Romig starred during the 1947 football season.
“Romig, of Palmerton No. 23, is seen starting off on a nice gain for the Blue Bombers in their game at Slatington yesterday which Palmerton won 13 to 7.”
The Morning Call, 29 November 1947
In 1992, Romig was selected as a member of the Carbon County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Here was his citation (courtesy Danny McGinley, President, Carbon County, Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. See also, The Morning Call, 21 May 1992.)
Bob was an outstanding athlete at Palmerton High where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball in his freshman year. As a junior he captained the Blue Bombers and was given the Youth of the Month Award by the Palmerton Exchange Club. In football (47-48) Bob was the number 2 scorer in the Panther Valley-Carbon County Area with 72 points and in basketball was considered by The Morning Call one of the best rebounders in the Lehigh Valley, and he led Palmerton to the Lehigh Valley Championship. He was named to the first team All Lehigh Valley and received All State Honorable Mention. He was a member of the track team as a pole vaulter and also captained the football team.
Bob Romig was the son of Charles Romig (1898-1981) and Mary nee Schremp (1903-1995). There were three boys and two girls in the family. As of the 1940 census, they were living on Avenue A in Palmerton.
In 1953 in Palmerton, Bob Romig himself married Ada Kost (1931-). They had three children (two daughters and one son).
Romig had a superb athletic career for Palmerton High School beginning with his freshman year in 1945-1946. In the fall, he played in several football games for the Blue Bombers. In the game against Lehighton on 10 November 1945, Romig scored twice. "The Bombers pushed over the first touchdown on five plays from scrimmage when Romig, outstanding freshman back, who made his first start of the season, bucked over from the one-yard line."" He later scored his second touchdown in the fourth quarter. (The Morning Call, 11 November 1945) He also started at left halfback against Slatington in the annual Thanksgiving Day game.
As a freshman, he was chosen for the varsity basketball team. The team finished with a 16-6 record that season with Romig scoring anywhere from 8 to 27 points a game.
And finally, in the spring of his freshman year, Romig was a catcher on the baseball team and formed a pitcher-catcher battery with Eddie Kuhla. As a freshman, Romig had earned varsity letters for football, basketball and baseball.
Romig followed up his freshman year with a fine sophomore season, 1946-1947. Palmerton's football team achieved a respectable 6-2-1 record that year, and Romig started at left halfback, scoring at least three touchdowns. On Palmerton's basketball team, Romig was also a starter, and he finished with 129 points in 12 games. His season was cut short when he was suspended in early January for a violation of basketball team rules.
In his junior year, Romig had an outstanding football season. He was one of only two returning veterans on the team, and the team was looking to launch its 1947 season by building around the "triple threat junior."
Whitehall 6 – Palmerton 0 (27 September)
Stroudsburg 27 – Palmerton 12 (4 October) Romig scored on a 53-yard run.
Palmerton 12 – Catasauqua 12 (11 October) "It was Bob Romig vs Billy Buck yesterday afternoon as the Palmerton Blue Bombers and Catasauqua Raiders battled to a 12-12 deadlock." (The Morning Call, 12 October 1947) Romig ran for two touchdowns, including one of 60 yards in the first quarter as he "electrified the crowd." He finished with 214 yards rushing out of his team's total of 225 yards. He had a two-yard dive for a touchdown in the final minutes to tie the game.
Palmerton 0 – Bangor 7 (17 October)
Northampton 13 – Palmerton 6 (25 October) In the game Romig had two fumble recoveries, but he also threw an interception.
Palmerton 25 – Emmaus 0 (1 November) Romig ran for three touchdowns including one of fifty yards.
Lehighton 0 – Palmerton 19 (15 November) Romig finished with two touchdowns and 150 yards rushing in the game.
Palmerton 12 – Wilson 26 (22 November) Romig had one touchdown.
Slatington 7 – Palmerton 27 (27 November) Romig scored on runs of 62 and 59 yards with more than 200 yards gained from scrimmage. He also had two extra points.
For the football season, Romig finished with 11 touchdowns and 4 extra points, finishing in second place among the Carbon County schools. (The Morning Call, 29 November 1947). In just the Lehigh Valley League, he had 10 TDs and 3 points for a total of 63 points, which was the 3rd highest scorer in the league. (The Morning Call, 9 December 1847)
Coach Young with Bob Romig before the annual Thanksgiving clash with Slatington. Photo credit: Palmerton High School 1948 yearbook
Palmerton High School had an outstanding basketball team in Romig's junior year, which was the winter of 1947-48. The team was led by Bill Mlkvy (1931-2024) who was later named to the first team all-state basketball team in Pennsylvania. The Palmerton team finished with an undefeated regular season record as champions of the Lehigh Valley League, but then the team lost in the District XI playoff championship game to Bethlehem High School.
Romig was named by coaches to the basketball first team in the Lehigh Valley League. He finished with about 150 points in league play, which was sixth highest in the league. (The Morning Call, 23 February and 13 March 1948)
At the Palmerton High School athletic banquet in April 1948, Romig received awards for both his football and basketball exploits.
According to The Morning Call (16 September 1948), Romig "failed to report for his senior year" with the high school team. The newspaper noted that he had started working for the New Jersey Zinc plant and that he was playing with the Nesquehoning Hurricanes, a semi-professional football club. He also played for the Hurricanes basketball club.
In 1989, Romig won a workman's compensation case against the New Jersey Zinc Company where he had been employed since 1948. He had originally stopped working at the plant in 1984 because of scar tissue in his lungs. He claimed that his failing health was a result of conditions he experienced while at work in the factory. The judge ordered the company to pay him $263 a week retroactive to January 1984, when he had stopped working. (The Morning Call, 16 June 1989)
Bob Romig died in 1996. He was survived by his wife, Ada, and three children.