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Topic: OT Jay Berwanger relative search

Topic: OT Jay Berwanger relative search

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OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 15,400

Status: Offline

OT Jay Berwanger relative search

Posted: 1/30/2026 2:05:21 PM

Maybe someone on here who has more internet search prowess than I do, though I rate my level above your average bear, can help me find a reference that I can't find. Back in 1970 I attended the two-day Marshall Memorial Holiday Basketball Tournament in Huntington. On Friday Marshall beat Iowa State 90-66 to advance to the championship game on Saturday against Ole Miss, who they trounced 118-98. Yes, Marshall basketball was good in those days! The problem I need help with is that the program for the tournament, which I no longer have, said one of the players for Mississippi was either a son or grandson of Jay Berwanger, the first Heisman Trophy winner, and my father's sports idol. Every football playe that Dad every saw after his years at Chicago was compared to Berwanger, and came up short!

Well, I decided to try and find who this Berwanger relative was on the 1970-71 Ole Miss basketball team. I can't find him. There are no Berwangers listed on the roster that I find sports-reference.com. I assume it's accurate. I then looked up and found that Jay had two sons and one daughter. The daughter's married name is Helen Tierney. So, I'd assume her kids likely would have the last name of Tierney. There are no players with that last name on the roster either.

So, I'm stuck. I doubt that the program was completely in error in referencing a Berwanger descendant. I remember distinctly mentioning this to my father, who was of course impressed that Marshall had beaten a team with a Berwanger relative! ;-). I did notice that Jay's obit mentioned some step kids from his second marriage, after his first wife died. Maybe the program referenced a "step grandkid" or something of that nature, but left out the step part.

If anyone can help me solve this mystery, I'd be deeply appreciative.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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