May 20

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss great players like Andy Wyant, Herman Wedemeyer and the coaching rumors of Frank Leahy as well as many more Legendary football stories.

May 20, 1949 - Elmira, New York and their paper the Star-Gazette with the headline of; “Reagan Inks Contract with Philly Eagles.” The story reports that former New York Giants player Frank Reagan signed with the defending champion NFL Eagles.

May 20, 1957 - The Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the day came from the Lincoln Journal Star in Lincoln, Nebraska reported that; “ Georgetown, Leahy Back to Football.” Former Notre Dame star and coach Frank Leahy had agreed to return to coaching at Georgetown University. The school had suspended their football program in 1950 had decided to revive the gridiron Hoyas and brought in a big time name to rekindle the football flame at the Washington D.C. College. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the program ever got off the ground with Leahy. The Hoyasaxa.com website says,iIn 1959, the National Football Foundation invited Georgetown's president, Rev. Edmund Bunn S.J., to discuss opportunities for Georgetown, Fordham, NYU, Chicago, Johns Hopkins, and MIT to schedule extramural football contests between the schools, but Bunn declined the invitation outright. Rumores in late December newspaper articles from a variety of sources had rumors of Leahy possibly about to sign on with Texas A&M.

May 20, 1867 - Kittanning, Pennsylvania - Andy Wyant who played the positions of Center, Guard in the era of single platoon football for both Bucknell and the University Chicago was born.  The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Andy Wyant into their legendary museum in 1962.  

 May 20, 1920 - Los Angeles, California - UCLA’s guard from 1941 & 1942 as well as 1945 , Al Sparlis arrived into the scene of life. Sparlis according to the FootballFoundation.org website bio on him worked his was through college at UCLA and then his education and gridiron career were interrupted during World War II when he served in both the U.S. Coast Guard and the Air Force. This brave hero then returned to play ball again in 1945. In 1945, at UCLA, he was known as a fine blocker and an effective force on defense. He won the Look magazine first team All-America honors. The National Football Foundation selected Al Sparlis for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. After college Al played pro football with the Green Bay Packers before rejoining the U.S. Air Force for Far East battle assignments.

May 20, 1924 - Hilo, Hawaii - The Saint Mary's halfback of 1943 and then again 1945 through the 1947 season, Herman Wedemeyer was born. Growing up in beautiful Hawaii, Herman attended college on the mainland at St. Mary’s in Moraga, California before leaving briefly to serve in the Merchant Marines during WWII. When he returned to St. Mary's in 1945, the school had an enrollment of 142 men, and 41 were trying out for football. The team  was coached by Jimmie Phelan and they received much attention after winning their first seven games in 1942 according to the NFF. This exciting squad drew big crowds - 80,000 against California at Berkeley; 60,000 against Nevada at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco; 86,000 against Southern California at Los Angeles. Wedemeyer, nicknamed "Squirmin' Herman," was the star attraction. He was also fondly referenced in the press as 'The Flyin' Hawaiian,' 'The Hawaiian Centipede,' and 'The Hula-Hipped Hawaiian' because of his elusive moves on the field according to the American Football Database. Herman played a big part in a 20-13 victory over California as he gained 202 yards on kick returns and threw two touchdown passes. Wedemeyer spearheaded a 26-0 victory over Southern California too. The Gaels lost in the eighth week of the season to UCLA and lost in the Sugar Bowl to Oklahoma A&M. St. Mary's ended up being ranked seventh in the nation in the final Associated Press poll. Wedemeyer was unanimous All-America, third in the nation in total offense, fourth in passing, fourth in punting, and fourth in the Heisman vote. Squirmin’ Herman had his longest runs in college recorded in 1946, 73 yards against Santa Clara and 70 against California. His longest pass play was 85 yards against Fordham in 1946. Wedemeyer also excelled in baseball, golf, and boxing. Herman Wedemeyer was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979 after the National Football Foundation tabulated their votes. His life after college is intriguing as well. Herman played two years of professional football. Wedemeyer was a first-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference in 1948. Despite leading the AAFC in punt return yardage that year, he was waived by the Dons. He was then signed by the AAFC Baltimore Colts, with whom he played in 1949 before retiring from professional sports for good. Herman then became an actor in Hollywood best known on the hit series Hawaii Five-O as Detective Duke Lukela. 

May 20, 1927 - Superior, Wisconsin - Bud Grant former Canadian Football League and NFL Minnesota Vikings coach was born. Grant besides being a coach was a great athlete too as he played in NBA.  As a matter of fact eventough the Philadephia Eagles picked him in the 1950 NFL Draft he way layed his NFL debut to play hoops with the Minneapolis Lakers for two seasons, and they won an NBA Championship each year he was there! In 1951 he finally stepped onto the gridiron as a pro playing defense in year one and then was second in receiving in 1952 with 56 receptions. After his playing days were done Bud took a drink of coaching players at the Pro level of football. Grant, who had just completed a 10-year -tenure as head coach of the highly successful Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, took over the NFL's Vikings in 1967. It didn't take long for him to bring success to the Vikes as he had the Bombers either because in just his second season in 1968, he launched the Vikings on a string of championship seasons rarely equaled in sports competition. From 1968 through 1978, the Vikings won the NFL/NFC Central Division 10 times in 11 seasons, missing only in 1972. During that span, the Vikings won the 1969 NFL championship and NFC titles in 1973, 1974 and 1976. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Coach Bud Grant into their Canton, Ohio Museum in 1997.

May 20, 1960 - Menomonie, Wisconsin - Tim Krumrie the Wisconsin Badgers defensive lineman from 1979 to 1982 celebrates his date of birth. Tim’s bio on the NFF’s website shares that when he finished up his collegiate career he was the All-Time leading tackler for the University of Wisconsin. Krumrie was a consensus First Team All-American in 1981 as he registered 135 tackles that season, which is still Wisconsin’s single-season record for a defensive lineman. He is currently third on the school’s career tackles list with 444, and he owns the school record with 276 career solo tackles. The three time All-Big Ten selection led the Badgers to two bowl games, including a win in the 1982 Independence Bowl where he earned Defensive MVP honors after posting a then school bowl-record 13 tackles. Krumrie also took them to the 1981 Garden State Bowl, Wisconsin’s first postseason berth since 1962. Tim Krumrie    received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. TIm ended up being picked in 10th round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he would spend his entire 12-year career from 1983-94. The two-time Pro Bowl selection led the Bengals to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIII. After un-snapping the chinstrap for the last time Krumrie spent some time in the Bengals organization as their defensive line coach from 1995-2002. He would go on to serve the same role with the Buffalo Bills (2003-05) and the Kansas City Chiefs (2006-09).

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by Harris and Ewing circa1930 and is titled " Georgetown Football Coaches ."