In 1966, Bob Devaney’s Cornhuskers travelled to Madison, Wisconsin, for a game against the Badgers. But a different four-legged mammal stole the show.
At some point in the game, a cottontail rabbit ended up on the field. There’s a famous photo of the rabbit essentially lined up at strong safety in the Husker secondary. Play was stopped on a couple of occasions as Wisconsin officials tried unsuccessfully to capture the critter, or at a minimum, shoo him off the field.
The rabbit reappeared when the Huskers were on defense. Between plays, middle guard Wayne Meylan managed to catch the rabbit. Meylan carried the bunny over to a security officer and told him to release the rabbit outside the stadium.
That’s who Wayne Meylan was – fast enough to catch a rabbit, big enough to be one of the greatest defensive linemen of all time, and gentle enough to ensure all creatures remained unharmed.
Well… all creatures except for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Meylan had one of the best games of his legendary career against Wisconsin. In addition to his duties as an animal control officer, Meylan blocked a third-quarter punt and landed on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. That started an avalanche that led to a 31-3 victory.*
*The Blackshirts had four interceptions in the game, one of them by linebacker Barry Alvarez – who would later become Wisconsin’s head coach and athletic director. Alvarez returned his interception 25 yards in what the Lincoln Star described as a “slow, but steady gallop” before being chased down by an offensive lineman.In 1966, Meylan blocked three punts and recovered two for touchdowns. That stood as the school record for punt blocks in a season for nearly 30 years until cornerback Barron Miles broke it in 1994. “Coach Devaney told me to line up wherever I wanted to on punts,” Meylan said after the Wisconsin game. “I just moved up and down the line when they were punting.” Meylan’s pressure on a later attempt resulted in an 18-yard shank by Wisconsin’s rattled punter.
Meylan was a fearsome presence in the middle for the early Devaney teams. He was named Big Eight Player of the Year in his junior and senior seasons. He was a first team All-American in 1966 and 1967, the first Cornhusker to repeat as All-American since Ed Weir in 1924 – 25. Meylan finished ninth in the 1967 Heisman voting, with 11 first place votes.
Wayne Meylan grew up just 90 miles away from Michigan State’s campus in Bay City. He grew big and strong working on his dad’s navy bean farm. When the Spartans received a commitment from defensive lineman (and future NFL All-Pro) Bubba Smith, the door was open for Devaney to swoop in and snag a standout player from his old stomping grounds.
Meylan started out as an offensive lineman but was moved to defense because of his speed. At 6’1″ and 231 pounds, he was on the smaller end for a middle guard. But he brought other attributes to the table. Nebraska assistant George Kelly said, “Meylan is the only player I’ve ever coached or seen who combines all the ingredients we’re always looking for finesse, speed, blocker, strength, toughness and quickness.” He would often use his strength to throw offensive linemen out of the way before chasing down the backs.
He finished as Nebraska’s all-time leading tackler – a title he would hold until Jerry Murtaugh broke it in 1970. Meylan is still 20th in career tackles, ahead of players like Jay Foreman, Carlos Polk, Ndamukong Suh, Rich Glover and Grant Wistrom. His 119 tackles in 1967 remain the position record for a defensive tackle / middle guard / nose tackle.
After football, Meylan enjoyed flying World War II era fighter planes in air shows. Tragically, he was killed in 1987 when one of those planes crashed at a show in Michigan. He was posthumously elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
Wayne Meylan (66) rushes Kansas quarterback Bobby Douglass along with Jerry Patton (90) and Jim McCord (64) in 1967. | Nebraska Football Media Guide
