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Al Wistert

1920 – 2016

American football player

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About Al Wistert

Lived 1920 – 2016 (aged 95). Al Wistert was an American american football player.

Albert Alexander "Ox" Wistert (December 28, 1920 – March 5, 2016) was an American professional football player who was a tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played his entire nine-year NFL career for the Eagles and became their team captain. He was named to play in the NFL's first Pro Bowl as an Eagle. During most of Wistert's career there were no football All-star games, although he was named to the league All-Pro team four times.

Wistert played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He is one of the three brothers—along with Whitey and Alvin—who were named All-American tackles at Michigan and later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was the first Michigan alumnus to be selected to the Pro Bowl. 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. Their number will be put back into circulation starting on November 10, 2012, before a Michigan home game against the Northwestern Wildcats as part of the Michigan Football Legend program. The Legends program was discontinued in July 2015, and the numbers again permanently retired.

Early life Wistert, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, – Alvin Wistert

After graduating from Foreman High School, Wistert became the second of the Wistert brothers to play for Michigan where he wore number 11 like his brothers and played from 1940 to 1942. He was a consensus All-American and team MVP in 1942. He played in the 1943 East–West Shrine Game. He is well remembered, among other things, for his exploits in a 1942 game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team,

Michigan posted a 20–5–1 record during Wistert's three years on the team. In 1940, the team's only loss in its eight-game season was to the eventual national champion Minnesota Golden Gophers football. The Wolverines followed that season with 6–1–1 and 7–3 marks in the next two years. Wistert served as captain of the College All-star team that beat the Sammy Baugh-led National Football League champion Washington Redskins, 27–7, in Chicago. He earned All-Pro honors in eight (four by consensus) of his nine seasons. As a two-way player, ) The National Football League had no All-Star games between 1943 and 1950. Thus, although Wistert was a perennial All-Pro selection, it is difficult to compare him to more modern players who are often measured by Pro Bowl invitations. He served as Eagles captain for five consecutive seasons, from 1946 to 1950, and was named All-Pro in each season. In 2003, he was named to the Pro Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's inaugural HOVG class; he is one of two players that the Association officially supports for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was named as a senior finalist for the class of 2020's "blue ribbon panel" but also missed out. In 2023, he was named as a senior semifinalist for the class of 2024.

Later life and family After football, Wistert became a successful life insurance salesman. He sold insurance for 40 years.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Michigan
Also known as
Albert Alexander Wistert

People in Al Wistert's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Al Wistert's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Al Wistert?

American football player (1920-2016)

When was Al Wistert born?

Al Wistert was born on 28 December 1920 in Chicago.

When did Al Wistert die?

Al Wistert died on 5 March 2016 in Grants Pass.

What was Al Wistert's occupation?

Al Wistert was an american football player.

What nationality was Al Wistert?

Al Wistert was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Al Wistert

· Wikidata: Q954939

· DBpedia: Al Wistert

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Al Wistert. https://biography.guide/al-wistert/

MLA: "Al Wistert." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/al-wistert/.

Chicago: "Al Wistert." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/al-wistert/.

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