Jack Riley (American football)


John Horn Riley was an American football tackle. He played college football at Northwestern University and professionally in the National Football League for the Boston Redskins. Riley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

Early life

Riley was born in Chicago and attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, as well as St. John's Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin. While at St. Johns, he participated in rowing and captained a championship crew in 1927.

College career

Riley attended and played college football at Northwestern University. While he was there, Northwestern had a 20–5–1 record and won two Big Ten Conference championships. He was named an All-American in 1931.
Riley also wrestled at Northwestern and was the national collegiate heavyweight champion in 1931 and 1932. He then won a silver medal in wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics, behind Swede Johan Richthoff and ahead of Austrian Nickolaus Hirschl.

Professional career

After college, Riley played professional football in the National Football League for the Boston Redskins in 1933.
After football, Riley became a professional wrestler for two years and retired undefeated after 132 professional matches.

Post-sports

Riley entered the United States Marine Corps during World War II and rose to the rank of major. After the war he worked as a manufacturer's representative in Kenilworth, Illinois. Also, from 1948 to 1957, Riley was the Northwestern University wrestling coach.