Merle Dale Zuver (January 25, 1905 – March 25, 1969) was an American professional football player who was a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

for the Green Bay Packers of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played college football for the

Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...

, where he lettered and was named to the all-conference team. During his only season in the NFL with the Packers in 1930, the team won the NFL Championship. After his career, he was an electrical contractor before retiring to

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

Early life and college

Merle Zuver was born and raised in

Adams, Nebraska Adams is a village in Gage County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 573 at the 2010 census. History The area that would become the village of Adams was initially colonized by the namesake of the settlement, an Indiana pioneer named ...

, where he attended Adams High School. After high school, he went to the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

where he lettered for the

Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the West Division of the Big Ten. Nebraska plays its home games at Memorial Stadium, ...

for three years from 1926 to 1928. He was also named to the all-conference team for two straight years. He was noted for his speed and aggressiveness on the playing field during his college years.

Football career

After college graduation, Zuver played football for a season with the Ironton Tanks in

Ironton, Ohio Ironton is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Ohio, United States. Located in southernmost Ohio along the Ohio River northwest of Huntington, West Virginia, the city includes the Downtown Ironton Historic District. The populati ...

. He also may have coached football during his time in Ohio. In 1930, he signed on with the Green Bay Packers under head coach

Curly Lambeau Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau (April 9, 1898 – June 1, 1965) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Lambeau, along with his friend and fellow Green Bay, Wisconsin native George Whitney Cal ...

. During the 1930 season, he played ten games for the Packers, starting in five of them. The Packers finished the season with a record of 10–3–1, earning them their second consecutive championship.

Personal life

After his football career, Zuver moved to

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, and worked as an electrical contractor. He retired in 1959 and moved to

. Zuver married once but did not have any children. He died on March 25, 1969, at the age of 64.

References

People from Gage County, Nebraska Green Bay Packers players American football offensive guards Nebraska Cornhuskers football players 1905 births 1969 deaths Players of American football from Nebraska {{1930 Green Bay Packers