Wabash College Athletics Hall of Fame
Ralph Lee Wilson was the top high school athlete in Montgomery County when he graduated from Crawfordsville High School in 1910. Hailing from the Round Hill neighborhood, Coach Jesse Harper convinced Wilson to attend Wabash and play football for the Little Giants. A tall, lean runner, Wilson caught Harper’s eye for his fierceness and ability to break the big play. After Wabash had defeated Georgetown and Purdue, Wilson became a starter and helped the Little Giants defeat Butler 48-0. In the fourth game of the season, at St. Louis University, Wilson broke a 30-yard touchdown run to get Wabash on the scoreboard 5-0. A few plays later, Wilson was terminally injured when he tackled a St. Louis ball carrier.
He died of a skull fracture in the middle of the night, but just before his death, he regained consciousness and uttered his now-famous last words, “Did Wabash Win?” Indeed, Wabash won 10-0 and the remainder of the season was canceled. The 1910 Little Giants finished the year undefeated and unscored upon for the only time in Wabash history.
