Today's Tidbit... Getting to Know Willis C. Edson

It has been a challenging year for Badgers football fans, but today provides an opportunity for the team to continue righting the ship in its contest at Iowa City. I don't particularly like Iowa, but I don't dislike them either. So, I thought I would send Today's Tidbit early in honor of a former Beaver, Cyclone, and Hawkeye, W. C. Edson, who played for Iowa 120 years ago. Edson seems like a guy with whom I'd like to have a beer whenever Elon gets that time travel thing figured out.

Every fan of college football history should know of Willis C. Edson or someone like him. Commonly known as W. C. Edson, he grew up an intelligent lad in Storm Lake, Iowa, staying in Storm Lake to attend Buena Vista College sometime around 1893. He played football, though little information about the team or his performance is available. Newspaper reports indicate he competed in oratory and seemed to have a sense of humor. It may not be common knowledge, but Iowa's hog inventory today is more than three times that of any other state, and it was substantial in Edson's day as well. The familiarity with hogs made Edson joke that the Buena Vista team had played so little football that most team members' experience carrying the pigskin was limited to situations with a live pig inside.

Edson sits third from left in the picture of the 1897 Iowa State team. (1898 Iowa State yearbook)