Bernie Wyatt
Induction Year: 1995
Category: Football
Location: Amityville
Wyatt played at Amityville High School and scored 170 points at tailback in 1956, which broke Jim Brown’s scoring record for Long Island high schools. He excelled in basketball and track as well and graduated in 1957.
He was recruited to the University of Iowa by an assistant coach for the Hawkeyes, Whitey Piro, another native of Long Island. Wyatt was a part of the Rose Bowl team in 1959 where Iowa defeated the University of California by a score of 38-12.
Wyatt was switched to defensive back and was voted the team’s most valuable player in 1960. Then in 1961, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wyatt finally graduated in 1962 with a B.S. degree.
He went on to coach at various high schools in Iowa City and Lindenhurst, L.I. and returned to Iowa to be an assistant coach in 1974. Wyatt was a huge factor in the Hawkeyes recruiting of quality players from the New York and New Jersey area.
He is currently coaching at University of Wisconsin and is also a recruiting coordinator.