{{Short description|American football player (1887–1967)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox gridiron football person | name = Fred Nesser | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = September 10, 1887 | birth_place = Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1967|07|02|1897|09|10}} | death_place = Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lbs = 250 | position1 = End, Fullback, Tackle | college = None | PFR = NessFr21 | playing_years1 = 1909–1921 | playing_team1 = Columbus Panhandles | CFHOF = | CollegeHOF = | CollegeHOFID = | HOF = }} '''Frederick William Nesser''' (September 10, 1887 – July 2, 1967)<ref>{{cite book|last=Willis|first=Chris|title=The Columbus Panhandles: A Complete History of Pro Football's Toughest Team, 1900–1922|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ldLYAQAAQBAJ|chapter=Fred Nesser|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ldLYAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA230|publisher=The Scarecrow Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-8108-5893-0|pages=230–232}}</ref> was an American professional football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League (NFL) for the Columbus Panhandles. He was also a member of the Nesser Brothers, a group consisting of seven brothers who made-up the most famous football family in the United States from 1907 until the mid-1920s. He was the tallest and biggest of the football-playing brothers at six feet five inches and 250 pounds. He played mostly tackle or end, but sometimes he lined up in the backfield, to provide blocking.

Fred also was a professional boxer and a legitimate contender for the heavyweight title, held by Jess Willard. However, in 1915, a broken wrist ended his boxing career.

Around 1987 Fred's daughter, Vera, tried to get the city of Columbus to name a street for the Nesser Brothers. Her request was turned down.

==References== {{reflist}} *{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rCnbhSRZpgIC | title=Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football | first=Robert W. | last=Peterson | isbn=0-19-511913-4 | publisher=Oxford University Press | pages=262 | date=1997-01-01}} *{{cite journal|title=Thorpe Arrives:1915 |journal=Coffin Corner |publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association |pages=1&ndash;5 |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Thorpe_Arrives.pdf |author=PFRA Research |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311103541/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Thorpe_Arrives.pdf |archivedate=2012-03-11 }} *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080514110448/http://www.daytontriangles.com/nessers.htm Forgotten NFL Family: the Nesser Brothers of Columbus, Ohio]}}

{{Nesser Brothers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nesser, Fred}} Category:1887 births Category:1967 deaths Category:Players of American football from Columbus, Ohio Category:American football offensive linemen Category:Columbus Panhandles players Category:Columbus Panhandles (Ohio League) players Fred Category:American people of German descent