By Fred Steiner
Bluffton Icon founder

Seems like several football season ago, I stood on a September Harmon Field Friday night sideline. 

During a timeout, the focus of the group surrounding me quite naturally turned to a peculiar discussion: Ranking the greatest Pirate football players to sink their cleats into the 100-yard-lawn where we stood.

Can’t recall the exact group, maybe Bob Badertscher, Owen Ziessler, John Schmutz, Jake Basinger, certainly Bill Herr, and a couple younger guys, plus me.

Like a two-minute drill, names were called out of our huddle as quick as plays from Spike Berry’s playbook. The list included Pete Schmidt, a double-sport athlete at Purdue, Ramon Lewis, Joe Urich, Jack Fields, the Eastman brothers, Cliff, Max and Rob, and of course, Howie Triplehorn. 

As a sophomore Howie was called the fastest player to every carry a football for the Red and White. He played for the University of Michigan in the early 1930s, and as an aside was rumored, but never confirmed, to be roommate of late U.S. president, Gerald Ford.

Sooner than later, in the same breath as these players were called out, the name Jim Oppermann hit the list. It was our consensus that Oppermann was a “50-year-athlete.” (Definition: That is the rare player who comes along with skills only seen once in a half-century.)

I learned this week that Jim, a 1967 Bluffton High School graduate, died in Chesterland, Ohio, on June 16. Those are the only details I know at the moment. (Funeral home link HERE.)

For you who missed watching Jim play on Mark Covert’s 1966 Pirate football  team–well, I feel for you. That season Bluffton finished undefeated and 4th in the UPI and AP Class A season-end high school football poll. This was in the era before football playoffs. We’ll never know just how far this team might have traveled post-season.

Forget the current seven divisions, or however many exist today. In 1966 only two existed–big schools and little schools. Put it this way, Class A in 2025 would exist as if combining Division IV, V, VI and VII into one big competitive division with Bluffton finishing 4th in the state in that enormous grouping.

So, you didn’t  see Jim Oppermann play? Allow me to coach you on his talents:

• 6-4 and 235 pounds, starting offensive tackle and defensive lineman, you could count on him leading blocks all the way down the field, and tackling ball carriers, most of the time behind the line of scrimmage

• Recruited by over 30 colleges, including eight Big Ten schools

• Only Pirate ever named first team all-Ohio football two seasons in a row

• 1967 Class A state track meet shot put champ (first Pirate state title winner in 34 seasons)

• Member of the 1968 Ohio State University national championship football team

• Played in two Rose Bowls

• Lettered four years in track at OSU, while also lettering in football

• Neil Schmidt (listed earlier in this column) tried to recruit him to play at Florida State

While there’s an encyclopedia of unforgettable stories about our guy, here are two unforgettable situations; let’s call it Oppermannia:

Story 1: As the senior Buckeye kickoff man, on the opening kickoff against Purdue, he clipped the ball  sideways and it sailed about 10 yards. He recalled to me that Woody Hayes was so mad at him that Woody broke the blackboard in the locker room at halftime. Point of fact: As the Bluffton HS kickoff man, most of Oppermann’s artistic football launches landed deep in the opponent’s end zone.

Story 2: Four years earlier, as a BHS senior, this parable made its way around school the day after–Jim, a very likable guy, had a short temper. Classmate Terry Strahm knew how to light his fuse and was one of the only guys willing to test it. Paraphrasing, it happened something like this, and visualize it coming from the “old” gym area.

Terry lit Jim’s fuse by pouring a glass of milk over a naked Jim, who had just stepped out of the boys’ shower following a sports team practice. This was simply to provoke him, as often is the case in situations surrounding most boys’ locker room.

In his birthday suit, Oppermann, with vengeance, tore after Strahm like a bat out of you-know-where, bounding and screaming up and down hallways. Fortunately school was out for the day and the building was pretty empty.

Except for Sue Hauenstein Shields, class of 1968. She witnessed this episode and has yet to recover. You may ask her for all the details.

There are other countless Jim Oppermann recollections, probably better than these two. If you attend Bluffton High School in the mid-1960s, you certainly have your own story.

With Jim Oppermann’s death, BHS has lost one of its greatest athletes. And, not only one of our few 50-year athletes: a very nice, memorable school mate who maintained an incredibly lovable personality as large as his 6-4, 235-pound frame. Regardless of his short fuse.

Rest in peace, Jim Oppermann. Thanks for the great memories.