Hank Merz was a reserve guard for Syracuse basketball for one season. He was the starting halfback and quarterback for the varsity football team his junior and senior seasons, and was one of the members to hold the honor of wearing the legendary #44 on the football field.

Merz had badly broken his ankle during practice his sophomore season, forcing him to miss the entire football season. His junior season he became the starting halfback/quarterback, a job he would hold his junior and senior seasons. Merz was an outstanding player and helped guide the Orangemen to 4-4 record his junior season and a 6-2 record his senior year.

Merz played basketball his junior season to provide depth on the team and to keep himself in shape.

Merz would become the athletic director at Binghamton Central upon graduating from Syracuse in 1935. He would hold that position for a few decades, plus coach the Binghamton varsity football team from 1935 to 1946, and again in 1951. He would later become an active hunter, fisherman and boats man, and an avid writer about those subjects.

Merz died in July of 1967 in Watkins Glen, New York.

©RLYoung 2008, 2016