Football great George Saimes was always humble, true to his roots

George Saimes made his living ... everywhere.

He became one of the best pro safeties who ever strapped on a helmet. He hit the road to become one the NFL’s best scouts.

He made his life in Canton and Stark County. His family, friends and activities here were the biggest part of him. He died Friday night in Aultman Hospital, a few blocks south of where he grew up with neighborhood pals at Clarendon School, a few blocks west of Lincoln High School.

Longtime Canton friend Art Deorio can’t look at the steps at Mckinley Monument without seeing Saimes running them.

“I met George in seventh grade,” Deorio said Sunday afternoon. “We stayed in touch all those years he was flying all over the country, and when he was home, he would spend his time with his family.

“In the few years since he retired, and he had more time, we would have coffee at Panera, and have lunch at John’s Bar. We talked about everything..

“He was like a brother. I miss him. I’m sick today.”

Saimes was a sophomore at Lincoln in 1956 when Ron Worstell was football captain.

“He lifted weights when lifting weights was considered freakish,” Worstell said. “He wore a weighted belt and weighted shoes to school.”

He lettered as a sophomore.

“The only games we lost were to McKinley, which won the state championship, and Massillon, which had Mike Hershberger,” Worstell said. “George scored one of our two touchdowns against McKinley.

“He was a big-time track guy. Pole vault. Hurdles. A coach from McKinley said George could have won the all-city meet by himself.”

Saimes was good at basketball, too. He and Jim Osborn were co-captains in the 1958-59 Lincoln team that went 20-4 and won five tournament games.

“George’s dad was a shoemaker in town,” Osborn said. “It was his dad who made him the special weighted shoes.”

Saimes was a “tremendous athlete” who never got a big head, Osborn said.

“George never complained ... never. And never once did I hear him say, ‘I did this,’ or, ‘I did that.’

“He was determined. We might be down in a game, and he would be saying, ‘We can beat these guys.’ ”

Hank Bullough grew up in the Lincoln neighborhood but went to high school downtown, at Timken. He made a life in the NFL, including a run as head coach of the Buffalo Bills.

“George was my first recruit as an assistant coach at Michigan State,” Bullough said. “Bruce Betty, a Lincoln guy who was coaching at Northwestern, was after George, too.

“One time, we were at a Lincoln basketball game in the Field House, watching George, sitting there behind the basket. George made the winning shot from the corner.”

Saimes and Deorio at first went to Bowling Green together, but Saimes soon transferred to Michigan State. By his senior year, he was the Spartans’ lone captain, playing fullback and defensive back well enough to finish seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting.

“The greatest thing about George ,” Bullough said, “was that he treated everybody the same. It didn’t make a difference if you were an All-American or a walk-on. George gave you the same respect.

“He put all he had in everything he did. Did you know about his dancing? He won Michigan State’s twist championship one year.”

Ted Rohrer, a star player during Jackson High School’s 1950s glory years, was a sophomore at Michigan State the year Saimes was senior captain with a reputation for monster games against Notre Dame.

“I always looked up to him,” Rohrer said. “He had a tremendous desire to improve himself and improve the team. He worked awfully hard at being the player he was.”

Saimes was drafted by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills of the rival American Football League. He opted to stay close to Canton.

He married a Canton Lehman girl, Betsy Bowman, in Canton between the end of college and the start of his pro career. They bought a house near Bob-o-Link golf course and have kept it for many years.

One of Saimes’ greatest joys was being able to spend his decades as an NFL scout without having to give up that home. The Canton area was his base. Part of the agreement when he became director of college scouting for the expansion Houston Texans was being allowed to live in North Canton.

Saimes starred at safety for the Bills when they reached three straight AFL championship games in the 1960s, winning the first two.

Saimes made a name as a fierce, heady defender who could improvise with the best.

His intellect, independence and creativity fueled his long scouting career. He used measurables such as timed speed as backup tools. His eyes and his gut were his guides.

“George would form his own opinion of a player,” said Bullough, who spent 26 years as an NFL coach. “He didn’t make his conclusions based on anyone else’s opinions.”

“George knew football,” Deorio said. “He could size up an athlete in no time.”

In addition to Betsy, three daughters and grandchildren, Saimes is survived by many lifelong friends from the Canton area.

Saimes and Ron Blackledge spent the last year as advisers on a committee that recommends players from past generations for the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame.

“George was just a good guy,” Blackledge said. “To meet him, you’d never have known he’d had such an outstanding football career. You’d have to pry it out of him.”

Greg Kiefer was one of the lifelong friends who would meet Saimes for coffee at Panera Bread on Belden Village Street.

“George would stop in once a week,” Kiefer said. “That leukemia kept popping up on him. He spent time in hospitals in Chicago and Houston. He was fighting it the whole way.

“The last time I talked to him was a few weeks ago. He called me from the hospital. He was getting his blood checked.

“He said he was feeling pretty good. George was never one to complain. He never felt sorry for himself.

“George was a very good and very loyal friend.”

Reach Steve at 330-580-8347 or

steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP