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Dave Schreiner

1921 – 1945

American football player

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About Dave Schreiner

Lived 1921 – 1945 (aged 24). Dave Schreiner was an American military officer and american football player.

David Nathan Schreiner (March 5, 1921 – June 21, 1945) was an American football player. From Lancaster in southwest Wisconsin, he was a two-time All-American and the 1942 Big Ten Most Valuable Player end at Wisconsin and a 1943 second round draft choice (11th overall) of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).

Instead of playing in the NFL, he went to serve in the Marines during WWII. He was mortally wounded in action by a sniper on June 20, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa and died the next day. Coincidentally, fellow #11 overall NFL draft pick Tony Butkovich had also died from sniper fire at Okinawa several months earlier.

He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955. His life and death are detailed in the book Third Down and a War to Go, written by Terry Frei, the son of Jerry Frei, one of Schreiner's teammates on the 1942 Wisconsin Badgers football team.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Awards
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Also known as
David Nathan Schreiner

People in Dave Schreiner's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Dave Schreiner's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Dave Schreiner?

American football player (1921-1945)

When was Dave Schreiner born?

Dave Schreiner was born on 5 March 1921 in Lancaster.

When did Dave Schreiner die?

Dave Schreiner died on 21 June 1945 in Okinawa Prefecture.

What was Dave Schreiner's occupation?

Dave Schreiner was a military officer and american football player.

What nationality was Dave Schreiner?

Dave Schreiner was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Dave Schreiner

· Wikidata: Q5229782

· DBpedia: Dave Schreiner

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dave Schreiner. https://biography.guide/dave-schreiner/

MLA: "Dave Schreiner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dave-schreiner/.

Chicago: "Dave Schreiner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dave-schreiner/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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