The most amazing part about Tom Essenburg’s state record might not be the fact that he intercepted five passes in a game nearly 58 years ago.
Essenburg was playing defensive back for Holland High School his senior season in 1962 when he pulled of the hattrick plus two against Muskegon Heights in a 12-0 Dutch win.
Essenburg said there are two things that stand out about that game played at Holland’s Riverview Park, with the driving all-day, all-night rain being one of them.
And the second?
Essenburg answered with a question of his own.
“Guess how many passes (Muskegon Heights) had in the game, the entire four quarters?” Essenburg said. “Think about football in the ’60s where everything was run, run, run.
“The total for the game was six passes. I intercepted five of the six passes. Other than the fact that our team won the ball game, those are the two things that stand out.”
Holland scored two touchdowns in the game’s final minute, with the second one coming when Essenburg intercepted his fifth pass and returned it 37 yards for a score. Concord’s Zach Brigham (2010) and Temperance Bedford’s Tony Gill (1990) have since recorded five interceptions in a game, tying them for first all-time with Essenburg in Michigan High School Athletic Association state history. Essenburg said the way teams throw the ball these days, he wouldn’t be surprised if someone breaks it.
“Dick Kishpaugh, who was the Michigan High School Athletic Association historian found out about this record, and in verifying this, he called the Muskegon Heights coach, who was Okie Johnson,” Essenburg said. “Dick supposedly said to Okie, ‘Do you remember that?’ And Okie said, ‘Absolutely, I couldn’t believe it.’ I then got a nice little letter, and I still have it on the wall.”
Essenburg finished the 1962 season with seven interceptions, including two against Grand Rapids Central, which was led by Rocky Rozema. Essenburg said he knew he ‘had a few’ against Muskegon Heights, but he didn’t realize how many until he read about it in the paper Saturday morning.
“I’m not the type of person who is going to jump up and down and all that,” Essenburg said. “I may seem like old school on this, but team-wise, you really don’t do a lot of that. Your job is to make sure that they don’t score. I was fortunate to be in the right spot at the right time.
“It wasn’t until I saw the Holland Sentinel on Saturday morning that I had five interceptions. It was somewhat lowkey, but it was something that I was so proud of.”
Essenburg and his wife Judi have three children and three grandchildren. His first daughter Kristin was born Sept. 21, 1969, seven years to the date that he had his five interceptions.
“That is an important date for our family,” he said.
Essenburg has continued to have an impact on the West Michigan sports landscape. This fall will mark his 47th season of officiating high school football and 37th of small college football. He also serves as a softball umpire.
“I enjoy that immensely,” Essenburg said. “I have a great time and a great crew and a lot of good memories with that too.”
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