Bob Novogratz, a 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame electee who starred at Army West Point from 1957-58, passed away. He was 89.
 
"It is a somber day for the college football community with the passing of Bob Novogratz," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "Bob Novogratz was the kind of player who made everyone around him better, blocking for Hall of Famers Pete Dawkins, Bob Anderson, and Bill Carpenter while anchoring one of the most dominant defenses of his era. After his college playing days, he served our country for 28 years, earning some of our nation's highest military honors. We are deeply saddened that he will not be with us for his formal induction in December, and we will ensure his accomplishments are permanently enshrined in the NFF College Football Hall of Fame."
 
A First Team All-American in 1958 at offensive guard, Novogratz embodied the toughness, versatility, and endurance that defined Army football in its golden era, emerging as one of the most dominant linemen of the time as part of Army's last undefeated season.
 
Novogratz played a central role on Army's undefeated 8–0–1 squad that finished the season ranked No. 3 nationally. Over two seasons, he helped lead Army to a 15–2–1 record. He blocked for NFF Hall of Famers Bob Anderson and Pete Dawkins, the latter also a Heisman Trophy winner. He also helped spring NFF Hall of Famer Bill Carpenter, who revolutionized the game as Army's famed "Lonely End" during the 1958 season.
 
Playing in an era of ironman football, he starred on both sides of the ball, serving as a cornerstone of the offensive line while also emerging as the leader of an elite defense that surrendered just 5.4 points per game. Legendary NFF Hall of Fame coach Earl "Red" Blaik famously described him as the "sword and flame" of the Army defense.
 
The 1958 season included a signature 14-2 victory over fourth-ranked Notre Dame. In that contest, Novogratz played 56 minutes and recorded 18 tackles.
 
Novogratz earned the Knute Rockne Lineman of the Year Award from the Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C. and was also named Lineman of the Year by the Los Angeles Times in 1958.

He concluded his college career playing in the East-West Shrine Game.
 
Following graduation from West Point, Novogratz was commissioned as a second lieutenant and went on to serve 28 years in the United States Army, including two tours of duty in Vietnam and one in Korea. A highly decorated officer, he received the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters and the Vietnamese Honor Medal before, eventually retiring with the rank of colonel.
 
Novogratz was also a two-time letterwinner with the Army wrestling program and finished third at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships as a heavyweight in 1959. He was inducted into the Army Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
 
Born March 28, 1937, in Northampton, Pennsylvania, Novogratz got his start at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey.