{{Short description|American football player (1952–2012)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Craig Hertwig | image = Craig Hertwig.jpg | upright = .85 | number = 71 | position = Offensive tackle | birth_date = {{birth date|1952|1|15}} | birth_place = Columbus, Georgia, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2012|5|30|1952|1|15}} | death_place = Athens, Georgia, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8 | weight_lbs = 270 | high_school = Mark Smith (Macon, Georgia) | college = Georgia (1971–1974) | draftyear = 1975 | draftround = 4 | draftpick = 94 | pastteams = * Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|1975}}–{{NFL Year|1977}}) * Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|1978}}) | highlights = * First-team All-American (1974) * First-team All-SEC (1974) | pfr = H/HertCr20 }} '''John Craig''' "'''Sky'''" '''Hertwig''' (January 15, 1952 – May 30, 2012) was an American professional football offensive tackle who played three seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 1975 NFL draft after playing college football at the University of Georgia. Hertwig was also a member of the Buffalo Bills.
==Early life and college== John Craig Hertwig was born on January 15, 1952, in Columbus, Georgia.<ref name="Pfa">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/players/h/hert00400.html | title=CRAIG HERTWIG | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=6 January 2025}}</ref> He attended Mark Smith High School in Macon, Georgia.<ref name="Pfa"/>
Hertwig was a member of the Georgia Bulldogs from 1971 to 1974 and a three-year letterman from 1972 to 1974.<ref name="Pfa"/> As a senior in 1974, he was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP) and a second-team All-American by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.<ref name=AP>{{cite news|title=USC Star All-America 3rd Time; 3 SWC Players Named On Defense|newspaper=The Corpus Christi Times|date=December 6, 1974|page=10B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4489865/usc_star_allamerican_3rd_time/}}</ref><ref name=NEA>{{cite news|title=1974 NEA All-America|newspaper=Delaware County Daily Times|date=December 6, 1974|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4490556/1974_nea_all_america/}}</ref> He earned AP and United Press International first-team All-SEC honors that year as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19741203&id=8Hc0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ep0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3185,830202&hl=en|work=The Tuscaloosa News|title=All-SEC squad|accessdate=June 5, 2015|via=Google news archive|page=15|date=December 3, 1974}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2561488/kingsport_times/|title=Vols' Morgan, Marvin Make All-SEC First Team|work=Kingsport Times|date=November 26, 1974|page=6|accessdate=June 6, 2015|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}</ref>
==Professional career== Hertwig was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round, with the 94th overall pick, of the 1975 NFL draft.<ref name="Pfr">{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HertCr20.htm | title=Craig Hertwig | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=6 January 2025}}</ref> He played in nine games, starting one, for the team during the 1975 season.<ref name="Pfr"/> He appeared in all 14 games, starting eight, in 1976 and recovered one fumble.<ref name="Pfr"/> Hertwig started all 14 games for the Lions in 1977.<ref name="Pfr"/> The Lions finished the season with a 6–8 record.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/1977.htm | title=1977 Detroit Lions Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=6 January 2025}}</ref> He was released on August 29, 1978.<ref name="transactions"/>
Hertwig signed with the Buffalo Bills on December 13, 1978.<ref name="transactions"/> He was released on August 21, 1979.<ref name="transactions">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/h/hert00400.html | title=Craig Hertwig NFL Transactions | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=6 January 2025}}</ref>
==Personal life== Hertwig died of heart failure on May 30, 2012, in Athens, Georgia. He owned Nowhere Bar in Athens for 32 years up to his death.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-05-31/longtime-athens-bar-owner-sky-hertwig-dies | title=Longtime Athens bar owner Sky Hertwig dies | publisher=onlineathens.com | date=May 31, 2012 | accessdate=November 14, 2014}}</ref> Hertwig was nicknamed "Sky" in reference to his height.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/053112aaa.html | title=Former Bulldog Football Player Craig Hertwig Dies | publisher=georgiadogs.com | date=May 31, 2012 | accessdate=November 14, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208120249/http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/053112aaa.html | archive-date=December 8, 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Lions1975DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hertwig, Craig}} Category:1952 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Players of American football from Columbus, Georgia Category:American football offensive tackles Category:Georgia Bulldogs football players Category:Detroit Lions players Category:Buffalo Bills players Category:Players of American football from Athens, Georgia Category:Players of American football from Macon, Georgia Category:20th-century American sportsmen