Francis Wistert: The Michigan Wolverines’ #11 Youth College Career Francis Michael “Whitey” Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothers—he was succeeded by Albert (Al) and Alvin—who were named All-American tackles at Michigan and later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967. Early Years Wistert was born in 1912 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Kazimir J. Wistert and Josephine (Shukis) Wistert, immigrated to the United States from Lithuania in 1894 and were married in Chicago in 1907. His father was a policeman in Chicago from at least 1910 to 1927. Wistert’s father was shot while on duty and pursuing a robbery suspect in July 1926. By the spring of 1927, Wistert’s father, who had served in the U.S. Army from 1898 to 1901, was disabled due to “chest emphysema with draining sinus” and was admitted to the U.S. National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He died in June 1927 when Whitey was 15 years old. College Athletics After graduating from Chicago’s Schurz High School in 1929, Wistert attended the University of Michigan where he was a star athlete in both football and baseball from 1931 to 1933. Football Wistert played for consecutive undefeated national championship teams in 1932 and 1933 and was a consensus All-American in 1933. The 1934 University of Michigan yearbook, the Michiganensian, included the following quote from Grantland Rice: “Wistert was unanimously selected as the best tackle in the Middle-West this year. He was the key to Michigan’s defensive line play. He was a sure tackler and it was next to impossible to fool him on trick maneuvers. He was keen, quick, and accurate in diagnosing plays.” Wistert and Chuck Bernard were the leaders of the 1933 offensive line when the team went 7–0–1 with a tie to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. One of Wistert’s teammates on the 1932 and 1933 Michigan football teams was future U.S. President Gerald Ford. In an interview in the February 1974 issue of “Michigan Alumnus,” Wistert said of Ford: “He was a real good competitor - a real bulldog type. Even during a losing year, he was voted MVP by his teammates. They felt he was one guy who could stay and fight for a losing cause.” Baseball Wistert also earned varsity letters in baseball three years and was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference in 1934. The 1934 Michiganensian yearbook reports that the final game of the baseball season was a 4–0 shutout by Wistert against the University of Chicago Maroons. “Wistert, for the Wolves, allowed only five well-scattered hits during the game. Although Whitey Wistert walked four men, he more than off-set this by striking out nine of the Maroons to face him.” Wistert also pitched a four-hitter against Ohio State. Honors Wistert was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967, one year before his brother Albert. In 1981, he was named to the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in the fourth class of inductees alongside his brothers. Only five Michigan football players earned this honor before him. Professional Baseball Wistert had a short cup of coffee in Major League Baseball, appearing in three games for the Cincinnati Reds between September 11, 1934, and September 25, 1934. In two appearances as a pitcher, Wistert allowed only one run in eight innings, for a career ERA of 1.13. However, in three plate appearances, he went hitless and struck out twice. Although he only played briefly at the major league level, Wistert played five years of professional baseball. Late Life After retiring from sports, Wistert became a New York lawyer. He went on to become a vice-president of an industrial relations firm in Toledo, Ohio. He served in the United States Navy as a lieutenant during World War II. Legacy and Impact Francis Wistert’s #11 jersey for the Michigan Wolverines is a symbol of his dedication and the impact he made during his youth college career. His time at Michigan was marked by significant contributions to the team’s defensive success, and his story serves as an inspiration to future Wolverines. The Wistert brothers all wore jersey No. 11 at Michigan and are among the seven players who have had their numbers retired by the Michigan Wolverines football program.