Roy Riegels
Riegels during the 1929 Rose Bowl | |
| No. 11 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 4, 1908 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died: | March 26, 1993 (aged 84) Woodland, California, U.S. |
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
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| High school | Paramount (Paramount, California) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Roy Riegels (April 4, 1908 – March 26, 1993) was an American college football center who played for the California Golden Bears from 1927 to 1929. Riegels was nicknamed "Wrong Way" due to his infamous wrong-way run in the 1929 Rose Bowl, which is often cited as the worst blunder in the history of college football. That one play overshadowed Riegels' football talents; he earned first-team All-America honors and served as team captain for the Golden Bears in 1929. Riegels' notability has been shared by motivational speakers who use his life as an example of overcoming setbacks.