EAST LANSING — Former Dowagiac and Michigan State standout Dave Behrman died of pancreatic cancer Tuesday.

He was 73.

Behrman was an All-America pick as a junior in 1961 as selected by The Associated Press and Football Writers Association and his senior year in 1962 by CBS-TV. The Dowagiac native also earned back-to-back first-team All-Big Ten honors those same seasons.

Nicknamed “The Big Bear,” the 6-foot-4, 265-pounder dominated opponents with his strength. He earned the first of his three letters in 1960 when he played a team-high 321 minutes. In the 17-13 win over Purdue, he played all 60 minutes and was voted the game ball by his teammates. The Spartans went 6-2-1 on the season to finish No. 15 in the AP Poll.

Behrman played the second-most minutes on the team in 1961 with 297 as the Spartans collected a 7-2 record and finished No. 8 in the final AP Poll. He concentrated on center in 1962 while playing 279 minutes, fourth most on the team, and was recognized with first-team All-America accolades for the second consecutive season.  Behrman’s versatility enabled him to play tackle, guard and center during his career on the offensive line, and he also played on the defensive line.

“If there is a college lineman anywhere with his speed, power, quickness and intelligence, he has been well hidden,” former MSU head coach Duffy Daugherty said during Behrman’s career as a Spartan. “He’s awfully quick for his size and he’s agile on offense and rough to move on defense.”

Drafted in the first round in 1963 by both the Buffalo Bills (AFL, No. 4 overall) and the Chicago Bears (NFL, No. 11 overall), Behrman played for the Bills from 1963-65 and for Denver in 1967.

Along with former MSU All-American fullback George Saimes, Behrman played on the East squad in the 1963 All-America Game in Buffalo.

Behrman also was a member of a 1963 College All-Stars team that upset the NFL Champion Green Bay Packers, 20-17, on Aug. 2, 1963, in Chicago.

“I got really good protection from those (Spartans) up front — (Ed) Budde and (Dave) Behrman,” said Ron Vander Kelen, who was the quarterback on the College All-Stars team that defeated Vince Lombardi’s Packers.

Behrman earned all-conference, all-state and All-America honors while playing football at Dowagiac High School.

He also was a shot putter on the track team and wrestled at heavyweight; he was runner-up in heavyweight at the Pan-American Trials prior to entering MSU.