| Max Wettstein |
Full Name: Max Ebert Wettstein, Jr.
Born: July 3, 1944, Leesburg, Fla.
Died: September 6, 1993, Leesburg, Fla.
School: Leesburg High School in Leesburg, Florida
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| D'Allessandro, Pennie, Hermann, Shinholser, McDowell, Sumner, WETTSTEIN |
| FSU Career |
| Football | |
Year No Pos Hgt Wgt Cl Ltr Hometown 1963 89 E 6-3 203 So * Leesburg 1964 89 E 6-3 199 Jr * Leesburg 1965 89 E 6-3 214 Sr * Leesburg |
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| Comments |
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Obituary for Max Wettstein Published in the Orlando Sentinel By Jill Jorden Spitz of The Sentinel Staff Ultralight Crash Kills Popular Leesburg Teacher-coach LEESBURG, FL - Friends say Max Wettstein always put others first, and that attitude may have saved lives Sunday afternoon when Wettstein maneuvered his ultralight airplane over the rooftops of a densely populated neighborhood, toward a nearby lake and finally into a back yard. The 49-year-old Florida native - a popular football coach and science teacher at Tavares High School and a member of one of Central Florida's pioneering families - died at the scene, a few blocks from his home. Wettstein was a football star at Leesburg High and Florida State University, and played for two years with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He coached and taught in Lake County for more than 20 years. "He was very easy going but very productive too," said Leesburg Fire Capt. Tommy Neal, who had known Wettstein for 30 years. "And he was very, very well-liked. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about him." The crash occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday when Wettstein glided above his central Leesburg neighborhood, something he did often since he took up flying in recent months, friends said. Shawn Gevers, who lives across the street from the crash site, looked out his bedroom window when he heard the small airplane buzzing overhead. Because of the craft's eratic movements, the 12-year-old boy thought the pilot was entertaining neighbors with tricks, he said. "It was going straight down so I thought it was going to do a loop or something," Shawn said. "I thought it was a pretty neat plane and it would be neat if it did a trick." Instead, Shawn watched as the airplane clipped a tree behind his house, bobbed in an apparent attempt to gain control, and finally went down. Immediately after the crash, as Wettstein's adult daughter and Vicki, his wife of about three years, learned the news from Leesburg police officers, friends and neighbors shared their memories of the coach and teacher known - and loved - by most everyone who knew him. "He was a super nice teacher and he had a great personality," said Quinde Smith, who lived in the neighborhood and who graduated from Leesburg High School in 1971. "To me, he was a good example to look up to." Wettstein was a third-generation Floridian. His grandfather, Otto, founded Florida Telephone Corp. in 1925, and his father, Max Sr., worked for the company for 44 years, the last 22 as president. Florida Telephone merged with United Telephone in the mid-1970s. As a teen-ager, Wettstein showed a talent for football and was a standout on the Leesburg High School team, where he played wide receiver and was named an All-American. He went on to Florida State, where he played defensive end for the Seminoles' "Magnificent Seven" defensive unit that didn't allow a touchdown for the first five games of the 1964 season. He played two years as a reserve tight end for the Denver Broncos, and four years for the Orlando Panthers of the Continental Football League. After retiring as a player, Wettstein spent four years as an assistant coach at Leesburg and one season as an assistant in Tifton, Ga., before returning to Leesburg as the head coach in 1973. He stayed at the school until 1979, compiling a record of 38-34, including a 10-1 season in 1974. He held the same position at Tavares High in 1984 and 1985, but quit because of his commitments to the four health clubs he owned - two in Leesburg, one in Eustis and another in Sanford. He returned to the school as the coach in 1988, and stepped down about a year later. He had been an assistant ever since. Despite his passion for football, Wettstein was equally passionate about teaching, said Leesburg High School Principal David Tucker, who worked with Wettstein for three years at Tavares High School. "Sometimes you wouldn't be able to distinguish which was more important to him," Tucker said. Wettstein, who chaired Tavares' science department, wasn't content to simply lecture and give tests, Tucker said. Instead, the NASA buff created a hands-on program to let students experience the final frontier. In 1988, he launched a two-year program to re-create the missions of the Mercury astronauts on the anniversaries of the flights. For each of the past three years, Wettstein has helped the school's Space Technology Club re-create the day in 1962 when John Glenn orbited Earth. NASA honored Wettstein in 1989 for a Mercury space capsule he developed. "He was one of a kind," Tucker said. "There was only one Max Wettstein in so many ways. This is a tragic loss to the students of this county, and we're going to miss him an awful lot."
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| FSU Statistics |
| Football |
Season Statistics
Defense
| Tackles | Sacks | Fumble | Pass Defense | Blkd | PAT Attempts | | | |
Year GP | ua a Tot tfl-yds | no-yds | ff fr-yds-td | int-yds-td qbh brup | kick | kick rsh rcv | fg | saf dxp | td | pts
---------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
1963 9 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 2 | 12
1964 7 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 1- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
1965 8 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 2- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 3 | 18
---------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Tot 24 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 3- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 5 | 30
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Offense/Kick and Punt Returns
| Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | all
Year GP | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | cmp- att-int yds td lg | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | purp
---------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
1963 9 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 12 114 9.5 2 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 114
1964 7 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 1 6 6.0 0 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 6
1965 8 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 24 365 15.2 3 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 365
---------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Tot 24 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 37 485 13.1 5 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 485
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| Football |
Game Participation
| Starts
1963 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 20 Miami | 1
Sep 28 Texas Christian | 1
Oct 12 Wake Forest | 1
Oct 19 Southern Mississippi | 1
Oct 26 Virginia Tech | 1
Nov 2 Furman | 1
Nov 9 Georgia Tech | 1
Nov 16 North Carolina State | 1
Nov 30 Florida | 1
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 9 0 0
| Starts
1964 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 19 Miami | 1 RE
Sep 26 Texas Christian | 1 RE
Oct 3 New Mexico State | 1 RE
Oct 10 Kentucky | 1 RE
Oct 17 Georgia | 1 RE
Oct 24 Virginia Tech | 1 RE
Nov 7 Houston | 1 LE
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 7 0 7
| Starts
1965 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 25 Texas Christian | 1 RE
Oct 2 Baylor | 1 RE
Oct 9 Kentucky | 1 RE
Oct 16 Georgia | 1 RE
Nov 6 Wake Forest | 1
Nov 13 North Carolina State | 1 RE
Nov 20 Houston | 1 RE
Nov 27 Florida | 1 RE
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 8 7 0
----------------------------|--------------
Career Tot | 24 7 7
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| Football |
Game Statistics
| Tackles | Sacks | Fumble | Pass Defense | Blkd | PAT Attempts | | | |
1963 | ua a Tot tfl-yds | no-yds | ff fr-yds-td | int-yds-td qbh brup | kick | kick rsh rcv | fg | saf dxp | td | pts
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Sep 20 Miami | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Sep 28 Texas Christian | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Oct 12 Wake Forest | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 2 | 12
Oct 19 Southern Mississippi | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Oct 26 Virginia Tech | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Tot | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 2 | 12
| Tackles | Sacks | Fumble | Pass Defense | Blkd | PAT Attempts | | | |
1964 | ua a Tot tfl-yds | no-yds | ff fr-yds-td | int-yds-td qbh brup | kick | kick rsh rcv | fg | saf dxp | td | pts
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Sep 19 Miami | 5 4 9 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 1- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Oct 10 Kentucky | 6 3 9 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Oct 17 Georgia | 5 3 8 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Oct 24 Virginia Tech | 3 0 3 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Oct 31 Southern Mississippi | 3 0 3 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Nov 7 Houston | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Tot | 22 10 32 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 1- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
| Tackles | Sacks | Fumble | Pass Defense | Blkd | PAT Attempts | | | |
1965 | ua a Tot tfl-yds | no-yds | ff fr-yds-td | int-yds-td qbh brup | kick | kick rsh rcv | fg | saf dxp | td | pts
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Sep 25 Texas Christian | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 1- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Oct 9 Kentucky | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 1 | 6
Nov 6 Wake Forest | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 1 | 6
Nov 13 North Carolina State | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Nov 20 Houston | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
Nov 27 Florida | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 1- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 1 | 6
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Tot | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 2- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 3 | 18
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| Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | all
1963 | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | cmp- att-int yds td lg | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | purp
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Sep 20 Miami | 0 0 0.0 0 | 1 9 9.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 9
Sep 28 Texas Christian | 0 0 0.0 0 | 1 13 13.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 13
Oct 12 Wake Forest | 0 0 0.0 0 | 8 64 8.0 2 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 64
Oct 19 Southern Mississippi | 0 0 0.0 0 | 1 11 11.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 11
Oct 26 Virginia Tech | 0 0 0.0 0 | 1 22 22.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 22
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Tot | 0 0 0.0 0 | 12 119 9.9 2 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 119
| Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | all
1964 | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | cmp- att-int yds td lg | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | purp
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Sep 19 Miami | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | - 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 | 0 0 0.0 0 |
Oct 10 Kentucky | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | - 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 | 0 0 0.0 0 |
Oct 17 Georgia | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | - 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 | 0 0 0.0 0 |
Oct 24 Virginia Tech | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | - 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 | 0 0 0.0 0 |
Oct 31 Southern Mississippi | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | - 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 | 0 0 0.0 0 |
Nov 7 Houston | 0 0 0.0 0 | 1 6 6.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 6
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Tot | 0 0 0.0 0 | 1 6 6.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 6
| Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | all
1965 | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | cmp- att-int yds td lg | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | purp
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Sep 25 Texas Christian | 0 0 0.0 0 | 4 42 10.5 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 42
Oct 9 Kentucky | 0 0 0.0 0 | 4 74 18.5 1 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 74
Nov 6 Wake Forest | 0 0 0.0 0 | 3 67 22.3 1 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 67
Nov 13 North Carolina State | 0 0 0.0 0 | 7 91 13.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 91
Nov 20 Houston | 0 0 0.0 0 | 1 16 16.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 16
Nov 27 Florida | 0 0 0.0 0 | 5 75 15.0 1 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 75
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Tot | 0 0 0.0 0 | 24 365 15.2 3 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 365
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| Pro Career |
| Football |
Height: 6-3 Weight: 225 Drafted: 1966, AFL Draft, Free Agent, Denver Broncos, TE Year Abbr Team No Pos 1966 Den Denver Broncos 89 TE |
| Pro Statistics |
| Football |
Offensive Statistics Year Team GP GS Rec Yds Avg Long TD -------------------------------------------- 1966 Den 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 -------------------------------------------- 1 Year 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 |