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Jay Berwanger, 1st Heisman Trophy Winner, Dies At 88
NEW YORK, New York (28 June 2002) - Jay Berwanger, first winner of the Heisman Trophy, died Wednesday night, June 26, at 8:45p.m. of lung cancer. He was 88 years old. In 1935, the Downtown Athletic Club created an annual award to the Outstanding College Football Player in the United States. The first award of this DAC trophy was made on December 9, 1935 to Berwanger, a triple-threat cyclone in Chicago's backfield. In 23 games (1933 - 1935) Berwanger gained more than a mile from scrimmage. In an era before football teams were divided up into offensive and defensive squads, Berwanger was renowned for his versatility. He called plays, ran, passed, punted, blocked, tackled, kicked off, kicked extra points and returned punts and kickoffs. Berwanger was known at times as "the one man team."
Berwanger's coach, Clark Shaughnessy, called him "every football coach's dream player. You can say anything superlative about him, and I'll double it." Of the 107 opposing team players he faced during his senior year, 104 said the six-foot, 195-pound Berwanger was the best halfback they had ever seen.
When Berwanger received a telegram from the club, informing him that he had won a trophy for being the "most valuable football player east of the Mississippi" as well as a trip for two to New York, Berwanger recalled it as not really being a big deal. "No one at school really said anything to me about winning it other than a few congratulations. I was more excited about the trip than the trophy because it was my first flight." Berwanger was the only Heisman recipient who was ever tackled by a future president of the United States - Gerald Ford. In a 1934 game between Chicago and Michigan Ford tackled Jay. "I ended up with a bloody cut and I still have the scar to prove it," Ford recalled. "He and I met several times in the years since that game and I remember him fondly as one of the greatest athlete's I've known." Berwanger is survived by three children and three stepchildren, as well as 20 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. The Elliston Funeral Home in Hinsdale is handling the funeral arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to the University of Chicago Hall of Fame in honor of Berwanger. Donations can be sent to:
Ann Ehrenstrom, |
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