THE SIDELINES : Hall of Famer Nagurski, 81, Dies

Bronko Nagurski, a bruising running back who was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and an All-American on offense and defense at the University of Minnesota, has died at age 81.

Nagurski died Sunday night at Falls Memorial Hospital, apparently of natural causes. He had been in a nursing home for about a year and in the hospital for about a week.

Bronko, not a nickname, was born in Rainy River, Ontario, and moved to International Falls at age 2. At Minnesota, the 6-foot-2 Nagurski played fullback on offense and tackle on defense and in 1929 became the only player ever named All-America at two positions in the same year.

Soon after, Nagurski met football innovator and Chicago Bears founder George Halas and began playing for the pro team. In an interview in 1983, Nagurski said he asked Halas for more money. “I didn’t get it so I retired,” he said.