John Wayne the Football Player

[APreston]

Just found this bit of interesting alt-hist fodder while reading wikipedia:

"Wayne also played on the USC football team under legendary coach Howard Jones. An injury curtailed his athletic career; Wayne later noted he was too terrified of Jones's reaction to reveal the actual cause of his injury, which was bodysurfing at the "Wedge" at the tip of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach. He lost his athletic scholarship and, without funds, had to leave the university."

Naturally, this got me thinking. If John Wayne doesn't get injured and keeps a good football career going throughout college, do you think he'd join the fledgling NFL and have a career there? At the very least it'd keep him out of acting as his connection to Tom Mix butterflies itself away.