Inducted 1999. Football Player of the Year in 1983 Goes on to Professional Baseball Career.
Kuhlman’s accomplishments on the baseball diamond alone would certainly merit his induction into the QND Hall of Fame, but as a senior in 1983, he enjoyed a season on the football field that was one of the most remarkable in school history.
The Raiders made the state playoffs in 1983 for the first time in nine seasons, and they won the Greater Midwestern Conference championship on their way to an 8-2 record. Kuhlman rushed for 1,161 yards, caught 14 passes for 248 yards and scored 14 touchdowns to earn Player of the Year honors from the Quincy Herald-Whig. He was also voted the conference’s player of the year on offense and defense, and he played in the Illinois Football Coaches Association Shriner All-Star football game.
“Through the years, I could count on one hand the kids with that kind of ability,” said Bob Winstead, Kuhlman’s football coach during his senior season.
Kuhlman, a 1984 graduate, was named three times to the Herald-Whig’s AllArea baseball team, and he was a member of two Quincy American Legion teams that combined for 85 victories. He went on to play baseball at Bradley University, where he played right field. He was a member of the winningest team in school history in 1988, and he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals following his junior year. He opted to stay in college, and he posted a .352 average with nine home runs while earning all Missouri Valley Conference first team honors during his senior season.
Kuhlman also played for the Quincy Rivermen of the Central Illinois Collegiate League, and he led the league in hits, total bases and extra base hits in his final season in the CICL. At the conclusion of his college career, Kuhlman was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and was eventually converted into a pitcher. He played for two years for the Idaho Falls Braves before retiring.
Kuhlman now lives in Chicago and is a district manager for Mueller Co., based out of Decatur.