Cas Banaszek

Cas Banaszek
No. 79
PositionOffensive tackle
Personal information
Born(1945-10-24)October 24, 1945
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedDecember 4, 2019(2019-12-04) (aged 74)
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight254 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High schoolDePaul College Prep (Chicago)
CollegeNorthwestern (1963-1966)
NFL draft1967: 1st round, 11th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Games played120
Games started112
Fumble recoveries2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Casimir Joseph Banaszek Jr. (October 24, 1945 – December 4, 2019) was an American professional football player who was an offensive lineman for 10 seasons (1968 to 1977) with the San Francisco 49ers. He was named All-National Football Conference in 1970 and 1971. The 49ers' 1970 offensive line, known as "The Protectors", set an NFL record at the time by only allowing eight quarterback sacks in a 14-game season; and allowed only 11 the following year. Banaszek played his college football for the Northwestern Wildcats as a tight end, where he set the school record for most career pass receptions. In 2007, he was named to the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.