Inside The Huskies

UW Lost All-American Player, Program Giant in Rick Redman (1943-2022)

The former two-way standout died on Friday after a long illness.

Dan Raley

In this story:

Rick Redman had the crewcut, the firm jaw, the thousand-yard stare that dared you to try and challenge him, all the subtle nuances that seemed to suggest he would become a great 1960s University of Washington football player. 

Redman, who died in the Seattle area last Friday following a long illness at 79, actually was a Husky for all generations.

He was one of the UW's last highly successful two-way players as a linebacker and an offensive guard, even a noted three-way performer if you factor in that he punted, too.

All of this made Redman a two-time, first-team All-America selection for several news or football organizations, most notably for the United Press International. In 1995, he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Following a decade in the NFL and WFL, he came home to run the family business, Sellen Construction, and was responsible for putting up or remodeling buildings throughout the city and across the UW campus, many of them athletic-related, such as Alaska Airlines Arena.

And thereafter Redman remained ever so close to his alma mater as a leading athletic department donor and using his business smarts as a sounding board whenever the UW administration needed to hire a new football coach or make some other tough decision.

"I would call him a natural leader," said Ron Medved, a former UW two-way back and teammate who considered Redman one of his closest friends. "He wasn't vocal, but he led by example. Others would study him."

ROUTE 66 / UW

Rick Redman played offensive guard, linebacker and punter for the Huskies from 1962-64, and was a two-time, first-team UPI All-American selection before turning to the NFL. 

EPITOME OF TOUGHNESS / UW

On a team full of tough guys, Rick Redman might have been the toughest. A Seattle high school product, he was a player coach Jim Owens, shown kneeling here, could always count on. 

DETERMINED DEFENDER / UW

Led by Rick Redman, the Huskies were always known as big hitters. They wouldn't always beat their opponents, but they usually beat them up in real physical confrontations.

BLOCK-BUSTER PLAYER / UW

While he was an NFL linebacker, Rick Redman received most of his collegiate accolades for his blocking ability on the University of Washington offensive line from 1962 to '64.

JUST FOR KICKS / UW

If being a two-way player wasn't demanding enough, Rick Redman also punted for the Huskies, averaging 37.6 yards on 134 career punts in his college career. 

LEG UP ON THE COMPETITION / UW

Rick Redman, who played at nearby Blanchet High School in Seattle, showed off his limberness and athleticism with this snapshot of him punting to a full house at Husky Stadium. 

COVER BOY / UW

With his crewcut and fearsome approach, Rick Redman cut a rugged image for the 1960s-era Huskies, playing in a Rose Bowl and winning two out of three games against USC.

PRO'S PRO / UW

Rick Redman played nine seasons as a linebacker and punter for the San Diego Chargers, earning AFL all-star honors in 1967. He spent a final season in the WFL with the Portland Storm.

HALL OF FAMER / UW

After football, Rick Redman ran the family business, the Sellen Construction company, which built several iconic Seattle and UW buildings. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. 

Current UW coach Kalen DeBoer opened his Monday briefing by acknowledging Redman's recent death while the team was in Los Angeles to play UCLA.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Rick Redman and his passing through this difficult time," DeBoer said. "We're thinking about you. He obviously was more than an All-American because he did so much for this university in so many ways."

In the past several months, the Huskies have lost a lot of their legendary players, among them running back Hugh McElhenny, running back George Fleming, cornerback Calvin Jones and a Redman teammate in running back Junior Coffey.

Redman came to the UW from what is now Bishop Blanchet High School, fewer than 10 miles from the university. While football centric in his pursuits, he was such a good athlete he ran against O'Dea High's Charlie Greene in the then 100-yard dash and gave him a close race. Greene, of course, later would become one of the fastest sprinters in the world and an Olympian who won a gold medal in a relay and a bronze in the 100. 

With freshmen ineligible for the Husky varsity, Redman became an immediate starter in 1962-64. He shared in a 1964 Rose Bowl game played against Illinois and in a pair of back-to-back victories over USC's always powerhouse program, beating the Trojans 22-7 in Seattle and 14-13 in Los Angeles. 

Redman was such a defensive presence with his swiftness and toughness, he averaged 12-15 tackles per game. 

"He had huge hits all the time," Medved said. "That was part of his style. Not only was he physical, he had great discipline. Obviously, he had good speed. Rick could run sideline to sideline."

He was a fifth-round pick for the San Diego Chargers, choosing the AFL franchise over the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, who took him in the 10th round of their draft. He was named a league all-star in 1967. He finished up his pro career with the WFL's Portland Storm.

Redman was so loyal to the UW, he hired several players to come work for him. He attended most games, home and away. For decades, he was one of the most influential figures in Husky football. 

Dealing with multiple health issues in the past few years, Redman stayed connected Husky football to the end. He was a DeBoer enthusiast.

"We talked about him quite a bit," Medved said of the new coach. "We liked everything we saw about him. Coach DeBoer has really delivered. Rick and I both liked his style of football."

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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