Barry Wood (American football)
| Date of birth | May 4, 1910 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Milton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Date of death | March 9, 1971 (aged 60) |
| Place of death | Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | QB |
| College | Harvard University (1929–1931) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Awards | Consensus All-American (1931) |
| Honors | College Football Hall of Fame (1980) |
William Barry Wood, Jr. (May 4, 1910 – March 9, 1971), was an American football player and medical educator. Wood played quarterback for Harvard during the 1929–1931 seasons and was one of the most prominent football players of his time. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
An accomplished student as well as a gifted athlete, Wood went on to a highly successful academic career in medicine and microbiology at Washington University in St. Louis and Johns Hopkins University.
Wood was born in Milton, Massachusetts. His father was a Harvard graduate and trustee. He attended Milton Academy. After graduating, he spent a year at The Thacher School in California, then entered Harvard in 1928.
A multitalented athlete, Wood earned a total of ten varsity letters at Harvard: three each in football, hockey, and baseball, plus one in tennis.
Wood first made his national reputation as a sophomore in 1929, when he led Harvard to a comeback 20-20 tie with Army: Wood threw a 40-yard touchdown pass and drop-kicked two extra points, including the kick to tie the game at the end.Michigan's Fielding H. Yost called Wood in 1929 the greatest passer he had ever seen.
In Wood's senior year, 1931, he was team captain. In one noted game, Harvard came back from a 13-0 deficit to beat Army 14-13 as Wood led two touchdown drives, and made two crucial defensive plays (a touchdown-saving tackle and an interception) to save the win. He appeared on the cover of the November 23, 1931 issue of Time magazine. He was the consensus first-team quarterback as selected by most of the 1931 College Football All-America Teams.
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