Otis Guernsey

Guernsey was born on June 16, 1893, in Des Moines, Iowa to Nathaniel T. Guernsey and Martha (Love) Guernsey.^[2] Nathaniel T. Guernsey was a vice president and general counsel for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.^[3] Guernsey's younger brother, Nathaniel T. Guernsey Jr., also played football at Yale and set the record for the men's 60-foot plunge in 1923 as a member of the school's swim team.^[4][5]

Guernsey originally replaced Dave Dunn at Yale, who was injured.^[1] Guernsey was called the "star halfback" of Yale football's 1913, 1914 and 1915 teams also was their field goal kicker.^[6][7][8][9] Guernsey set a Yale record for the longest field goal kicked at 53 years during an October 13, 1915 game against Princeton.^[10] Guernsey was called the "hero" of the 1915 Yale-Princeton game, kicking two field goals from the 55-yard line and the 42-yard mark which helped Yale win 13–7.^[11] Guernsey missed time during the 1915 season due to sickness and later dislocated his shoulder during a November 20, 1915 game against Harvard.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Guernsey was often compared to and called a rival of Harvard's Charles Brickley, who also served as the team's kicker.^[16][17]

Guernsey took up squash after he graduated from Yale, competing in the Squash National Class B Championship.^[18] Guernsey later competed in the National Squash Tennis Association's 1922 Fall Squash Tournament, losing to Charles M. Bull Jr.^[19] Guernsey then later helped the Yale Squash Team win the Champions Class League in 1922–23.^[20]

Guernsey was a major in the 315th Field Artillery during World War I.^[2] He was also a member of the New York Guard and held the rank of brigadier general during World War II.^[21]