Hall of Fame
Position: Center/Guard
Years: 1887-1894
Place of Birth: Kittanning, PA
Date of Birth: May 20, 1867
Place of Death: Chicago, IL
Date of Death: Jun 17, 1964
Height: 6-3
Weight: 180
Other College: Bucknell
High School: Reidsburg, PA (Reid Institute)Lewisburg, PA (Bucknell Prep)
"My playing record can never be equaled under the modern college rules." No one would dispute Andy Wyant's boast, nor would most men venture to attempt matching his ironman football career. 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 full quota of 47 consecutive games. In 1894, for example, Chicago played 23 games, winning 15. A center and guard, Wyant was a star of the raw-meat days of football. His teammates nicknamed him "Polyphemus," after the Cyclops of Greek Mythology. Indeed, he was a giant of a man for his time, standing 6-3 and offering an imposing picture of curly-haired, mustached manhood. His appetite for football was equalled only by a lust for knowledge. 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.
