Nov. 20, 2001
Today was supposed to be a day that former Villanova football standout David Bauer would forever remember. The day he would be honored by his alma mater, Villanova University, as he was inducted into the Varsity Club Hall of Fame. That was before September 11, 2001 - the day a nation will never forget.
When terrorists took life into their owns hands on the morning of Sept. 11, David Bauer lost his life in the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York. On that day, the Bauer family and the Villanova family lost a friend and a loved one. Today, we honor and remember Bauer as he is inducted into Villanova's Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
Bauer graduated from Villanova in 1978 with a degree in business administration. He was head of global sales for eSpeed (a subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald) specializing in providing infrastructure for the fixed-income market, when his life was taken from him just over two short months ago.
"Dave had a personality and sense of humor that made the workplace a more enjoyable environment for everyone," said Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick. "He was one of those people that executives looked at and said, 'I wish he was on our team'."
He and his wife Virginia ("Ginny") resided in Rumson, N.J., and were the proud parents of three children - sons David and Steve and daughter Jackie. Bauer and Ginny continually gave back to the community in which they lived, as they served on the board of Family and Children's Services. They were both honored with the Helen Hoffman Award for Community Service.
Bauer came to the Main Line from Red Bank, N.J., where he was a prep star for Red Bank Catholic High School. During his high school career, he earned Prep All-America honors as well as receiving third team All-State and first team All-County accolades. Bauer not only left his mark on the football field at Villanova, but also in the business world, as he had been president and a founding member of the Villanova Financial Club.
On the Villanova gridiron, Bauer was a starting defensive back for head coach Dick Bedesem and the Wildcats. He was a "jack of all trades" as he also handled the punting duties as well as seeing time as a kickoff and punt returner during his stellar career.
In his first collegiate season in 1974, Bauer returned three kickoffs for 56 yards. One season later, he began making his mark in the secondary. Bauer led the team in interceptions as a sophomore in 1975, picking off four passes and totaling 67 interception return yards.
His role on the team expanded during his junior campaign as he took over the punting duties for the Wildcats. Bauer punted 51 times for 1,823 yards - an average of 35.6 yards per punt. He also intercepted three passes placing him third on the team in that category. Not coincidentally, Bauer's play helped the team go from 4-7-0 in 1975 to 6-4-1 in 1976.
In his final season at Villanova in 1977, Bauer was again the starting defensive back and punter, playing dual roles for the `Cats. During that season he picked off three passes, and averaged 32.8 yards per punt. He finished his outstanding Main Line career with 10 interceptions, placing him among the all-time Villanova leaders in that category.
Even after his school and football days at Villanova ended, Bauer never forgot about his beloved alma mater. He remained a strong supporter of the University and its athletics program up until the day he died.
Today, Bauer joins Villanova's all-time greatest athletes as he is inducted into the Varsity Club Hall of Fame. What he did on the football field, however, does not even begin to tell the story of David Bauer. He was a family member, a friend and a teammate whose friendship, kindness and generosity will forever live on. Bauer is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word. He was a great player on the field - but an even greater man off it. (In memory of David Bauer, 1956-2001)
