SUNY Cortland Athletics

“I had the time of my life at Cortland,” Bergstrom says. “I played four years of football, four years of baseball, ran track and went to the Penn Relays between ball games. I also played junior varsity basketball, participated in soccer and swimming activities and sang with the Glee Club. I was president of the Dramatics Club, treasurer of the senior class, and I met my wife at Cortland.”

A graduate of South Park High School in Buffalo, Bergstrom was at Cortland from 1930-33. Cortland’s four-year football record while Bergstrom sparked the team at quarterback was 15-6-6. His junior and senior years were the first two seasons for the late Carl “Chugger” Davis as head football coach. With Bergstrom contributing offensively, Davis’ first two teams went undefeated.

In his last year, Bergstrom scored 13 touchdowns in a 5-0-2 campaign. He converted two extra points and amassed 80 points for the Red Dragons, one of the highest individual totals anywhere. One of his TD’s was a 95 yard punt return against Trenton State.

Bergstrom’s biggest thrill at Cortland was “playing for Chugger.”

This Hall of Famer spent 38 years as a teacher and coach in the Buffalo public school system. He began his professional career at Seneca Vocational High School, moved to Burgard and Boy’s Vocational before being assigned to Kensington High School in 1937. He remained there until his retirement in 1971.

He was Kensington’s first and only baseball coach until he retired and directed the football teams there from 1940-71. His career record in football is 147 wins, 46 losses and 3 ties. His teams won a number of city championships, including four in a row from 1947-50. While at Kensington, he also coached basketball, swimming and tennis.

When Bergstrom was asked how athletics affected his life, he answered, “They have been my whole life. I feel that if a boy hasn’t been in competition and learned to win and lose, he hasn’t lived.”

UPDATE: Bergstrom passed away on Jan. 17, 1989 at age 77.