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Bob Odell

Halfback

Inducted 1992

Date of Birth

3/5/1922

Birthplace

Corning, IA

School

University of Pennsylvania (1941-1943)

Bio

Bob Odell did it all for Pennsylvania in 1943. He ran, passed, punted, caught passes, returned kickoffs and punts, and played defense. He made the consensus first-team All-America squad, won the Maxwell Trophy, and was runner-up to Angelo Bertelli for the Heisman Trophy. He was an honor student and graduated with a degree in economics and history. Odell was an assistant coach at Yale, Temple, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, then head coach at Bucknel,l 1958-1964, Pennsylvania, 1965-1970, and Williams, 1971-1986. In his three playing seasons at Penn, the team record was 18-6-2 overall and 13-0-2 against Ivy League opponents. In the 1943 tie with Army 13-13, Odell scored the final touchdown by catching a pass over his shoulder and outrunning Glenn Davis to the end zone. He was captain his senior year and was given the Class of 1915 Award as Penn's outstanding man, based on character, personality, scholarship, and athletic ability.