SWARTZ CREEK, MI - Ask anyone who passed through Flint Central High School, and they’ll tell you the same legendary story: the time a towering history teacher wrestled a bear named Victor at the old IMA Auditorium -- and beat him.

For those who knew Joseph Eufinger, the tale wasn’t myth.

It was classic Joe: fearless, humorous, and always willing to do something unforgettable if it made his students smile.

Eufinger, a longtime Flint Central teacher and head football coach who shaped generations of students and athletes, died at home on Nov. 25. He was 80.

Born on Feb. 20, 1945, in Milwaukee, Eufinger moved to Flint when he was 5.

He graduated from Flint Central in 1963 and earned a full-ride football scholarship to Purdue University, where he played during the Bob Griese years.

After

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