He’ll be remembered as one of the most decorated football players in the history of Pittsburg State University.
But to those who knew him best, Dr. John Peterson was much more. He was their dentist, their cushion in hard times and most importantly, their friend.
“If you ever had a problem, John was the man you went to to get that problem solved,” said Judge A.J. Wachter.
Peterson, PSU’s first three-time All-American and a member of the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame, died Saturday at the age of 64. Mass of Christian burial is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. today at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Pittsburg.
A Clearwater native, Peterson played football at PSU from 1964 to 1967. He earned honorable mention NAIA All-America honors in 1965 and first-team NAIA All-America honors during his final two years at Pitt. Along with being the school’s first three-time All-American, he also was a three-time first-team All-Central Intercollegiate Conference performer from 1965 to 1967.
Peterson was inducted into the PSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991, and he was named to the school’s prestigious 100th Anniversary Football Team in 2003. Chuck Broyles, PSU’s athletic director and Peterson’s teammate on the Gorillas football team, said Peterson was a “great player,” both for his physical and mental gifts.
“He was someone who was a very intelligent player and someone who would share that knowledge with his teammates,” Broyles said. “He would coach you up as he played. He was a player who could take control of a game. He’d rally around and make two or three plays, force a fumble, sack the quarterback. He really could take over a game defensively. He did that from the defensive tackle position, but he was talented enough that he could also play linebacker.”
Wachter, who also played football with Peterson at PSU, said that as skilled as he was on the football field, Peterson was just as impressive off.
“He was a great player, but also a dear friend and a wonderful person,” Wachter said. “He would give you the shirt off of his back if that was what was needed. He was a wonderful guy and we’re going to miss him.”
After graduating from PSU in 1968, Peterson coached for several years in Nevada and Cassville, Mo., before attending the University of Missouri Kansas City Dental School. After graduating in 1981, he returned to Pittsburg where he practiced dentistry until his retirement in 2006.
“He was my dentist,” Broyles said. “And for a big man, he was as nice and as good of a dentist as you could ever possibly have. He was a very caring person."
In addition to his dentistry practice, Peterson was a strong supporter of the Pitt State football program and a father figure for many a Gorilla football player.
"Doc Pete was like the father I never had," said two-time All-American linebacker Shane Tafoya, who helped lead the Gorillas to the 1991 NCAA Division II National Championship. "I'm heartbroken for Angé and the Peterson family and I know the whole Gorilla family is hurting right now.
"The Petersons welcomed me into their home at a time when I was home sick for Utah and very easily could have left school. I don't know where I'd be today if it wasn't for the good people of Pittsburg, like John and Angé Peterson," said Tafoya, who resides in Tampa, Fla., and has worked in the energy industry since completing his collegiate career. "Doc Pete had a quiet, stern way. I think I can speak for a lot of former players in saying John Peterson was one of the people we got to know and to respect a great deal. We played our tails off to make him proud. We owed it to men like Doc Pete."
|
|
|
He’ll be remembered as one of the most decorated football players in the history of Pittsburg State University.
But to those who knew him best, Dr. John Peterson was much more. He was their dentist, their cushion in hard times and most importantly, their friend.
“If you ever had a problem, John was the man you went to to get that problem solved,” said Judge A.J. Wachter.
Peterson, PSU’s first three-time All-American and a member of the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame, died Saturday at the age of 64. Mass of Christian burial is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. today at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Pittsburg.
A Clearwater native, Peterson played football at PSU from 1964 to 1967. He earned honorable mention NAIA All-America honors in 1965 and first-team NAIA All-America honors during his final two years at Pitt. Along with being the school’s first three-time All-American, he also was a three-time first-team All-Central Intercollegiate Conference performer from 1965 to 1967.
Peterson was inducted into the PSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991, and he was named to the school’s prestigious 100th Anniversary Football Team in 2003. Chuck Broyles, PSU’s athletic director and Peterson’s teammate on the Gorillas football team, said Peterson was a “great player,” both for his physical and mental gifts.
“He was someone who was a very intelligent player and someone who would share that knowledge with his teammates,” Broyles said. “He would coach you up as he played. He was a player who could take control of a game. He’d rally around and make two or three plays, force a fumble, sack the quarterback. He really could take over a game defensively. He did that from the defensive tackle position, but he was talented enough that he could also play linebacker.”
Wachter, who also played football with Peterson at PSU, said that as skilled as he was on the football field, Peterson was just as impressive off.
“He was a great player, but also a dear friend and a wonderful person,” Wachter said. “He would give you the shirt off of his back if that was what was needed. He was a wonderful guy and we’re going to miss him.”
After graduating from PSU in 1968, Peterson coached for several years in Nevada and Cassville, Mo., before attending the University of Missouri Kansas City Dental School. After graduating in 1981, he returned to Pittsburg where he practiced dentistry until his retirement in 2006.
“He was my dentist,” Broyles said. “And for a big man, he was as nice and as good of a dentist as you could ever possibly have. He was a very caring person."
In addition to his dentistry practice, Peterson was a strong supporter of the Pitt State football program and a father figure for many a Gorilla football player.
"Doc Pete was like the father I never had," said two-time All-American linebacker Shane Tafoya, who helped lead the Gorillas to the 1991 NCAA Division II National Championship. "I'm heartbroken for Angé and the Peterson family and I know the whole Gorilla family is hurting right now.
"The Petersons welcomed me into their home at a time when I was home sick for Utah and very easily could have left school. I don't know where I'd be today if it wasn't for the good people of Pittsburg, like John and Angé Peterson," said Tafoya, who resides in Tampa, Fla., and has worked in the energy industry since completing his collegiate career. "Doc Pete had a quiet, stern way. I think I can speak for a lot of former players in saying John Peterson was one of the people we got to know and to respect a great deal. We played our tails off to make him proud. We owed it to men like Doc Pete."
