Sep 13, 2014 5 min read

John and George Reihner have a lot in common. The brothers attended Washington High School, excelled in multiple sports, attended Penn State University and have become respected professionals in the business world.

It all started in Washington during the 1970s. The Reihner brothers were two of the best athletes Wash High produced during the decade and their athletic careers took them to State College, where they played for talented Penn State football teams under legendary coach Joe Paterno.

John, who is two years older than George, played several positions in football for the Little Prexies. Though his younger brother would play in the NFL as a hulking offensive lineman, John Reihner’s specialty was kicking.

“It started at Washington Park in a Punt, Pass & Kick Conest,” John Reihner recalled. “I got to compete on the local level at Pitt Stadium.”

Though John loved football, he was outstanding in track, winning two state championships in the discus, in 1969 and ’70, his junior and senior years. At one point, he had the second-longest throw in Pennsylvania history.

At Penn State, John was a kicker for the Nittany Lions.

“I got a full ride and soon found out how competitive the game is on the collegiate level,” he said.

So what was it like for a kicker to play for Coach Paterno?

“He was tough. You played by his rules,” John Reihner said. “If you were a minute late for an 8 o’clock meeting, then let’s just say it was not a good thing.”

In 1973, John Reihner’s teammate and fraternity brother, John Cappelletti, won the Heisman Trophy.

“He’s a great guy; terrific human being,” Reihner said.

Early in his college career at Penn State, John had to share kicking duties with Chris Bahr, who went on to play in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders. Reihner did get a shot at pro ball.

“I got a tryout with the Washington Redskins,” he said.

George Reihner was a standout multi-sport athlete at Wash High. As a wrestler, George qualified for the state tournament during his sophomore and junior years.

He was even better on the football field and was named all-conference in 1971 and ‘ 72, when he also received all-state honors. George played on the Pennsylvania team in the Big 33 game that played the Ohio prep stars in 1972.

At Penn State, George was a three-year starter. In 1976, he was the Nittany Lions’ captain. During his stellar collegiate career, George played in the Orange, Cotton, Sugar and Gator bowls. In 1977, following his senior season, he played in the Senior Bowl.

“It was great to play against Pitt. All the games against them were memorable,” George Reihner recalled. “In 1976, at Three Rivers Stadium, Pitt was ranked No. 1. We weren’t ranked. I think at halftime the score was 7-6. In the second half, Pitt moved Tony Dorsett to fullback and he ran all over us. After that game we played Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl … lost that one, too.”

George was drafted in the second round – 38th overall – by the Houston Oilers and enjoyed a four-year career. Going to the Oilers was something special.

“It was great. I went to a team that had a lot talent,” Reihner said.

For several years, the Oilers’ offensive line was considered among the best in the NFL.

A big Steelers fan as a kid, Reihner developed a great relationship with a couple of Pittsburgh offensive linemen.

“Jim Clack was a friend he was a part-time teacher at Wash High,” he recalled. “I got to know Jon Kolb.

“I enjoyed watching Mike Webster. Webbie always had great battles with our nose tackle, Curley Culp, and Elvin Bethea. They were two of the best to ever play. Every day at practice was tough because I had to face them.”

And his physical battles against the Steelers’ Steel Curtain were difficult, too. The Steelers and Oilers played in two AFC championship games during Reihner’s playing days.

“The Cowboys were tough, too. Randy White played over me,” he said. “Against Pittsburgh, I saw a lot of Ernie Holmes, Steve Furness and Dwight White.”

How good was the Oilers’ offensive line?

“We blocked for a Hall of Fame running back, Earl Campbell, and one season we yielded the fewest quarterback sacks (12),” he said.

Guy Montecalvo, who recently retired as Canon-McMillan’s athletic director following a successful coaching career with the Big Macs and at Wash High, recalled his high school playing days with the Reihners.

“George and I are good friends. He was an outstanding lineman at Wash High,” Montecalvo said. “I’d rank him right up there with Dan Mozes, If (George) didn’t have back problems, then he would have played a few more years in the NFL.”

John Reihner was an inspiration to Montecalvo and played a role in the latter’s decision to attend Penn State.

“He was a heck of an athlete. Track, football, he played hockey and was a good baseball player. At 13, he sent home runs over the center-field fence at Pony Field,” Montecalvo said. “John was a great role model for me. He had a mission. He was so devoted to the task of being an outstanding athlete and student. He was the president of the student council (at WHS). I went to Penn State because of John and he was my big brother in the fraternity.”

George and John Reihner found success on the playing field and in business world. John is a successful dentist in Washington. George has his own law firm in Scranton.

The Reihner brothers are members of the Washington-Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. They were inducted in 2000.

“The highlight of my career was when I was inducted with my brother,” John Reihner said. “Attending the ceremony were my coaches from Wash High, Dave Johnson, Rudy Stolfer, Dom Emery and Red Eros. It was very touching.”

Bill DiFabio writes a bi-weekly column on local sports history for the Observer-Reporter.