Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1987
- Class:
- 1937
When Cam Henderson moved from Davis & Elkins College to Marshall in 1935, his biggest recruiting move was to convince the Underwood family to go with him. Forest “Spike” Underwood was concluding a playing career for Henderson at D&E, and younger brother Wayne had just won All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors as a freshman for the Senators.
Henderson’s first Marshall football team turned in a 4-6 record, but things changed quickly. With Wayne paving the way along the line and Forest as an assistant coach, Marshall went 6-3-1 in 1936 and then in 1937 won the Buckeye Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title with a 9-0-1 record. Wayne won All-Buckeye Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors in 1936 and 1937, and received honorable mention on the 1937 Associated Press Little All-America Team. After graduating from Marshall Wayne – and Forest – played professional football, Wayne with the Nashville Rebels of the American Football League in 1938, the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League in 1939 and the Cincinnati Bengals of the American Football League in 1940. He then became a high school teacher and coach, settling in as the head coach for 16 distinguished seasons at Calhoun County High School where Underwood’s teams logged a record of 125-33 and turned in undefeated seasons in 1948, ‘50 and ‘59.
The football stadium at Calhoun County High School is named Wayne Underwood Field and the Wayne Underwood Award goes annually to the school's top male athlete. Older brother Forest became the football coach at Huntington East High School and was named the West Virginia Coach of the Year in 1946, served as an assistant coach at Marshall from 1955-65 and later was a delegate in the West Virginia legislature from 1975-81. Forest and Wayne’s younger brother, Ted, was a football player and later head coach at Salem College, and is a member of that school’s hall of fame. Wayne Underwood was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.
