 Schwenk in 1946 | |||||||||||||
| No. 64 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback, halfback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 26, 1917 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died: | October 1, 1980 (aged 63) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 201 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Beaumont (St. Louis, Missouri) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Washington University | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1942 / round: 3 / pick: 19 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Wilson Rutherford "Bud" Schwenk Jr. (August 26, 1917– October 1, 1980) was a professional American football quarterback who played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
Schwenk was a collegiate football star at Washington University in St. Louis for the Washington University Bears football team, for whom he was a single wing halfback, setting numerous passing records in his senior year. After college, Schwenk played one season for the Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL), before leaving to serve for three years as a PT boat captain in the United States Navy during World War II.
Upon his discharge, Schwenk signed a contract for the 1946 season with the Cleveland Browns of the new AAFC. Although Schwenk was hobbled by injury, the Browns won the AAFC championship that year. Schwenk was traded after the 1946 season, landing with the expansion Baltimore Colts, for whom he was the team's first starting quarterback. The 1947 season was his best year as a player, with Schwenk setting a professional football record for passing attempts. Waived by the Colts, Schwenk was picked up by the New York Yankees for 1948, his final season in football.
Schwenk was inducted into the Washington University sports hall of fame in 1991. His jersey number 42 is the only one retired by the school's football program.