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Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski (November 3, 1908 – January 7, 1990) was an American football player of Polish origin. He was also a famous professional wrestler, being one of the first football players to succeed as a professional wrestler. more...

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In professional wrestling, he was a multiple-time World Heavyweight Champion.

Bronko has the largest recorded NFL Championship ring size at 19 1/2.

His son, Bronko Nagurski Jr., would go on to play football at Notre Dame and become an all-star with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.

Youth and collegiate career

Nagurski was born in Rainy River, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to International Falls, Minnesota, on the Canadian-United States border when he was still a boy. His parents, "Mike" and "Emelia" Nagurski, were immigrants, ethnic Ukrainians from the Polish Ukraine (Galicia). Nagurski became a standout at the University of Minnesota, where he played fullback on offense and tackle on defense and was named an All-American.

According to legend, Nagurski was discovered and signed by a University of Minnesota athletic officer (a scout) who had gotten lost and asked for directions to the nearest town. Nagurski (who had been plowing a field without a horse) lifted his plow and used it to point in the direction of town. He was signed on the spot for a full ride football scholarship. However, the same legend is told about the Baseball Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx.

Nagurski played both tackle on defense and fullback on offense at Minnesota from 1927 to 1929. In 1929, he was a consensus All-American at tackle and also made some All-American teams at fullback. Some voters apparently listed him at two positions (this was before there were separate offensive and defensive teams -- everyone went "both ways"). Perhaps his greatest collegiate game was against the Wisconsin in 1928. Wearing a corset to protect cracked vertebrae, he recovered a Badger fumble deep in their territory and then ran the ball six straight times to score the go-ahead touchdown. Later in the same game, he intercepted a pass to seal the victory. During his time with the Gophers, the team went 18-4-2 and won the Big Ten Conference championship in 1927.

Sports Illustrated named Nagurski one of the three greatest athletes in Minnesota state history (the other two were Dave Winfield and Kevin McHale). In 1993, the Football Writers Association of America created the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded annually to the best defensive player in college football. Notable winners include Warren Sapp, Charles Woodson, Champ Bailey, and Derrick Johnson. In 2007, Nagurski was ranked #17 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.

Professional career

Nagurski turned professional to play for the Chicago Bears from 1930 to 1937. At 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) and 235 pounds (107 kg), he would have been a formidable presence in any era of the NFL, and in his day he was a dominant force in the league, helping the Bears win several division titles and two NFL championships.

Read more at Wikipedia.org