Nobby Wirkowski
Encyclopedia
Norbert Wirkowski (born August 20, 1926) is a retired American and Canadian football player and coach. He is best known as quarterback
of the Toronto Argonauts
. The touchdown he engineered in the 1952 Grey Cup
turned out to be the last offensive touchdown by the Argonauts in a Grey Cup
for 30 years.
Born and raised in Chicago
, he excelled in athletics and became the first athlete at Crane Technical High School to letter in 3 sports (football, basketball, and baseball) since George Halas
accomplished the feat at the turn of the century.
Wirkowski played for two exceptional football coaches while attending Miami University
. He started under Sid Gillman
, whose ideas revolutionized the passing game in American football, and when Gillman left, Woody Hayes
replaced him. Wirkowski led Miami to a 13-12 victory over Texas Tech
in the 1948 Sun Bowl
and then 3 years later put on a spectacular performance in the Salad Bowl
. In that game Nobby completed 18 of 21 pass attempts, leading Miami past Arizona State.
After college, he joined the Toronto Argonauts
and took over the quarterbacking spot for Toronto, leading the Argonauts to a 7-5 record in the 1951 season. In 1952, Wirkowski led Toronto to a Grey Cup championship over the Edmonton Eskimos
.
He was traded to Hamilton in 1955 where he played for two years and was then traded to Calgary. At the end of the 1959 season he returned to Toronto as back-up quarterback and assistant coach. The following year Nobby saw his final action as a professional player when he injured his knee in a preseason exhibition game with the NFL St. Louis Cardinals
.
In 1963, Argonauts General Manager Lew Hayman promoted Wirkowski to the head coaching position after Lou Agase
was fired. He served as the Argonauts head coach through the 1964 season, after which he was promoted to Director of Player Personnel. He served in that role through the 1967 season.
After the 1967 season Wirkowski was approached by York University
. York was looking at starting a football program and needed a coach who could build a team 'from scratch.' He accepted the offer from York and was named Athletic Director and Head football coach and joined the Faculty of Physical Education as a professor. He coached York from 1968–1980 and returned as an associate coach for the 1984 and 1985 seasons.
He is a member of the Miami University
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
of the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
. The touchdown he engineered in the 1952 Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
turned out to be the last offensive touchdown by the Argonauts in a Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
for 30 years.
Born and raised in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, he excelled in athletics and became the first athlete at Crane Technical High School to letter in 3 sports (football, basketball, and baseball) since George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
accomplished the feat at the turn of the century.
Wirkowski played for two exceptional football coaches while attending Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
. He started under Sid Gillman
Sid Gillman
Sidney "Sid" Gillman was an American football player, coach, executive, and innovator. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or wide receivers at the sides of the line of scrimmage, was instrumental in...
, whose ideas revolutionized the passing game in American football, and when Gillman left, Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
replaced him. Wirkowski led Miami to a 13-12 victory over Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
in the 1948 Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
and then 3 years later put on a spectacular performance in the Salad Bowl
Salad Bowl
Salad Bowl can refer to the following:* Salad bowl , a cultural idea referring to the United States* Salad Bowl , a defunct, annual, post-season college football bowl game...
. In that game Nobby completed 18 of 21 pass attempts, leading Miami past Arizona State.
After college, he joined the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
and took over the quarterbacking spot for Toronto, leading the Argonauts to a 7-5 record in the 1951 season. In 1952, Wirkowski led Toronto to a Grey Cup championship over the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
.
He was traded to Hamilton in 1955 where he played for two years and was then traded to Calgary. At the end of the 1959 season he returned to Toronto as back-up quarterback and assistant coach. The following year Nobby saw his final action as a professional player when he injured his knee in a preseason exhibition game with the NFL St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
In 1963, Argonauts General Manager Lew Hayman promoted Wirkowski to the head coaching position after Lou Agase
Lou Agase
Lou Agase was a Gridiron football player and coach of Assyrian ancestry.Agase played Tight End and Offensive tackle for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team 1944-1947. He was a member of the Illini team that won the 1947 Rose Bowl...
was fired. He served as the Argonauts head coach through the 1964 season, after which he was promoted to Director of Player Personnel. He served in that role through the 1967 season.
After the 1967 season Wirkowski was approached by York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
. York was looking at starting a football program and needed a coach who could build a team 'from scratch.' He accepted the offer from York and was named Athletic Director and Head football coach and joined the Faculty of Physical Education as a professor. He coached York from 1968–1980 and returned as an associate coach for the 1984 and 1985 seasons.
He is a member of the Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
Athletic Hall of Fame.