Jay Berwanger
| Jay Berwanger | |
|---|---|
|
Position (s): running back |
Jersey number (s): - |
|
born March 19, 1914 Dubuque , Iowa |
|
|
died on June 26, 2002 in Oak Brook , Illinois |
|
| Career information | |
| Active : [[NFL |]] | |
| NFL Draft : 1936 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st | |
| College : Chicago | |
| Teams | |
| Career statistics | |
| no | statistics |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
John Jacob "Jay" Berwanger (* 19th March 1914 in Dubuque , Iowa ; † 26. June 2002 in Oak Brook , Illinois ), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman" was a US American football poker players and coaches .
Player career
college
Berwanger played the position of halfback , kickoff returner and linebacker and was a star player at the University of Chicago under head coach Amos Alonzo Stagg . In 24 games as halfback, Berwanger scored 22 touchdowns . One of Berwanger's opponents was the future US President Gerald Ford , who suffered a bleeding laceration while tackling a Berwanger tackle and still praised his opponent.
Professional career
In the first NFL draft in 1936 he was the first player selected by the Philadelphia Eagles , but his draft rights were then passed on to the Chicago Bears . Berwanger asked for a $ 25,000 contract for two years, which the Bears refused. Berwanger never played as a professional in the National Football League (NFL).
Coaching career
From 1936 to 1939 Berwanger was one of the coaches of the Chicago Maroons , the football team at the University of Chicago . The team was disbanded in 1940 and not set up again until 1962. Berwanger then no longer accepted a coaching position.
Honors
Berwanger won the first Heisman Trophy in 1935 . In 1954 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . Berwanger is also a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Chicago Athletics Hall of Fame.
After the career
After his playing career, Berwanger first became a sports journalist, while at the same time acting as a football coach. During the Second World War he served as an officer in the Navy , where he trained pilots in instrument flight. Berwanger later became a successful entrepreneur. His company made plastic parts for the auto industry. Berwanger was married twice and had two sons and a daughter by his first wife. He died of lung cancer at the age of 88 and is buried in Oak Brook .
Individual evidence
Web links
- Heisman Trophy to Jay Berwanger
- Former company of Jay Berwanger ( Memento from August 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- Obituary and burial site in the Find a Grave database
- Biography on ESPN's website
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Berwanger, Jay |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Berwanger, John Jacob (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 19, 1914 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dubuque , Iowa , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 26, 2002 |
| Place of death | Oak Brook , Illinois , United States |