Dick Rifenburg - Professional Career

Professional Career

In 1948, Rifenburg was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 15th round of the NFL draft, and he was also drafted by the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference. He had intended to play in 1949 with the Yankees, but suffered a knee injury in a practice session for the August 1949 college All-Star game. Press accounts at the time noted that the injury "will probably keep him out of pro football all season, if not forever." The incident led to a debate as to whether NFL owners should "bar their men from playing with the college all-stars."

Rifenburg landed a job at WJR radio in Detroit, but he left his sportscaster's job to join the Detroit Lions. In the 1950 NFL season, Rifenburg came back from his injury to play for the Detroit Lions. He played in 12 games and had ten receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown for the 1950 Lions. Rifenburg recalled that his playing time with the Lions was limited because the Lions also signed 1949 Heisman Trophy winner Leon Hart, who played the same position.

In May 1951, he announced he was retiring from professional football to become sports director at a radio station in Buffalo. He was hired as a sportscaster by WBEN (now known as WIVB), which had just started the first television station in Buffalo and the only one serving Southern Ontario. This was an early foray into television by the Buffalo Evening News. In the 1950s, Rifenburg hosted a popular panel show called "Let's Talk Sports" in Buffalo and also pioneered an early morning exercise program. He also worked for WBEN (AM) and WBEN (FM) and as the sideline announcer for Buffalo Bills games along with Van Miller, the long time Bills play-by-play announcer. In addition, he served as the play-by-play announcer for the University of Buffalo Bulls football team. As a radio broadcaster, he is remembered for things ranging from ski reports, to 17 years worth of "Breakfast At —" programs live from various local restaurants, to 27 years as the WBEN-AM All Night Show host.

After 30 years with WBEN and a change in ownership for the station, his show was replaced with the Mutual Network's The Larry King Show. In the 1980s, Rifenburg taught communications at Buffalo's Medaille College and served as a disc jockey on Public Broadcasting's radio station WEBR (now WDCZ). He also sold ads for Buffalo Evening News competitor, Buffalo Courier-Express. Rifenburg's final employer was Erie County, who hired him as an inmate training supervisor at the Erie County Correctional Facility.

Rifenburg was posthumously inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in September 2007. He was given the Golden Age Award which is reserved for "those who did it first, the people who had no pattern to follow." The Hall of Fame award was presented to Rifenburg's wife, Jane. In her acceptance speech, Jane Rifenburg observed that despite all of her late husband's achievements, there was one thing he had never received: "He had a great career, but he never had a trophy. And now he has."