Andy Wyant

Bio

My playing record can never be equaled under the modern college rules, boasted Andy Wyant. He began playing for Bucknell in 1887 - while still a student at Bucknell Prep. It marked the first of eight varsity seasons, five at Bucknell and three at Chicago, the latter under legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. In an era when equipment was skimpy and schedules heavy, Wyant logged 73 straight games without being substituted. While with Chicago, he played the entire contest in 47 consecutive games. In 1894, for example, Chicago played 23 games, winning 15. Playing both center and guard, Wyant was a star of the early days of football. His teammates nicknamed him "Polyphemus," after the Cyclops of Greek Mythology. With the curly-haired, and mustache he was an easily recognizable figure in an era without helmets or uniform numbers. Equally proficient in the class room, Andrew R.E. Wyant went on to earn five scholastic degrees, including Doctor of Medicine. He was a teacher, minister, author, lecturer and financier as well as a gifted physician who served in the Red Cross during World Wars I and II.