Hall of Fame
Position: Running Back
Years: 1974-1976
Place of Birth: Fremont, Ohio
Date of Birth: Nov 12, 1954
Place of Death: Fremont, Ohio
Date of Death: Nov 20, 2010
Jersey Number: 41
Height: 6-1"
Weight: 195
High School: Ross (Fremont, Ohio)
Referred to as “the greatest back I ever coached” by College Football Hall of Fame coach Bo Schembechler, Rob Lytle rewrote the Michigan record books during his standout career in Ann Arbor. He becomes the 30th Wolverine to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A consensus First Team All-American following his senior campaign, Lytle finished third in the 1976 Heisman Trophy voting after being named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player. The First Team All-Conference selection set Wolverine records for single-season (1,469 in 1976) and career (3,317) rushing yards, with both totals still ranking in the top 10. A member of Michigan’s 1974 and 1976 Big Ten Conference championship teams, Lytle also set school records for 150-yard rushing games in a single-season with five and 100-yard rushing games in a career with 15. The 1976 captain and team MVP led the Wolverines to the 1976 Orange Bowl and the 1977 Rose Bowl. In 1974, Lytle received Michigan’s Maulbetsch Award, given on the basis of desire, character and leadership on and off the football field. He played alongside College Football Hall of Fame safety Dave Brown.
A second-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 1977 NFL Draft, he played seven seasons for the Broncos. He helped guide them to Super Bowl XII during his rookie season and became the first player to score a touchdown in both the Rose Bowl and the Super Bowl.
After retiring, Lytle returned to his hometown of Fremont, Ohio, to raise his family, and he served as vice president at Old Fort Banking Company. He was active with the NFF Michigan Chapter, and he volunteered with many organizations, including Head Start, the March of Dimes and the Special Olympics. Tragically, Lytle passed away at the age of 56 on Nov. 20, 2010, following a heart attack. He was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 2012.
