Knox College Athletics

George Bahorich was a four-year member, and three-year starter, on the Knox College football team. He played offensive guard and defensive back in a time when most players played on both sides of the ball and freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity team. His teams won 16 games over his four-year career, with the records trending upwards each year.

Bahorich was selected as a captain of the football team for his senior season and received two first team all-Midwest Conference selections and one second team selection during his career. The Midwest Conference recognized him as one of the two best interior linemen in the league during the 1940’s.

Coach Harold Turner in an interview with the Galesburg Register-Mail in 1963 said, “We whipped up a unique defense in an attempt to halt Lawrence’s vicious single-wing attack. We put Bahorich at defensive end and he crashed remarkably that day, the defense worked, and the Siwashers won, 19-13. That game was the only time he played end in his career, but it didn’t stop Lawrence head coach Bernie Heselton from voting for Bahorich for all-conference end at the postseason coaches’ meeting.”

Bahorich was born on September 15, 1925 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and lived in an orphanage from the age of seven until he enlisted in the Army. He achieved the rank of Sergeant and landed in France three days after D-Day with the 103^rd Division and helped liberate the concentration camp at Dachau.

Bahorich attended Knox on the G.I. Bill and after college received an invitation from George Halas to try out for the Chicago Bears. He did a second tour of duty during the Korean War and then worked as a Long Lines District Plant Manager for AT&T.

Bahorich passed away on December 28, 2014 at the age of 89.