John Brennan (American football)
Encyclopedia
John Carter "Jack" Brennan (September 28, 1913 – March 1982) was an American football
player. He played at the guard
position for the University of Michigan
from 1936 to 1938 and for the Green Bay Packers
in 1939.
, and attended Carl Schurz High School in the Irving Park neghborhood
of Chicago, Illinois. Although he stood six feet, two inches and weighed 200 pounds, he was reportedly "the smallest man in his family in three generations."
in 1935 where he became a member of the school's football and wrestling teams. He played guard
for the Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1936 to 1938.
As a sophomore in 1936, Brennan was a starter for Harry Kipke's football team that finished the season with a record of 1–6. At the end of the 1936 season, Brennan sparked a controversy when the Associated Press
reported that he responded to a questionnaire about women students by saying that "four out of five co-eds are beautiful, and the fifth one comes to Michigan." The comment led one Michigan co-ed to reply with a slap at the football team, stating that, "Four out of five men are football players, and the fifth one comes to Michigan."
After the poor showing in 1936, Brennan was one of the players who helped turn the program around in 1938 under new head coach Fritz Crisler
. Brennan and All-American Ralph Heikkinen
started every game at the two guard positions for the 1938 team
-- a team that finished with a 6–1–1 record and featured All-Americans Tom Harmon
and Forest Evashevski
in the backfield.
The controversy over Brenna's comments about Michigan's co-eds followed him into his senior year. In January 1939, he was voted the "queen" of the university's ice festival. The Associated Press picked up the story, which was printed in newspapers across the United States under headlines such as "Campus Beauty Weighs 201 Pounds and Are Coeds Piqued" and "Step Up and Take a Bow Miss Brennan". The AP story reported on the vote as follows:
Sports columnist, Henry J. McCormick, also picked up the story and wrote that the selection of the football player and heavyweight wrestler as queen of the ice carnival was the result of "skulduggery" in the balloting, which was traced to Brennan's earlier "direct slap at the pulchritude of Michigan's co-eds," a slap that spawned a campus squabble and "made for some very fine reading in the campus newspaper."
in the 19th round (179th overall pick) of the 1939 NFL Draft
. When Brennan signed with the Packers in February 1939, the story was reported under the headline, "'QUEEN' OF MICHIGAN SIGNED BY GREEN BAY". When Brennan showed up at Curly Lambeau
's training camp, the press continued to refer to him as "the Michigan 'Ice Queen.'" Although official records indicate that Brennan appeared in only two games for the Packers during the 1939 NFL season
, newspaper accounts indicate that he appeared in at least three games -- as a starter in the Packers' 31–0 win over the St. Louis Gunners
on October 15, 1939, and as a substitute in a 27–20 win over the Chicago Cardinals on October 8, 1939, and a 26–7 win over the Detroit Lions
on October 22, 1939. Brennan was released by the Packers in October 1939 and signed with the Kenosha Cardinals of the American Pro Football League. In November 1939, Brennan was added to the Kenosha coaching staff and also continued as a player.
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 played at the guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
position for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1936 to 1938 and for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in 1939.
Early years
Brennan was born in Racine, WisconsinRacine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
, and attended Carl Schurz High School in the Irving Park neghborhood
Irving Park, Chicago
Irving Park is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community area located on the Northwest Side. It is bounded by the Chicago River on the east, the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks on the west, Addison Street on the south and Montrose Avenue on the north, west of Pulaski Road stretching to...
of Chicago, Illinois. Although he stood six feet, two inches and weighed 200 pounds, he was reportedly "the smallest man in his family in three generations."
University of Michigan
Brennan enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1935 where he became a member of the school's football and wrestling teams. He played guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for the Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1936 to 1938.
As a sophomore in 1936, Brennan was a starter for Harry Kipke's football team that finished the season with a record of 1–6. At the end of the 1936 season, Brennan sparked a controversy when the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that he responded to a questionnaire about women students by saying that "four out of five co-eds are beautiful, and the fifth one comes to Michigan." The comment led one Michigan co-ed to reply with a slap at the football team, stating that, "Four out of five men are football players, and the fifth one comes to Michigan."
After the poor showing in 1936, Brennan was one of the players who helped turn the program around in 1938 under new head coach Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
. Brennan and All-American Ralph Heikkinen
Ralph Heikkinen
Ralph Isaac “Hike” Heikkinen was an All-American guard for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team from 1936-1938. He was a consensus All-American in 1938, the first player from the Gogebic Range area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to win the honor...
started every game at the two guard positions for the 1938 team
1938 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1938 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1938 college football season. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler...
-- a team that finished with a 6–1–1 record and featured All-Americans Tom Harmon
Tom Harmon
Thomas Dudley Harmon was a star player in American college football, a sports broadcaster, and patriarch of a family of American actors...
and Forest Evashevski
Forest Evashevski
Forest "Evy" Evashevski was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940 and with the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks in 1942...
in the backfield.
The controversy over Brenna's comments about Michigan's co-eds followed him into his senior year. In January 1939, he was voted the "queen" of the university's ice festival. The Associated Press picked up the story, which was printed in newspapers across the United States under headlines such as "Campus Beauty Weighs 201 Pounds and Are Coeds Piqued" and "Step Up and Take a Bow Miss Brennan". The AP story reported on the vote as follows:
"Lantern-jawed John Brennan, 201-pound varsity football player and wrestler, was chosen 'queen' of the University of Michigan ice carnival in a campus outbreak of monkey-shining today. ... Brennan himself started a campus battle two years ago by observing that 'four out of five women are pretty, and the fifth comes to Michigan.' Campus aesthetes described Brennan a clipped blond of the type known as statuesque (reinforced concrete, chiseled with a blow torch)."
Sports columnist, Henry J. McCormick, also picked up the story and wrote that the selection of the football player and heavyweight wrestler as queen of the ice carnival was the result of "skulduggery" in the balloting, which was traced to Brennan's earlier "direct slap at the pulchritude of Michigan's co-eds," a slap that spawned a campus squabble and "made for some very fine reading in the campus newspaper."
Professional football
Brennan was selected by the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the 19th round (179th overall pick) of the 1939 NFL Draft
1939 NFL Draft
The 1939 National Football League Draft was held on December 9, 1938.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round Two:-Round Three:-Round Four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. When Brennan signed with the Packers in February 1939, the story was reported under the headline, "'QUEEN' OF MICHIGAN SIGNED BY GREEN BAY". When Brennan showed up at Curly Lambeau
Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau was founder, player, and first coach of the Green Bay Packers professional American football team...
's training camp, the press continued to refer to him as "the Michigan 'Ice Queen.'" Although official records indicate that Brennan appeared in only two games for the Packers during the 1939 NFL season
1939 NFL season
The 1939 NFL season was the 20th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL president Joseph Carr died, and Carl Storck was named to replace him....
, newspaper accounts indicate that he appeared in at least three games -- as a starter in the Packers' 31–0 win over the St. Louis Gunners
St. Louis Gunners
The St. Louis Gunners, were an independent professional football team based in St. Louis, Missouri, who played the last three games of the 1934 National Football League season, replacing the Cincinnati Reds on the league schedule after the Reds' league membership was suspended...
on October 15, 1939, and as a substitute in a 27–20 win over the Chicago Cardinals on October 8, 1939, and a 26–7 win over the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on October 22, 1939. Brennan was released by the Packers in October 1939 and signed with the Kenosha Cardinals of the American Pro Football League. In November 1939, Brennan was added to the Kenosha coaching staff and also continued as a player.