William Blackburn "Warbler" Wilson (November 28, 1878 – December 8, 1958) was a college football player and city recorder.

Warbler Wilson
Sewanee Tigers
PositionQuarterback
ClassGraduate
Personal information
Born:(1878-11-28)November 28, 1878
Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S.
Died:December 8, 1958(1958-12-08) (aged 80)
Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S.
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight154 lb (70 kg)
Career history
CollegeSouth Carolina (1896)
Sewanee (1897–1900)
Career highlights and awards

College football

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Wilson was an All-Southern[1] quarterback.

South Carolina

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Wilson came from Rock Hill, South Carolina, and played as a backup for the South Carolina Gamecocks in 1896.

Sewanee

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In part due to Luke Lea,[2] Wilson came to Sewanee:The University of the South as a law student.[3] He was a prominent quarterback from 1897 to 1900.

1898

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In 1898 he led the Tigers to an undefeated year, playing through a broken leg in the 19–4 victory over Vanderbilt.[2]

1899

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Wilson was the quarterback and a key member of the undefeated 1899 "Iron Men" who won five road games by shutout in six days.[2] Supposedly he also played with a broken leg for 45 minutes in the last game of the road trip of '99, against Ole Miss.[4] A documentary film about this team and Wilson's role was released in 2022 called "Unrivaled: Sewanee 1899." [5]

1900

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He was captain of the team in 1900.[4]

City recorder

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He was the first city recorder in his native town of Rock Hill.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "All-Southern Football Team". Outing. 35. Outing Publishing Company: 533. 1900.
  2. ^ a b c Wendell Givens (2003). Ninety-Nine Iron: The Season Sewanee Won Five Games in Six Days. University of Alabama Press. p. 30. ISBN 9780817350628.
  3. ^ Givens, Wendell (1993). "Sewanee's Football Iron Men of 1899". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 52. Tennessee Historical Commission and the Tennessee Historical Society.
  4. ^ a b c "About Sewanee Alumni". Sewanee News: 11. 1959.
  5. ^ "Unrivaled: Sewanee 1899", Wikipedia, January 23, 2023, retrieved January 31, 2023