It could also be because the dictionary has one meaning of catchy as “having the power to catch the attention.” Supposedly one time he was playing center field for the Linton team, called a time-out, hurried to the nearby cinder track and won the 100-yard dash.

The Indiana Football Hall of Fame states that he was All-State End while at Linton High School.

Members of the team wore a diamond shape with a large “L” in the center on their shirts and that picture is also on display.

An end on the football team as a freshman, he was a starting halfback for his final three seasons at the school and distinguished himself as a runner and kicker.

He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, Chi chapter of Purdue.

[5] An excellent student (and perhaps to extend his time in football), he received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point upon his graduation.

He also monogrammed in hockey, boxing, and swimming which meant that he wasn't able to participate fully in those sports but was recognized.

He was in the inaugural group of sixteen inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame at West Point.

World War I changed priorities at West Point, and they reverted to purely military instruction during wartime.

He was appointed track instructor at West Point by Douglas MacArthur, who was the superintendent after returning from World War I. MacArthur later was Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations (term used for all military activity in that area) during World War II and accepted the surrender of Japan in September 1945.

[citation needed] There is a 1955 Topps All-American collectible sports card with his picture, and a Street and Smith comic book featured him in 1943 with a section “The Thrilling Story of West Point’s Most Famous Athlete Four Letter Man, Ollie Oliphant.” A board game that featured a picture of him inside a football shape on the cover is dated from 1933.

In the 100 Greatest Players of All Time (in an article that thanks the College Football Hall of Fame for their help), he is #78.

His name is mentioned in two well-known films, The Long Gray Line (1955) and Knute Rockne, All American (1940).

In 1921, Oliphant led the league in points (47), FGs (5) and PATs (26) and threw 7 touchdowns for the Buffalo All-Americans.

Conference tournament champion In 1925, Oliphant joined the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

Through tremendous drive and ambition, [citation needed] he became one of the highest salaried executives and headed the group insurance division in the New York area.