Last Thursday, Bob Chappuis left us at the age of 89. Bob was a halfback at at Michigan, and left after his sophomore season to help in World War II. When he came back, he resumed his career at Michigan, leading them to an undefeated 1947 season, runner-up in the Heisman voting, number 1 ranking to end the season, and the Rose Bowl Championship. He was part of a backfield that included Bump Elliot (don't think I need to remind everyone of his status) and that's also part of how this blog is named. The 1947 Wolverines were nicknamed the 'Mad Magicians' because of what Crisler would do out of his single wing offense and Elliot and Chappuis were a big part of that.However, that is not the biggest impact Chappuis has made, or left behind. When he was in the war, his bomber was shot down. Anti-Nazi supporters discovered him and two of his crewmen and kept them hidden. This house was just a short ways down from the local Germany military headquarters and they were holed up in a small room for three months. Not many Michigan Men can say that they've gone through something that profound and impactful. Now, after his career at Michigan, he did not play much in the pros and settled down in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson's, and passed away from complications due to a fall.
