Ed Weir
Encyclopedia
Samuel Edwin Weir was an American collegiate and professional football
player.
He was the first Nebraska Cornhusker football player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
and is known as one of Nebraska
's greatest athletes. In 2005 the Omaha World-Herald
, as part of a series on the 100 Greatest Athletes of Nebraska, named Weir the 19th best athlete in the state's history.
Weir played on the offensive line at Nebraska and was an integral part (also captain
) of the 1923 team that beat the "Four Horsemen" of the University of Notre Dame
. He was elected All-American in 1924 and 1925.
He went on to play professionally for the Frankford Yellow Jackets
of the National Football League
. In 1927, he and several teammates took over the coaching
job in mid-season and achieved a 6-9-3 record, as Weir earned All-Pro
honors. The following year, Weir coached the team to an 11-3-2 record, good for a second-place league finish.
Weir left his mark on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln both as a student and as an alumnus. He was a member of Acacia Fraternity
, and the track and field
complex was later named in his honor.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player.
He was the first Nebraska Cornhusker football player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
and is known as one of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
's greatest athletes. In 2005 the Omaha World-Herald
Omaha World-Herald
The Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the...
, as part of a series on the 100 Greatest Athletes of Nebraska, named Weir the 19th best athlete in the state's history.
Weir played on the offensive line at Nebraska and was an integral part (also captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
) of the 1923 team that beat the "Four Horsemen" of the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. He was elected All-American in 1924 and 1925.
He went on to play professionally for the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. In 1927, he and several teammates took over the coaching
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
job in mid-season and achieved a 6-9-3 record, as Weir earned All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
honors. The following year, Weir coached the team to an 11-3-2 record, good for a second-place league finish.
Weir left his mark on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln both as a student and as an alumnus. He was a member of Acacia Fraternity
Acacia Fraternity
Acacia Fraternity is a Greek social fraternity originally based out of Masonic tradition. At its founding in 1904, membership was originally restricted to those who had taken the Masonic obligations, and the organization was built on those ideals and principles. Within one year, four other Masonic...
, and the track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
complex was later named in his honor.