(Peru, Neb.) – The 1940 Football Team is the 19th of 84 individuals and/or teams being recognized as part of the lead up to the 31^st Peru State Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.
 
As Nebraska and Peru State are both celebrating their 150^th birthdays, the College is also hosting special events throughout the year. The next big event on campus will be the Peru State Athletic Hall of Fame banquet which will take place on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22 and 23.
 
As a lead up to the upcoming Hall of Fame event, the 84 individuals and/or teams will be recognized on a daily basis with one noted on each of the 84 days prior to the event.
 
The inscription on 1940 Football Team's plaque which is exhibited in the upper lobby of the Al Wheeler Activity Center reads as follows: "A team considered light in physical stature for its time, but heavy on performance, was the 1940 Bobcat squad. Included in their decade - opening 7-0-2 ledger was the first undefeated season in 13 years, a total of five victories by shutout, a repeat N.I.A.A conference title, and a second straight seven-win campaign. Under the expertise of third-year coach Al Wheeler, the Bobcats marched through their first five games unbeaten, then following an even draw with Wayne State, avenged their lone 1939 season setback by blanking Hastings. They went on to clinch the conference crown in the season finale with an upset of cross-state rival Chadron on Thanksgiving Day.
The '40 Bobcats become the second PSC football squad to enter the Hall of Fame under the "team" category, based on their ability to overcome a sizeable disadvantage."
 
Here is a little more from the 1941 annual, The Peruvian: "Bobcats bag N. I. A. A. Title with a 26-0 upset." Those were the headlines that topped all newspapers in the college circle of football, when the Thanksgiving day post-season game between the Bobcats of Peru and the Chadron Eagles was held on neutral sod at Ryder Park at Grand Island.
 
Coach Al Wheeler and Art Jones gave the call to the summer tanned boys who slowly turned to the early season workouts in the early month of September little realizing that an undefeated rank would be upon them at the close of the Bobcat season.
 
The results were as follows:
Peru 50 – York 0
Peru 20 – Doane 6
Peru 14 – Midland 0
Peru 26 – Tarkio 0
Peru 20 – Kearney 6
Peru 7 – Wayne State 7
Peru 22 – Hastings 0
Peru 7 – Fort Hays 7
Peru 26 – Chadron 0
 
Also in the annual, it was noted that Jack McIntire (Nebraska City), better known as "Rowdy," was chosen by every coach and football player in the state as the most valuable man on the team and the best center in the state. Also making the state team was Ross Adams (Peru) at guard and Jim Mather (Arapahoe) as a back. Second team honors went to Keith Roberts (Tecumseh), the left guard and Bobby Henderson (Anderson, Iowa) in the backfield.
 
The 1940 Football Team was inducted on Oct. 20, 1990, as part of the sixth induction class into the Peru State Athletic Hall of Fame.