| Jay Berwanger | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | March 19, 1914 |
| Place of birth | Dubuque, Iowa |
| Date of death | June 26, 2002 (aged 88) |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| College | Chicago |
| NFL Draft | 1936 / Round 1 |
| Awards | 1935 Heisman Trophy, MVP of Big Ten. |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
John Jacob "Jay" Berwanger (March 19, 1914 - June 26, 2002) was an American football halfback born in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the first winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy in 1935 (the following year, though, the award was renamed the Heisman Trophy). Berwanger had been a star at the University of Chicago, whose legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg had been forced into retirement by the university immediately before Berwanger's first season on the varsity (1933). In a 1934 game against the University of Michigan, Berwanger left his mark on Michigan center Gerald Ford in the form of a distinctive scar beneath the future President's left eye.[1] Jay Berwanger played football and was a shot putter on the track and field team at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Illinois and was coached by Bert Gordon.
Berwanger also competed in track & field for the University of Chicago, setting a school decathlon record in 1936 that stood for over 70 years. It was recently broken by Zach Rodgers in 2007.[1].
In 1936, Berwanger was also the first player to be drafted by the National Football League in its initial college draft; he was selected first overall by the Philadelphia Eagles, who then traded his negotiating rights to the Chicago Bears. However, he chose not to play Professional Football and never played in the NFL.
After graduating, Berwanger was a sportswriter and later became a manufacturer of plastic car parts. He was very modest about the Heisman and used the trophy as a doorstop in his library. The trophy was later bequeathed to the University of Chicago Athletic Hall of Fame, where it was on display as of 2007[update]. There is also a replica of the Heisman on display in the trophy case in the Nora Gymnasium at Dubuque Senior High School.
He is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
References
External links
- University of Chicago News Office: Jay Berwanger obituary
- College Football Hall of Fame bio
- Heisman bio
| Preceded by First award |
Heisman Trophy Winner 1935 |
Succeeded by Larry Kelley |
| Preceded by First draft |
#1 Overall NFL Draft Pick 1936 |
Succeeded by Sam Francis |
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