Andy Wyant

Who was Andy Wyant?

Andy R. E. Wyant was a college football player, best known for playing eight vasity seasons of college football, for an unprecedented total of 73 consecutive games, from 1887–1894. It should also be noted, that during this era of football, that teams dressed in poorly made equipment and usually played heavy schedules. For example, during Wyant's final season in 1894 alone, he played in 23 games.

Wyant began his playing career for Bucknell University in 1887, while still a student in high school. He would go on to play five more seasons with the team. During his career, Wyant was nicknamed "Polyphemus," by his teammates, after the cyclops in Greek mythology. In 1892, he left Bucknell to attend the University of Chicago Divinity School. While in Chicago, he was played under the legendary coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg. Wyant later became just the second football captain at Chicago, succeeding Stagg.

In 1895 Wyant graduated from the Divinity School and served as a Baptist minister. He would eventually earn five degrees, including a Doctorate of Medicine. He would go on to work as a teacher, minister, author, lecturer and financier.