John J. Schommer

A four-time Helms Foundation All-America, John Schommer was a fiery competitor and true winner. Known as "Mr. Everything" at the University of Chicago, Schommer was one of the twentieth century's first great all-around athletes. He really was everything an athlete aims to be: strong, fast, skilled, tough, and smart. By competing in four sports - football, basketball, baseball, and track - he became the first athlete in Chicago's history to win 12 varsity letters. In four years, Mr. Everything lost only seven basketball games and led Chicago to three straight Big Ten titles from 1907 to 1909. He was the Western Conference scoring leader from 1906 to 1909, and in the 1907-08 final game of the regular season that would determine the national champion, Schommer made an 80-foot field goal with only seconds remaining to help Chicago defeat the University of Pennsylvania.