| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | Elmira, New York |
| Career information | |
| College: | Columbia University |
| Career history | |
As an administrator: | |
| |
Jan Van Duser is an American sports executive who worked for the National Football League from 1971 to 1997.
A native of Elmira, New York, Van Duser graduated from Columbia University in 1959. He was a sportswriter for the Tampa Times and St. Petersburg Times during the early 1960s. In 1964, he joined the staff of The Atlanta Constitution . [1]
In 1966, Van Duser was named public relations director of the expansion Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. [1] In 1971, he was appointed assistant to the president of the National Football Conference. In 1973, he became the NFL's director of personnel. [2] In this role, Van Duser managed the National Football League draft and processed all player contracts. [3] In 1979, Van Duser was offered the position of general manager of the New York Giants after Commissioner Pete Rozelle stepped in to resolve a stalemate between the team's feuding owners – Wellington Mara and Timothy J. Mara. Van Duser declined the job, which led to the position going to a second compromise candidate, George Young. [4] Van Duser remained in the league office until his retirement in 1997. [5]