While at Coventry High School, Ron was a member of the varsity basketball, football and track teams. He was selected as a co-captain of the 1961 Comet football squad. Ron’s exploits on the gridiron landed him a football scholarship to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Ron was a four-letter winner at Northwestern. Ron also won the Big Ten punting honors as a senior, with an average of 40.5 yards per punt. After his playing career at Northwestern ended, Ron was chosen to participate in the annual Blue-Gray Classic in Montgomery, Alabama. This game matched the senior all-stars from across the country against one another. He also participated in the Hula Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii in January 1967. In that game, Ron caught the game winning touchdown. Ron was drafted in the 9th round of the 1966 National Football League Draft by the Green Bay Packers. Ron was one of the last rookies released by the Packers. After a brief stop with the Washington Redskins, Ron was picked up by the Atlanta Falcons. He became a starting running back for the Falcons and finished out the 1967 season with them. The Falcons had high expectations for Ron as their starting halfback for the 1968 season. These hopes were never realized. While motorcycling down I-77 on June 29, 1968, Ron apparently lost control of his motorcycle near the Delaware-Franklin County line. He received a severe head injury from which he died the following day. Ron is remembered annually by the Coventry High School Athletic Department. Each year, an outstanding Coventry student-athlete is presented with the Ron Rector Award.