Richard James Kempthorn (October 23, 1926 – February 8, 2019) was an American collegiate athlete, Air Force pilot, and businessman from Canton, Ohio, US.

Kempthorn was a starter at quarterback and linebacker in high school, and in two years of varsity football, his teams went 16-2-2 and won a state championship.

Before starting at the Academy, Kempthorn attended the Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he played in six football games for the Redskins under Coach Sid Gillman.

[3] After several weeks of training at the Merchant Marine Academy, Kempthorn was assigned to serve as an engine cadet on the crew of the cargo ship, USS Wild Hunter, which participated in the invasion of the Philippines.

[4] When Kempthorn laid out two varsity players in a scrimmage, Coach Fritz Crisler reportedly told Weber to "get that wild man out of there.

At that time, Kempthorn impressed Michigan's coaches with his drive on offense and hard tackling on defense; he was described as "rugged and beautifully proportioned but green and crude.

[13] After missing the opening game of the 1948 season with a pulled muscle,[14] Kempthorn did not see much action on offense but won respect for his play at linebacker with the defensive unit.

... His vicious tackling was the keynote of the inspired Michigan line that made a shambles of a Minnesota team that was rated one of the best in years.

That fall, his pigskin gloves played a key role in the infamous "Snow Bowl" victory over Ohio State.

[26] However, Kempthorn bypassed professional football and instead opted to return to Canton, Ohio to join his father's Dodge-Plymouth automobile dealership.

Draft rights for Kempthorn, rated the deadliest tackler Michigan has produced in almost three decades, are held by the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.

[28]When the Korean War broke out, Kempthorn joined the United States Air Force and spent three years as a pilot.

[3][29][30] In March 1953, Kempthorn was recognized for heroism after he rescued fellow pilot, Henry Rock, from a burning fighter plane in Japan.

[30] Newspapers covered the long-distance gift, and one reporter wrote Lt. Richard Kempthorn, jet fighter pilot with the army airforce in Korea, doesn't know it yet but he's about to receive a present that he'll undoubtedly cherish the rest of his life.

Mighty Dick, one of the great linebackers in football history, was one of the line-wrecking crew of Michigan's championship 1947-48 teams, and now he's doing an even finer job as a fighter pilot with more than 60 missions behind him in Korea.

[3] The business has now expanded into the Kempthorn Auto Mall in Canton, which includes Kempthorn-owned dealerships for Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Mazda, Volkswagen, and Jaguar.