 Very at Penn State | |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | |
|---|---|
| Position | End |
| Class | Graduate |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1889-11-27)November 27, 1889 Fairdale, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died: | September 27, 1980(1980-09-27) (aged 90) State College, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| College Football Hall of Fame (1976) | |
Dexter W. Very (November 27, 1889 – September 27, 1980) was an American college football player for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team of Pennsylvania State University.
Biography
Very started at right end for the Nittany Lions in every game from 1909 to 1912. During that time, Penn State was undefeated in 1909, 1911 and 1912, while losing just two games in 1910.
Very was elected as the team's captain in 1911, and helped the Nittany Lions defeat the Penn Quakers, for its first victory over Penn in 18 years. That game he stripped the Quakers' Ray Mercer of the football and ran it back for a Penn State touchdown. In 1912, Very scored nine touchdowns in eight games. He never wore a helmet while playing. He was also the Middle Atlantic wrestling champion in 1915 at 158lbs. Very was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, and was elected 1913 class president.
Early years
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Very was born in Fairdale, Greene County, in southwestern Pennslyvania. In 1907, he graduated from the Scotland Orphan Industrial School, in Scotland, Pennsylvania, which was later renamed the Scotland School for Veterans' Children.
For two years, before he enrolled at Penn State, Very attended Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.
Later years and death
After college, Very worked as a manufacturer's representative in Pittsburgh and also had a long career as a football official. He officiated the 1927 Georgia vs. Yale football game. On January 2, 1933, Very officiated the Rose Bowl, and in 1942 he officiated the Army-Navy game. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976. He died on September 27, 1980.
References
- Yes, Dexter Very Knew The Doctor, The Boston Globe, 1933, retrieved March 13, 2023
- P.A.A. Wrestlers Make Brillian Showing in Middle Atlantic Meet, The Pittsburgh Daily Post, 1915, retrieved March 13, 2023
- Last Week To Enter Wrestling Tourney, The Pittsburgh Press, 1921, retrieved March 13, 2023
- Dexter W. Very, Pittsburgh Press, 1980, retrieved December 1, 2024
- Big Games Assigned to Local Officials, The Pittsburgh Press, 1931, retrieved March 13, 2023
- https://www.cfbhall.com/inductees/dexter-very-1976/
- Hall of Famer Very dies, Oakland Tribune, 1980, retrieved March 13, 2023