Bryan Sperry
Battle of the Bulge WWII veteran
LAWRENCE, Kan. — An 89-year-old former University of Kansas football player has gained fresh fame after making a touchdown run during an alumni scrimmage. Bryan Sperry was all grins Saturday as he jogged toward the Memorial Stadium end zone during the scrimmage before Kansas’ annual spring football game, The Kansas City Star reported. His decades-younger opponents intentionally missed repeated tackles before showering him with congratulatory hugs and pats on the back. “I had planned on trying to get in maybe, catch a pass. He threw me a few balls to see if I could catch a ball, and I could,” Sperry said, according to CBS affiliate WIBW. “I hadn’t figured on running, in fact I hadn’t run in years. I just wanted to get in for a couple of plays and maybe catch a ball.” Sperry was 17 years old when he first left home to play football at Kansas State, but World War II interrupted his schooling. The process of returning soldiers home by boat after the war took months, so the military sent Sperry to a university in England to wait. While there, he says, he played 13 games on a team that was a mix of professionals, college players and high school graduates with limited football experience. Upon returning home in February 1946, he headed for a tryout, mostly for veterans, held by then-Kansas football coach George Sauer. He played “end” while at Kansas – offense and defense, Sperry said: “Well, we played both ways in those days.” The Jayhawks finished 7-2-1 in 1946 and in 1947, with a team captained by KU legends Otto Schnellbacher and Don Fambrough, the Jayhawks went 8-1-2, their only loss coming to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Sperry finished his career in 1948. “There aren’t many people that are lettermen of both KU and K-State,” Sperry said. With his playing days behind him, he spent decades as a high school football coach and math instructor at Pittsburg State. “That was fun,” the Pittsburg resident said. “I didn’t know if I could run.”
Pacific Paratrooper 
Thank you for putting likes on my blog.
I have been cruising around your blog to find something I could put a like on.
The video of the foot ball game fit the bill perfectly.
His war memorabilia did not interest me.
War is disturbing to me.
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War is disturbing to many people, but it [unfortunately] is how we obtained the freedoms we so enjoy today. With all our troubles and complaints – where else would you rather live?
I am very glad you found an interesting article. I did write 11 Guest Posts for Judy Hardy over at Greatest Generation Lessons that you might be interested in; all 11 have been re-blogged here in Pacific Paratrooper…
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The joy on his face says it all – an endearing tribute for a veteran!
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Isn’t that the truth, Karen! He made his chance for another run quite worthwhile!!
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How touching and inspiring.
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That young man put Tony Dorsett to shame with moves like that. lol, Thanks again sir
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Love it!! 🙂 😆
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Very informative look back on the Dark Days of the world
Bryan Sperry carries a legacy that we must remember.
A lively soldier who is still active and has many memory’s.
Emu
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Thanks for stopping in, Ian. Couldn’t resist this – he’s an inspiration.
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Great to see these old relics are still standing and telling their stories.
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We’re losing them all too quickly!!
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My turn will come too.
Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away.
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But you definitely WILL be REMEMBERED!!
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Great feel-good story. Next thing, Brian Sperry will get himself a Fitbit for Father’s Day and start tracking his running.
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That sounds like a great idea, Jacqui.
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Nice read. Glad you passed this story along!
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A fun post, don’t you think. I don’t usually put my posts so close together, but this seemed special to me. Thanks for stopping in, Lynn.
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Reblogged this on KCJones.
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Thank you for helping us to keep our veterans, who gave us so much, in our minds and those of our next generations, Penny.
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Inspiring and so glad to see one of those from the Greatest Generation still going strong. And one more thing… Thank you Mr. Sperry! :O)
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Thank you for such a pleasant comment.
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Proud and grateful to give it. :O)
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What an inspiring story and wonderful heart warming video.
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Had to grab it the second I spotted it! Great to have good news once in a while.
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How much fun that must have been for Bryan. Thanks for sharing his story.
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I was thrilled to see this and have a smiling post for a change! Happy to see you enjoyed it, Bev.
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Saw the video when it came out. That was awesome!
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I figured this would go viral and rather quickly. Did you also view the video with Sperry and his Nazi memorabilia?
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No I havent -where can I see that?
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The website is highlighted at the end of the article or you can easily Google it – Mr. Sperry has pretty much gone viral.
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Wow -great video. Thanks for sharing that!
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Mr. Sperry sure has spunk – doesn’t he?! I hope you had had the time to watch the second video as well, as he talks and shows his WWII memorabilia.
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Wonderful, heart warming story! Love it when more than seniors are featured with smiles on their faces ,having fun! And teammates “don’t stand in the way!” Thanks for posting this! Christine
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From all the smiles, I would venture to guess that everyone was having a blast!! Thanks for visiting, C.E.
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Sweet! I do believe he has more energy than me! 😀
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Oh, I agree, Linda. I KNOW he has more than me!! 😉
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I loved this the first and tenth time I saw it. 🙂
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Glad you did, Colleen. Did you happen to view his video with his WWII memorabilia?
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No GPCox, I was on the road and had limited data. But I’m home now and will do that. 🙂 And looking forward to it. 🙂
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Mr. Sperry is a sweet gentleman.
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GPC….I went to watch the video. It started to play and went so far as him telling the interviewer that it was illegal for people to have swastikas in Germany and the interviewer was asking him where he got his. Mr. Sperry was responding and the video goes back to an ad. Then I had to restart the video. I’ve tried about 5 times and it won’t play. So I searched on Youtube and can’t find it there. When I click your link it takes me to the page but when I click for the video to play it says “Sorry, clip not found”. 😦 Maybe it’s just “glitchy” and will let me do it later.
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Thank you for trying. Can’t imagine what happened since I last viewed it.
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I started watching it again today, got to the same point and it stopped again. I wish I could pull it up on Youtube.
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http://www.kwch.com/news/local-news/bryan-sperry-discusses-world-war-ii-memorabilia/32672948
Perhaps this will work, Colleen. I appreciate your determination.
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I got smart…..finally…. I used a different computer and it worked fine. I loved listening to him talk. I’m impressed listening to the soldiers talk. Their concern for what was, and the impact it has left.
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I’m so glad you were able to watch it – your determination paid off!! I’m proud of you, Colleen.
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😀 Thank you!
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Super story and good to watch. He so obviously enjoyed it!
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Looks like the time of his life, doesn’t it?!!
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What a Great story and what a inspiration at his age. Fantastic!!!
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Didn’t he do great?!! A true member of the Greatest Generation! Thanks for coming, Kathy.
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Mr Sperry, What a great story and much of it is similar to my dads except at 88 he couldn’t have run like you did and his alzheimers took away his many of his memories. My dad turned down a full ride scholarship to the University of Nebraska because it meant that he would be 50 miles further from his mom. He instead played football and basketball for
York College in York, NE. He started there and then enlisted in the military. The funny part of that was that the Air Force wanted him as a pilot, but when he got to training camp
they sent him home because he was too darn tall for the planes. (6’6″) The army was glad to have him and he served in the Philippines and Japan. When he got home he went back to
York College and played football and basketball for them and graduated as a teacher. I really smiled about your story and thank you so much. Dad died at 88 after he broke a hip.
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Thank you for sharing your father’s story – that’s in the true spirit of this site – Thank you. If you care to have his name and info in the Farewell Salutes I usually have on the posts, please put them here and they will be in the following post. I hope we’ll be seeing more of you in the future.
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This event was good for everyone’s heart. Everyone got along and were united. Thanks for sharing. I hope he was spared fron seeing combat or its grisly results.
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It is a pleasant story, eh, Koji? On the video where he talks about his memorabilia, he mentions France, Belgium and Holland – so I think he saw his fill of combat.
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Great story!
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Thank you very much. I was excited to find it.
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What a lovely story. If only more of our ‘news’ focused on the good ways humans celebrate each other, we might each become more loving in our daily interactions. Blessings!
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Glad you enjoyed it, Sammy. Something different, thank goodness, eh?
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And that is why they are “the greatest generation.”
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Isn’t THAT the truth!! Thank you for visiting today, Prof.
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I saw it on television. Thanks for sharing the rest of the story.
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No problem. I tried to find more data on Mr. Sperry, but came up short. Thank you for stopping in.
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Awww. An inspiration for us all.
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Yes, it’s nice to have a good-news story thrown in for a change – isn’t it?!! He sounds like a real gentleman.
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I know nothing at all about American Football, but it’s great to see a Bulge veteran still able to run on the pitch.
Also moving to read about the Belgians who are still trying to return the bodies of those killed in that country.
Best wishes from England, Pete.
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Glad you enjoyed it, Pete. Suppose you might learn American football, just as we here are beginning to watch soccer [as we call it] and rugby on TV.
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Wonder what unit he was in. I thought his comment about “couldn’t find a Nazi” in Germany illuminative. Everyone loves a winner and I’m sure everyone was a Nazi after all the initial victories. But when it was apparent how it was going to end…
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I tried locating that info for Mr. Sperry on-line and came up empty. Maybe someone who knows him will add it to their follow up on this – hope so! Everyone had to suspect that there would be war trials, who would want to admit it? 🙄
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A lovely heartwarming story.
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I couldn’t pass it up, John. I’m glad you liked it.
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Great spirit and a very nice show of respect.
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I thought so – I think this will go viral on You Tube!
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He had a great time there!
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Didn’t he tho!! 😉
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Love it! What a great spirit!
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That’s stamina I can only envy!! Thanks for coming by, Ina.
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What a joyous video!
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Isn’t THAT something! I don’t usually do back-to-back posts, but I couldn’t resist this one!! Thanks for watching, Ann.
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As a former rugby player, he, and his opponents, have my admiration
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You wouldn’t catch me out there…..
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When I was approaching sixty, I sneaked my kit into a bag when I went to watch my youngest son playing against a pub veterans team. He, who captained his Oxford college, twisted his ankle, but played on. When I asked him why he had continued he replied: ‘Because you would have come on’. I had been sussed
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People are role models – even when they don’t realize the kids are watching.
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🙂
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This might be interesting –
http://www.basher82.nl/Data/MIA/belgian99id.htm
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Excellent. I’ll edit today’s post and bring this to everyone’s attention. Thank you.
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Glad to be of assistance, it is heart-warming to know that people are still seeking the lost
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Happily it is going on right now around the globe. Better late than never?
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I guess it is never too late..
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True. 🙂
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