Jay Berwanger

Who was Jay Berwanger?

John Jacob "Jay" Berwanger was an American football halfback born in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the first winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy in 1935; the trophy is awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding college football player. Berwanger had been a star at the University of Chicago, where he was known as the "one man football team".

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. Berwanger also competed in track & field for the University of Chicago, setting a school decathlon record in 1936 that stood until 2007.

In 1936, Berwanger became the first player to be drafted by the National Football League in its inaugural draft. The Philadelphia Eagles selected him but did not think they would be able to meet his reported salary demands of $1,000 per game. They traded his negotiating rights to the Chicago Bears for tackle Art Buss. Berwanger initially chose not to sign with the Bears in part to preserve his amateur status so that he could compete for a spot on the U.S. team for the 1936 Summer Olympics in the decathlon.