University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
George Oelze 1965 - Football
An outstanding defensive player for the football team in the early 1960's, George Oelze made his mark at the University of Vermont. A 1995 UVM Hall of Fame inductee, his playing career started on a high note when he was elected captain of the freshmen team in 1961. That team went on to an undefeated season, going 5-0.
From there Oelze stood out as one of the top defenders - and top players - in New England. He played on both offense and defense, seeing time at both center and guard on offense and at linebacker on defense. An All-State selection as a sophomore, junior and senior, Oelze captained the team in 1963.
He was an All-Yankee Conference selection in 1964 and was also named the team's outstanding defensive player as both a junior and senior. He led the team in tackles as a junior and tied for the lead as a senior with fellow Hall of Famer Rusty Brink. In a game against Middlebury in 1962, Oelze had 26 tackles. In 1963, he was named to the ECAC Weekly All-Star team after an outstanding performance against UMass. And in 1964, he was again honored by the ECAC after Vermont's 16-8 win over Rhode Island when he was the Cats top defensive player preserving the team's five-game winning streak.
