Football Great, Larry Krutko Now WVU Hall of Famer

Recently, one of Greene County’s own was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony, held in September 2018, inducted 11 new members, among them Larry Krutko of Waynesburg.

“It was a complete surprise,” Larry exclaims about finding out he was one of the 11 inductees this year. “I had no idea!”

He adds, “I am very, very lucky. I thank God for my coaches, my family, and my friends. Alex Haley [author of Roots] said, ‘Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help.’ I had lots of help to get there.” He continues “My high school team was a close group of guys, good athletes, and it was the same at WVU.”

Larry, known as one of the best fullbacks in Mountaineer football history, played at West Virginia University from 1955 to 1957. Originally from Carmichaels, he played high school football at Cumberland Township (now the Carmichaels High School) High School from 1951 to 1953. While at Cumberland, Larry lettered in three additional sports – basketball, baseball, and track – but football was where he excelled.

While Larry played for Cumberland Twp., the team won the WPIAL Class B championship in 1952 with Larry setting a single-season regular season scoring record in Greene County, with 99 points. That year, he received All-County and All-WPIAL honors. In 1953, the team again went undefeated but due to the system, they were unable to join the playoffs. That year, Larry received All-County, an honorable mention for All-WPIAL, was selected MVP in Greene County, and had an honorable mention for the U.S. High School Football Team.

Larry was unable to play football for Cumberland in 1954. “There was an age limit of 18 for high school football. My birthday was June 27th and the cutoff day was around August 18th,” Larry shares. “I still needed one more credit to be eligible for college, so Pappy Lewis, Morgantown’s coach at the time, helped arrange it so that I could attend summer class and pick up the history credit I needed. “

Larry attended University High in Morgantown that summer and graduated from there. That fall he enrolled as a freshman at West Virginia University as an education major with an eye on teaching. “I had hopes to be a coach,” Larry says.

Freshmen weren’t eligible for the varsity team, so Larry played as part of the freshman team during his first year. During his time at WVU as part of the varsity team, he earned All-Southern Conference first team honors in 1956. Larry ended his three-year career with 297 carries for 1,407 yards, leading WVU in rushing yards in 1956 and 1957, while also playing linebacker on defense. Krutko currently ranks sixth in career rushing yards by a WVU fullback. 

Krutko played in the Blue-Gray Collegiate Bowl Game in 1957, the Senior Bowl and College All-Star Game in 1958, and helped lead the Mountaineers to two Southern Conference championships. He is a member of the WVU All-Time Team from 1950-59.

Larry was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second round of 1957 NFL Draft. “I was surprised, thrilled when I found out,” Larry says with a smile e. “I was out hunting the day they had the draft and had no idea. My wife’s uncle called my father-in-law and told him and that was how I found out. I was excited to get paid to play.”

He played with the Steelers from 1958 to 1960, appearing in 25 career games. He finished with 331 yards rushing on 96 carries, four touchdowns, and 14 receptions for 108 yards. His career for the Steelers ended abruptly, after an injury to his Achilles tendon during training. “During a play, another player stepped on my heel,” he shares. “Back then, an injured Achilles’ tendon was like a kiss of death, they just weren’t able to do much for it. I tried to get back into condition before the next season, but I just couldn’t keep up.”

During the off-season Larry worked with a school in Mt. Lebanon. “I had hopes to get on with the teaching staff. I really liked coaching.” Eventually he married Betty Bell, daughter of Michael J. Bell, the founder of Bell’s Wholesale Grocery.

Bell’s, originating in Blacksville, WV, relocated to Morgantown, to Brave, and back to Morgantown where it remained until 1999. However, in 1961, a satellite warehouse was opened on S. Washington St. in Waynesburg when Bell’s bought out the Weaver Candy Co. Larry ran the Waynesburg warehouse until it closed in the mid 80’s, when he went to Morgantown to take the helm as illness forced M.J. into retirement. Bell’s would eventually move from Morgantown to Mt. Morris thanks to increasing business and an opportunity offered by the Greene County Industrial Development Authority at the new Meadow Ridge Business Park. The Krutko’s also own and operate Belko Foods.

An outstanding Mountaineer, a Pittsburgh Steeler, and a longstanding local businessman dedicated to keeping the doors of neighborhood groceries open, Greene County is proud to call Larry Krutko one of its own.

Published in Holiday I 2018 GreeneScene Magazine.