JAY BERWANGER

'John Jay Berwanger' (March 19, 1914 - June 26, 2002) was an American football player born in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the first winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1935 — at that time awarded to the best player east of the Mississippi River. Berwanger had been a star at the University of Chicago under coach Amos Alonzo Stagg (both of whom were members of the Psi Upsilon fraternity). Berwanger was very modest about the Heisman and used the trophy as a doorstop in his library.
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]
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. However, he chose not to turn professional and never played in the NFL.
After graduating, Berwanger was a sportswriter and later became a manufacturer of plastic car parts.

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External links

External links

★ University of Chicago News Office: Jay Berwanger obituary

★ College Football Hall of Fame bio