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| Jack Riley | |
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Position: Tackle |
| Member Biography | |
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John Horn Riley, one of four brothers to play football for
Northwestern University, was a key man in the school's glory
years. Northwestern had a 20-5-1 record and won two Big
Ten championships in his time. By later standards, Jack Riley
would be considered a small tackle, at 6-2 and 218-pounds.
But in 1931 he was the biggest man named to the All-America
team. Riley wrestled at Northwestern and was the national
collegiate heavyweight champion in 1931 and 1932. He also
won a silver medal in wrestling in the 1932 Olympics. His
third sport was rowing, and he captained a championship crew
for St. John's Military Academy in 1927. Riley played pro
football two years with the Boston Redskins and was a
professional wrestler two years. He retired undefeated after
132 pro bouts. He entered the U.S. Marines in World War II
and rose to the rank of major. After the war he worked as a
manufacturer's representative, living in Kenilworth, Illinois, and
for ten years, 1948-1957, was the Northwestern University
wrestling coach.
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