University of Minnesota Athletics
John McGovern - M Club Hall of Fame
John McGovern
Football, 1908-10
Wrestling, 1910
HOF Class of 1995
An All-American quarterback for Minnesota in 1909, John McGovern was also a first team All-Big Ten selection that year and the next.
He was a durable player on both sides of the ball, missing just one game in three varsity seasons. His kicking toe helped stun Coach Alonzo Stagg’s powerful Chicago team in 1909, when the 5-9, 155-pounder kicked three goals to help the Gophers to a 20-6 upset win.
Savvy as well as athletically talented, McGovern became the master strategist in running Coach Henry Williams’ offense, one of the first in the game to use sophisticated shifts.
McGovern was also a skilled wrestler, helping lead the team to a Big Ten title in its first year, 1910.
After graduating, McGovern was sports editor for a Minneapolis newspaper before launching a successful law practice in Washington, D.C.