Athletic Hall of Fame
Christian Rau ’65 earned his BS in physical education from Concordia and his MEd in education from Queens College (NY) in 1967.
Rau earned a total of nine letters in football, basketball and baseball between 1960 and 1965. He served as a co-captain for football in 1964 and captain for basketball during the 1964-65 season.
Rau was a key member of three Cougar basketball teams that won a combined 57 games and made NCAA regional appearances. He played on the 1961-62 team that defeated Illinois State in its first-ever regional game. Rau contributed to the 1962-63 Cougars’ 13-game winning streak and also earned All-Tournament honors at CIT. He competed in regional games against Evansville (featuring future NBA star Jerry Sloan) in 1963 and nationally-ranked Southern Illinois (#2) in 1965.
On the gridiron, Rau developed a reputation as a clutch player for the Cougars. In his freshman year, he recovered two blocked punts for touchdowns in a 14-7 win over Illinois Chicago. The following season, Rau accounted for the game-winning touchdown reception in a 19-12 win over Northwestern Wisconsin. He graduated holding the school record with a career punting average of 35.3.
Rau has served as a teacher and athletic director at many Lutheran schools, most recently at Grace Lutheran School in St. Petersburg, FL. He has chaired the Central Florida Lutheran Athletic Conference and has served the Florida/Georgia (FLGA) District of the LCMS in several capacities. Currently, Rau is President of the South Pinellas County Chapter Board for Thrivent.
