Wayne Meylan (March 2, 1946 – June 26, 1987) was an American football player. Before playing

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, he attended T.L. Handy High School in Bay City, Michigan. Meylan played middle guard on defense for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for three years, and the team had a 25–7 record in that time. He was a consensus All-American in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

and

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

. In 1966, he blocked three punts and recovered two for touchdowns. Meylan set Nebraska records for most tackles in a season and most tackles in a career. He played three years in the National Football League (NFL), from 1968 to 1970, then returned to Nebraska to complete work on his degree. He joined Engineered Systems, a company doing underground work for TV systems and phone companies. He then started Meylan Enterprises in Omaha, Nebraska. This company worked on contracts in 18 states. His hobby was flying World War II fighter planes in airshows. On June 26, 1987, Meylan, age 41, was killed when his plane crashed in Ludington, Michigan. The

National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...

ruled that the probable cause of the accident was wind shear. He is buried in the Prospect Hill Cemetery, Elkhorn, Nebraska.''The Columbus Telegram''
/ref> Meylan was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

in 1991.

References

1946 births 1987 deaths American football linebackers Cleveland Browns players Minnesota Vikings players Nebraska Cornhuskers football players All-American college football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees Sportspeople from Bay City, Michigan Players of American football from Michigan Accidental deaths in Michigan Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Burials at Prospect Hill Cemetery (North Omaha, Nebraska) Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1987 {{defensive-lineman-1940s-stub