Editor’s note: The Menominee High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024 induction ceremony takes place May 4 at the Pullman House in Menominee. Tickets are on sale at the Superintendent’s office at Blesch School and the Principal’s office at the high school for $35. Each week, the EagleHerald will spotlight one of the 12 inductees. This week’s feature is on Robert Theuerkauf, Class of 1970.
MENOMINEE — Building a gridiron dynasty begins with foundational bricks, a role Robert Theuerkauf filled with aplomb during the dawn of Menominee’s single-wing juggernaut in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Whether running over a would-be tackler from his fullback position or flattening opposing ball carriers at safety, Theuerkauf epitomized what it means to be a Maroon athlete.
The only football player at Michigan State University to graduate from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Theuerkauf will become immortalized on May 4, when he is inducted into the Menominee High School Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2024.
The induction ceremony takes place at the Pullman House in Menominee.
“That’s a good choice,” former Menominee Herald-Leader editor and local historian Larry Ebsch said of Theuerkauf’s induction. “I’m happy for him and his family because the Theuerkauf family has made just enormous contributions to Maroon athletics over the years. That’s a remarkable family.”
Theuerkauf was born April 9, 1952 and attended Menominee High School from 1967 through 1970, starring for the Maroons in both football and track and field.
For Menominee coach Ken Hofer, who took over the Maroon football program in 1966, Theuerkauf proved to be a godsend for his team on both sides of the ball.
“Bob was really a good fit for Ken Hofer’s single-wing. The Maroon offense was just devastating. Opponents had such difficulties in combating the power attack, and Bob was certainly one of the great players that got that thing going when Coach Hofer came to Menominee and installed it,” Ebsch said.
Theuerkauf made his presence felt as a junior with a 97-yard touchdown run against Kingsford, setting both a Great Northern Conference and Walton Blesch Stadium record for longest run from scrimmage for a score.
He was even more impressive as a senior, racking up 175 carries for 678 yards and eight touchdowns on offense, recording three interceptions and seven passes defended on defense, and adding 140 return yards for good measure.
Theuerkauf was a two-time All-GNC selection (1968-79), a two-time All-U.P. performer (68-69) and an All-State Honorable Mention in 1969. He was the only player to receive All-GNC honors on both offense and defense as a senior.
Teammates named Theuerkauf the recipient of the Thomas D. Caley Memorial Trophy as the team’s Most Valuable Player.
“He was the poster child for rugged football,” Ebsch said. “He was just a bruising runner as a ballcarrier, and he was a hard-nosed defensive player.”
Theuerkauf also competed in track and field for four years under coach Fran Mellinger, competing in the 100-yard dash, 880-yard relay and the high jump, helping the Maroons win a U.P. title in 1968.
Theuerkauf won the Barbara Silverthorn Trophy as the Upper Peninsula’s top senior athlete in 1970 before accepting a full scholarship to Michigan State University. During his time in East Lansing, he participated in track as a freshman and football from 1970-73.
Theuerkauf obtained his Bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1974 and graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine, with honors, in 1977.
In his career as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Theuerkauf was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association for 45 years. He served as President of the Macomb Veterinary Medical Association and owned North Gratiot Veterinary Hospital from 1988 to 2022.
Theuerkauf is also a contributor to the James Hodge Pulmonary Fibrosis Run in Menominee, which supports research for lung and respiratory diseases.
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