Hall-of-famer Ken Dement remembered by teammate

Marvin Rosengarten says you would be hard pressed to find a tougher, more competitive or better football player than Kenneth Dement.

"He was a good, old-fashioned tough guy," Rosengarten said. "He was an outstanding player, no question about it, and a fine man."

Dement, an All-American at Southeast Missouri State in the early 1950s who is the university's only member of the College Football Hall of Fame, died Friday at age 80. He had been a 12-year resident of the Missouri Veteran's Home in Cape Girardeau.

Dement was a two-way tackle at Southeast from 1951 through 1954. Rosengarten, who played with Dement at Southeast from 1952 through 1954, said his teammate was characterized by his endurance and his ability to play defensively from sideline to sideline.

"We played next to each other for three years. He was a tackle, I was a guard," said Rosengarten, Southeast's former athletic director. "He had great speed. He could play all over the field. You wouldn't think that of a tackle. He was more like a linebacker.

"He had a tremendous endurance. When somebody was looking for some oxygen, he would never quit."

Rosengarten said Dement was also a strong leader, which would serve him well later in life.

"He didn't say much, but he led by his example," Rosengarten said.

Dement, who grew up in Sikeston and lived there most of his life, received perhaps college football's highest honor in 1998 when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Southeast Athletic Hall of Fame, having been inducted during the inaugural class in 2002, and he had his No. 40 jersey retired by the university.

After graduating from Southeast in 1955, Dement was drafted by the New York Giants. But instead of continuing his football career, Dement chose to serve his country. He was a member of the United States Marine Corps for two years, becoming a captain.

Dement then entered Washington University School of Law, graduating in 1961. He had a successful law practice in Sikeston and said one of his proudest moments was being interviewed by Mike Wallace of "60 minutes" regarding one of his cases.

"He was an outstanding lawyer. I would visit with him a lot of times in Sikeston about various things," Rosengarten said. "We had a lot of dealings together."

Dement also remained active with Southeast, serving the university as a member of the Board of Regents from 1976 through 1981, including the role of president. 

Visitation will be held today from 5 to 8 p.m.at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. A private interment with military honors will be held at a later date at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery.