Wabash College Athletics

John Eric Snively, you were a highly sought-after recruit coming out of Huntington North High School, where you were Most Valuable Player as a receiver, slot back, and defensive back for the Vikings.

You chose Wabash over DePauw, prompting Coach Greg Carlson to say, “He’s one of our best receiving prospects and I think he’s going to help us from day one.” Coach was correct. You caught four passes for 60 yards in your very first game and you would go on to start 36 straight games — often overcoming injuries — and along with your teammate, Chris Wiesehan, you caught at least one pass in every collegiate game. You had a breakout game against Franklin in your rookie year, snagging eight passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, which was a sign of things to come. A year later, you caught three touchdown passes against Franklin and helped Wabash capture its first of two straight Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships.

You were a two-time First Team All-ICAC receiver, a four-year starter, and co-captain of the 1993 team, finishing your career with four catches for 66 yards in a Monon Bell victory. At the time of your graduation, you ranked third all-time in receptions (139) and receiving yards (2,227).

Your talents were not reserved for the gridiron, however. You started 132 of a possible 134 games as an infielder for Coach Scott Boone’s baseball teams. You hit .293 over that span, with 123 hits, 98 runs scored, and 70 RBI. You were named Honorable Mention All-ICAC and Wabash Rookie of the Year in your freshman year when you hit .330 and stole 13 bases, and earned First-Team All-ICAC honors as a junior when you hit .313 with two homers and 20 RBI. You soared in the classroom, too, earning Academic All-Conference honors, which helped you earn the prestigious Pete Vaughan Award as the Outstanding Athlete in the Senior Class.

At graduation you said, “After high school, I was just looking to go somewhere where I could play two sports and I was lucky enough to find a place where I could do both right away.” Wabash was lucky, too, and therefore the National Association of Wabash Men is proud to induct you, John Eric Snively, in the Wabash College Athletics Hall of Fame.