Lloyd Carr always knew that at some point each week, he would run into Ron Kramer in Schembechler Hall.

And every time, Kramer - who won nine varsity letters in three sports at Michigan and was a two-time All-America selection in 1955 and 1956 - had a delivery of apples tucked under his arm. The football building was only one stop - Kramer always made sure he visited the offices of the president and athletic director as well as other athletic offices around campus.

Ron Kramer

Photo courtesy of the University of Michigan

Carr remembers Kramer as a "giant who always cared about Michigan." On Saturday, Kramer, who went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, died at the age of 75. University officials said Kramer, who owned his own business in Fenton, died at his home. No cause of death was released.

"Ron was a positive guy and he loved Michigan - that's for sure," Carr said Saturday afternoon. "He was a very generous guy, and we're going to miss him. He's just one of those guys you don't imagine you're never going to be without, and of course, now we are."

Kramer competed in football, basketball and track during his three years at Michigan. He was then drafted by the Packers in the first round in 1957. With the Wolverines, he played on the offensive and defensive line, but also saw time as a running back, quarterback, kicker and wide receiver.

He finished his Michigan basketball career with 1,124 points - a career mark that stood until 1961. Kramer was a three-time team MVP as a junior. 

A high jumper on Michigan's track team, despite his 230-pound frame, Kramer found success in each endeavor and embraced the opportunity to compete in three different athletic arenas.

"He was just an all-around terrific athlete," said former Michigan fullback Don Dufek Sr., who worked as an assistant coach under Bennie Oosterbaan in the 1950s. "He was willing to put in a lot of hard work - that's for sure. He wasn't a guy that just walked on the field and expected to do it. He worked hard at being a great athlete and he was that.

"I think Bennie always saw a bit of himself in (Kramer)."

Ron Kramer is shown playing for the Wolverines.

Photo courtesy of the University of Michigan

Kramer's No. 87 is one of just five numbers retired by Michigan's football program, joining Francis, Albert and Alvin Wistert, all whom wore No, 11, Oosterbaan (47), Gerald R. Ford (48), and Tom Harmon (98).

Carr recalls having players who competed in two sports. But given the time commitment required - both academically and athletically - he can't imagine an athlete attempting to play three sports during his collegiate career.

"Certainly, he's in an elite class of great players that have competed at Michigan," Carr said.

Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon called Kramer one of the great Michigan athletes of the 20th century in a statement issued Saturday evening.

"Football was his calling card, but he excelled in basketball and track," Brandon said. "I appreciated Ron as a Michigan Man who would do all he could to support all of our teams."

Kramer was selected in the NFL three spots after Green Bay took Paul Hornung with the No. 1 overall draft. He was a two-time All-Pro in 1961 and 1962 during seasons when the Packers won back-to-back World Championships. He finished his NFL career with 3,272 career receiving yards on 229 catches, scoring 16 touchdowns in 128 career games.

Kramer was elected to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, and 10 years later was honored with the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. That honor recognized significant civic and professional contributions that spanned 25 years after the completion of his collegiate career.

Yet in an interview with AnnArbor.com last year, Kramer said he never considered himself special for doing what he did.

"It's just part of who I am," Kramer said. "People always say that I am giving back, but I don't consider this giving back. What do I have to give back? My beautiful body isn't so beautiful anymore."

In that interview, Kramer recalled once getting a phone call from former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler on the rare occasion he didn't make his weekly apple delivery. When Kramer answered, Schembechler said, "Is this Kramer? This is Schembechler of Michigan. Where are the apples?"

Said Carr Saturday: "I guess the message that was important is that the one time he didn't bring them, Bo took notice, and it was Bo's way of telling him that what he was doing was important for a lot of reasons."

Jeff Arnold covers sports for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.