Wayne Millner
Encyclopedia
Wayne Vernal Millner was an American football
player who was known for his clutch play as an offensive and defensive end
for both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
and for the National Football League
's Washington Redskins
.
at Salem High School
, where he earned All-State honors in football during each of his four seasons of play.
Millner later played for three prep schools, including Malvern Preparatory School
, until Notre Dame recruited him in 1933.
at the University of Notre Dame
from 1933 through 1935.
While at Notre Dame, Millner was involved in many notable plays. In 1933, Notre Dame was playing unbeaten Army
and trailed 12-6 with one minute to play. Then Millner blocked an Army punt and recovered it for a touchdown and Notre Dame won 13-12.
In 1935, both Notre Dame and Ohio State University
were unbeaten. Notre Dame trailed 13-0, but then scored two late touchdowns. Millner then caught a touchdown pass from Bill Shakespeare
in the closing seconds to beat Ohio State, 18-13 and stayed undefeated.
in the eighth round of the 1936 NFL Draft
by the Boston Redskins
, with head coach Ray Flaherty
seeing him as a major component to winning a league championship. After losing to the Green Bay Packers
in the title game that year, the franchise moved to Washington D.C. in 1937
and defeated the Chicago Bears
28-21 to win the title. Millner played a big role in the victory, catching touchdown
passes of 55 and 78 yards from Sammy Baugh
.
Millner entered the United States Navy
during World War II
and after three years away, returned to the Redskins for one final season in 1945
before retiring.
During his seven seasons, he caught 124 passes for 1,578 yards, a 12.7 average, and 12 touchdowns.
, becoming only the third Notre Dame player (to that point) to earn the honor. A touching moment took place during the induction ceremonies, when the large crowd there to cheer for former teammate Cliff Battles, also chose to give Millner a huge ovation. Millner had only been accompanied by his wife, Sara.
as a Chicago Hornets assistant, then spent the next year in the same role with the original Baltimore Colts
.
In 1951, he was hired as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles
under Bo McMillin
, but when McMillin was diagnosed with stomach cancer, Millner was elevated to head coach. He spent just one year in that role before resigning prior to the start of the 1952 NFL season
, citing health problems. However, just 17 days after his decision, he accepted an assistant coaching position with the Redskins.
Millner stayed as an assistant until 1957, when he accepted an assistant coaching position at Hardin-Simmons University
, working under his old cohort, Baugh. After just one season, Millner resigned the post and worked as a car salesman until returning to the Redskins as a scout in 1963, the same year he suffered his first heart attack
.
Millner returned to coaching one final time when he served one year as an assistant with the World Football League
's Florida Blazers under former Redskin Jack Pardee
in 1974. Originally, the team was scheduled to begin play as the Virginia Ambassadors before financial considerations forced the move.
in 1976, with the entire Redskins organization attending his funeral.
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 who was known for his clutch play as an offensive and defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
and for 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...
's Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Early life
Millner grew up in Roxbury, Massachusetts and played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Salem High School
Salem High School (Massachusetts)
Salem High School is a four-year public high school in Salem, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students and is accredited by the Massachusetts Department of Education and by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges....
, where he earned All-State honors in football during each of his four seasons of play.
Millner later played for three prep schools, including Malvern Preparatory School
Malvern Preparatory School
Malvern Preparatory School, commonly referred to as Malvern Prep, is an independent Catholic middle and high school for boys located in Malvern, Pennsylvania. It was started and is still run by Order of Saint Augustine...
, until Notre Dame recruited him in 1933.
College career
Millner attended and played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at 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...
from 1933 through 1935.
While at Notre Dame, Millner was involved in many notable plays. In 1933, Notre Dame was playing unbeaten Army
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
and trailed 12-6 with one minute to play. Then Millner blocked an Army punt and recovered it for a touchdown and Notre Dame won 13-12.
In 1935, both Notre Dame and Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
were unbeaten. Notre Dame trailed 13-0, but then scored two late touchdowns. Millner then caught a touchdown pass from Bill Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (football)
William Valentine Shakespeare was an American football player. He played at the halfback position, and also handled punting, for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football teams from 1933 to 1935...
in the closing seconds to beat Ohio State, 18-13 and stayed undefeated.
Professional career
Millner was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the eighth round of the 1936 NFL Draft
1936 NFL Draft
The 1936 National Football League Draft was the first draft of the National Football League. It took place on February 8, 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has taken place every year since. The draft was instituted in an effort to equalize strength amongst the...
by the Boston Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, with head coach Ray Flaherty
Ray Flaherty
Raymond Paul Flaherty was a professional football player in the National Football League from 1926-1935. He was the head coach of the Boston/Washington Redskins from 1936–1942, where he won four division titles and two NFL Championships . Flaherty served in the United States Navy until 1945...
seeing him as a major component to winning a league championship. After losing to 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 the title game that year, the franchise moved to Washington D.C. in 1937
1937 NFL season
The 1937 NFL season was the 18th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Rams joined the league as an expansion team. Meanwhile, the Redskins relocated from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C....
and defeated the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
28-21 to win the title. Millner played a big role in the victory, catching touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
passes of 55 and 78 yards from Sammy Baugh
Sammy Baugh
Samuel Adrian "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952...
.
Millner entered the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and after three years away, returned to the Redskins for one final season in 1945
1945 NFL season
The 1945 NFL season was the 26th regular season of the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals resumed their traditional operations....
before retiring.
During his seven seasons, he caught 124 passes for 1,578 yards, a 12.7 average, and 12 touchdowns.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
In 1968, Millner was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
, becoming only the third Notre Dame player (to that point) to earn the honor. A touching moment took place during the induction ceremonies, when the large crowd there to cheer for former teammate Cliff Battles, also chose to give Millner a huge ovation. Millner had only been accompanied by his wife, Sara.
Coaching career
After having served as a player-coach in 1945, Millner became a full-time assistant for the team the following year, spending three seasons in that role. In 1949, he moved to the All-America Football ConferenceAll-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
as a Chicago Hornets assistant, then spent the next year in the same role with the original Baltimore Colts
Baltimore Colts (1947-50)
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The first team to bear the name Baltimore Colts, they were members of the All-America Football Conference from 1947–1949, and then joined the National Football League for one season before folding...
.
In 1951, he was hired as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
under Bo McMillin
Bo McMillin
Alvin Nugent "Bo" McMillin was an American football player and coach, who served at both the collegiate and professional levels. He played college football at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where was a three-time All-American at quarterback, and led the Centre Praying Colonels to a...
, but when McMillin was diagnosed with stomach cancer, Millner was elevated to head coach. He spent just one year in that role before resigning prior to the start of the 1952 NFL season
1952 NFL season
The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL...
, citing health problems. However, just 17 days after his decision, he accepted an assistant coaching position with the Redskins.
Millner stayed as an assistant until 1957, when he accepted an assistant coaching position at Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
, working under his old cohort, Baugh. After just one season, Millner resigned the post and worked as a car salesman until returning to the Redskins as a scout in 1963, the same year he suffered his first heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Millner returned to coaching one final time when he served one year as an assistant with the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
's Florida Blazers under former Redskin Jack Pardee
Jack Pardee
-NFL:-External links:...
in 1974. Originally, the team was scheduled to begin play as the Virginia Ambassadors before financial considerations forced the move.
Death
Millner died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1976, with the entire Redskins organization attending his funeral.