski
was, despite being under 200 pounds, the big man on
campus.
Szymanski played varsity football for WPI
for four years. He was an outstanding offensive guard, but his
specialty was defense at middle linebacker as well as a standout on
special teams making tackles on kick-offs and punts. He led the
team in tackles his junior and senior year. Stan, combined with
other outstanding defenders, made WPI a tough team to score
against.
He and his teammates were lauded for their strong play by NFL
Hall of Famer and former Coast Guard head coach Otto Graham.
“Stan led our team in tackles both our junior and senior
years from his inside linebacker position,” commented fellow
Hall of Famer Bill Shields. “He did that while also being a
stalwart on special teams and as an offensive guard—Stan was
truly a 60-minute player”
Szymanski wrestled for WPI for four years, the first two of which
wrestling was a club sport, with an outstanding record against
major schools in the New England Intercollegiate Wrestling
Association (NEIWA). Wrestling was named a varsity sport in
Stan’s junior year and he and Bob Murphy became the first
varsity wrestling captains, thus beginning a long and outstanding
wrestling legacy for WPI.
He was undefeated in his junior year, posting a 9-0-1 record with
a pair of pins, while leading his team to a winning record in its
first year as a varsity team. He wrestled heavyweight, though he
weighed less than 190 pounds, and that brought students out in
droves to see him wrestle much bigger, in some cases stronger,
opponents.
“Stan was a dedicated football player and a tough and
talented wrestler whose work ethic and stamina were second to
none,” says teammate and future All-New England wrestler Ron
Tata. He was a small heavyweight at about 195 pounds and all his
bouts were weight mismatches.”
“I personally led the frat brothers up the hill from Kap to
see the David vs. Goliath match of the week, remembers Shields.
“This was really a big deal at the time.”
Szymanski graduated from WPI in 1964 with a degree in chemical
engineering; he worked his entire career at Occidental Chemical
subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum. One of his most interesting and
exciting responsibilities was a special assignment in Poland and
Hungary during Communist times, chairing the International Chemical
Association Environment Health and Safety group worldwide, which
consisted of 46 countries.
He currently splits his time between the Dallas/Fort Worth area
and Western New York. He and his wife, Betsy, have two children and
three grandchildren.
