Sid Wagner

Sidney P. Wagner (October 29, 1912 – June 5, 1972) was an American college and professional football player who was a lineman for the Michigan State Spartans football team of Michigan State University and the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Wagner was a consensus All-American in 1935.

Biography Wagner was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1912 and attended Lansing Central High School. The 1934 Spartans finished with an 8–1 record. Wagner was ranked as one of the top linemen in 1935. The Spartan Sports Encyclopedia described him as "light, aggressive, a superb blocker and deadly tackler." International News Service, the New York Sun, and Liberty Magazine (selected based on a poll of 1,521 varsity players in all parts of the country). In selecting him as a first-team All-American, the United Press wrote the following about Wagner: "Wagner is a ball hawk, a dependable leader of interference and rated by teammates and rivals as the fastest lineman today. Even in defeat Wagner was great." He was named the Spartan "Athlete of the Year" for the 1935–1936 school year.

Wagner was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 1936 NFL draft. The 1936 draft was the first for the NFL, and Wagner was the first first-round pick for the Lions and the eighth pick overall in the inaugural draft. Wagner played in only five games in 1936. However, Detroit coach Potsy Clark announced a shakeup in his lineup in early November 1936, including the designation of Wagner as a starter in place of Sam Knox at left guard. Once he made the starting lineup, Wagner stayed. He played in all eleven games for the Lions in both the 1937 and 1938 seasons. However, in August 1939, Wagner announced his retirement from football, telling reporters that he intended to "devote all of his time to a promising career as an engineer."