Harry Wunsch
{{Short description|American football player (1910–1954)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Harry Wunsch
| number = 45
| position = Guard
| birth_date = {{birth date|1910|11|20}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1954|4|30|1910|11|20}}
| death_place = South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lbs = 212
| high_school = Central (South Bend)
| college = Notre Dame (1930–1933)
| pastteams =
- St. Louis Gunners (1934)*
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1934}})
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 2
| pfr = W/WunsHa20
}}
Harry Frederick Wunsch (November 20, 1910 – April 30, 1954) was an American professional football guard. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and later for one season in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers in 1934. He also was briefly a member of the St. Louis Gunners.
Early life
Wunsch was born on November 20, 1910, in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to South Bend, Indiana, in 1926.{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/w/wuns00200.html|website=Pro Football Archives|access-date=April 18, 2025|title=Harry Wunsch Stats}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune/170623086/|newspaper=The South Bend Tribune|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 30, 1954|page=48|title=Harry F. Wunsch}} {{Open access}} He attended Central High School in South Bend where he played football as a fullback and also competed in track and field, specializing in the broad jump and sprinting events.{{Cite book|url=https://archives.nd.edu/Football/Football-1931.pdf|title=Official Football Review|page=42|publisher=University of Notre Dame|date=1931}} According to Notre Dame's Official Football Review, Wunsch "could buck a line, pass and block. And he could run."
Wunsch enrolled at the University of Notre Dame in 1930. He tried out for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team and was moved to guard, playing for them in 1931 as a sophomore.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vincennes-sun-commercial/170622042/|newspaper=The Vincennes Sun-Commercial|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 3, 1933|page=8|title=Wunsch Named Irish Captain}} {{Open access}} The Official Football Review described him as "smart, fiery, and fast ... [and] especially adept at pulling out of a line and running interference for the backs." He was noted to be "a hard blocker and a savage tackler. In appearance he is short and fat, but there is not a superfluous ounce of tissue on him. He is rugged and can take as well as give punishment."
As a junior in 1932, Wunsch was benched for being overweight. He dropped {{convert|30|lb|kg}} for his senior year, weighing {{convert|212|lb|kg}} at the start of the season, and became a starter at left guard.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/wausau-daily-herald/170622283/|newspaper=Wausau Daily Herald|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 7, 1933|page=10|title=Hero}} {{Open access}} He was named the team captain for the Fighting Irish's first game of the 1933 season, appointed by coach Hunk Anderson. He was the first Notre Dame captain to be appointed under a new selection system, in which new captains were chosen for each game. He played his last collegiate game in 1933 against the Army Black Knights.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evansville-courier-and-press/170622416/|newspaper=Evansville Courier and Press|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 3, 1933|page=12|title=Play Last Game For Notre Dame}} {{Open access}} He was awarded Notre Dame's athletic council medal that year for being the team's best blocker.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/170622541/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 4, 1934|page=13|title=Bulletin}} {{Open access}} While with the Fighting Irish, he was the lone player to be from South Bend, Notre Dame's location.
Professional career
In August 1934, Wunsch signed to play professional football with the St. Louis Gunners.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune/170622482/|newspaper=The South Bend Tribune|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 20, 1934|page=10|title=Wunsch Joins Pros}} {{Open access}} The following month, he joined the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), after the Packers purchased his contract from the Gunners.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune/170622530/|newspaper=The South Bend Tribune|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 16, 1934|page=11|title=Wunsch Signs Contract With Green Bay 11}} {{Open access}} He appeared in two games for the Packers as a backup before being released at the start of October 1934.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WunsHa20.htm|website=Pro Football Reference|title=Harry Wunsch Stats|access-date=April 18, 2025}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-merrill-daily-herald/170622787/|newspaper=The Merrill Daily Herald|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 5, 1934|page=6|title=Green Bay Packers to Play Detroit Lions On Sunday|agency=United Press}} {{Open access}}
Later life and death
After his brief stint in professional football, Wunsch became the commissioner of an organization known as the Indiana National Amateur Football Association and began coaching a semi-professional football team in 1935.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune/170622903/|newspaper=The South Bend Tribune|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 31, 1935|page=17|title=Wunsch Named To Grid Post}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune/170622978/|newspaper=The South Bend Tribune|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 26, 1935|page=18|title=Wunsch Named Grid Coach Of Elkhart Club}} {{Open access}} He married Elsie Goethals the same year and had three children with her. He died on April 30, 1954, in South Bend, of a heart attack, aged 43.