Elmer Tesreau

Tesreau was born in Missouri, moved to Chehalis, Washington, when young, and graduated from high school there.^[2] He then played for the Washington Huskies football program, first on the freshman team in 1922,^[4] then on the varsity squads in 1923, 1924, and 1925,^[5] in the same backfield as Wildcat Wilson.^[6]

The 1923 Huskies went 10–1 during the regular season, losing only to Cal, then faced Navy in the 1924 Rose Bowl. Tesreau played through a knee injury in the 14–14 tie,^[7] and discovered after the game that he had broken a leg.^[8] The 1924 Huskies compiled an 8–1–1 record, but did not play in any of the limited bowl games of the era. Tesreau was captain of the 1925 Huskies^[9]—undefeated during the regular season (10 wins, and a tie against Nebraska), the team suffered a 20–19 loss to Alabama in the 1926 Rose Bowl.

Tesreau was also a pitcher for the Washington Huskies baseball team.^[10] He graduated as a member of the class 1926, then took an executive position with a surety company.^[11] He married Virginia Akin in November 1927.^[12] They had one daughter,^[13] and were divorced in 1933.^[14] In 1942, Tesreau faced several charges following a car accident in Seattle; at the time, he was working in a shipyard on Lake Union.^[15]

Tesreau died in Seattle in September 1955, aged 50.^[16] He was posthumously inducted to the Husky Hall of Fame at the University of Washington in 1985.^[17]