Wearing this makeshift helmet, Berwanger was known as

At first glance, Hall of Famer Jay Berwanger’s helmet looks like something straight out of medieval times. You could easily picture the grotesque headgear on an executioner, or perhaps a gladiator. In reality, the helmet was crafted out of necessity for “The Man in the Iron Mask,” one of the greatest football players in history.


Berwanger’s “Iron Mask” is just one of several priceless pieces the Berwanger family donated to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003, a few months after he passed away. Berwanger’s helmet, College All-Star Game jersey, Big Ten MVP Award, All-America sweater, All-America blanket and 1954 Hall of Fame induction certificate are all featured in an exhibit dedicated to the largely forgotten football star.

“We are greatly honored that the Berwanger family decided to donate much of Jay’s memorabilia,” said Hall of Fame curator Kent Stephens. “Jay has a unique place in football history as the first Heisman Trophy winner. At Chicago he excelled while playing for a .500 team. Due to the fact that he chose not to pursue a professional career, and that Chicago soon gave up football, his greatness is often overlooked.”

Berwanger was a remarkable player at the University of Chicago from 1933-35. A two-time All-America selection, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound halfback was a bruising runner and ferocious tackler. On one 85-yard run, as recorded by the NCAA guide, Berwanger “bowled over four tacklers, outwitted two others and outran the last.” His fierce running style led to a nasty facial injury during his junior season. In an effort to prevent further injury, Chicago’s training staff altered Berwanger’s helmet prior to his senior season, and his new look prompted writers to label him as “The Man in the Iron Mask.”

The “Iron Mask” certainly didn’t hurt Berwanger’s play on the field. In 1935, he rushed for 577 yards on 119 carries (4.8 average), passed for 405 yards and scored 41 points while playing superb defense at linebacker. Berwanger won the first Heisman Trophy (then named the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy) that year, given at the time to “the most outstanding football player east of the Mississippi River.” In 24 career games, Berwanger rushed for 1,839 yards, passed for 921 yards, returned 34 kickoffs for 873 yards (25.7 average) and scored 22 total touchdowns.

Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the first-overall pick in the 1936 NFL Draft, Berwanger passed on professional football because he could earn more money in private business. Berwanger still loved the game though and served as a college referee after a four-year stint in the Navy (1942-45), working as a field judge in the 1949 Rose Bowl.

Berwanger’s football accomplishments were best described by Clark Shaughnessy, his head coach at Chicago. Shaughnessy issued Berwanger the jersey number 99 because, in his words, “that was as close to a perfect 100 as I could get.”