Joe Wendryhoski

Joseph Stanley Wendryhoski (March 1, 1939 – November 6, 2008) was an American professional football player who was a guard for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Early life Wendryhoski was born on March 1, 1939, in West Frankfort, Illinois, where he attended Frankfort Community High School.

He played college football at the University of Illinois from 1958 to 1961 and was voted all-Big Ten Conference in 1960.

After signing with the Chicago Bears ahead of the 1964 NFL season, Wendryhoski was part of the 3-for-1 trade with the Los Angeles Rams which brought veteran halfback Jon Arnett to Chicago. Wendryhoski would play three seasons (1964–66) for the Rams, appearing in a total of 31 games for the team.

Left unprotected in the 1967 NFL expansion draft, he became an inaugural member of the New Orleans Saints. Wendryhoski anchored the Saints offense for two seasons (1967–68), playing every offensive snap as the starting center under head coach Tom Fears. He recovered a fumble for the Saints in 1968, the only fumble recovery of his career.

Wendryhoski, along with several of his Saints teammates, appeared in the film Number One, which starred Charlton Heston as a fading New Orleans quarterback.

Life after football After retiring from the Saints, Wendryhoski served as a vice president for the Saints Hall of Fame Museum (now located in the Louisiana Superdome) from its inception in 1988. Wendryhoski lived in Metairie, Louisiana, where he ran a real estate business, and also had a residence in Wisconsin.