Members
Inductee
PAULSON, WAYNE D.
PAULSON, WAYNE D.
Born on February 2, 1943
Hammond, IN
Inducted On
May 1, 2011
Location Inducted
Merrillville, IN
Region Number
1
Hammond
Player
Hammond
1961
3-year football varsity letterman; team was 10-0, Northern Indiana Conference Champions, and State Champions 1960; Hammond Times All-Star; All-State 1st Team quarterback; All-Conference 1st Team; MVP 1960 State Champion Team; also earned 2 varsity letters in basketball and 3 in baseball.
Pratt Junior College 1961-1963; University of Illinois
1965
Starting defensive halfback senior year; U of I Team was Big Ten Champion 1963; played in Rose Bowl 1964, defeating Washington University 17-7.
At U of I, played with one of the finest defensive teams ever to play the game - Dick Butkus (Chicago Bears), Don Hansen and Ron Acks (Atlanta Falcons), Jim Grabowski (2-time All-American and Green Bay Packers), and George Donnelly (San Francisco); recipient of Varsity "I" Award 1981, given once a year to a distinguished alumnus from U of I; inducted into the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame 1996; member of President's Club of Illinois Grants-in-Aid; presently Chairman of the Board, Paulson Property, LLC, and DreamTeam, LLC; member of President's Club of Illinois Grants-in-Aid to mentor young athletes and support their education; received U of I Varsity "I" Achievement Award and named "I" Man of the Year in 1981; inducted into the Hammond Indiana Sports Hall of Fame 1996.
Wife, Diane; children, Amy (husband, Kevin), Jennifer, and Nicholas "Nick" (wife, Karyn); grandchildren, Olivia, Alexandra, Austin, and Davis.
Professional Athletic Background: With the San Diego Chargers in 1965; with the St. Louis Cardinals 1966; playing career ended after back surgery.