Member Biography

Here's a story about the great American dream. Gust Zarnas was born in Greece, came to America with his parents, and became an All-America football player. Gust played guard at Ohio State from 1935 through 1937. These were the glorious years of a coach, Francis Schmidt, who was famous for trick plays. In a 1937 game against Indiana, Gust came out of his guard position, took a hand-off from one of the backs and threw a forward pass for a 57-yard completion to Fred Crow. Aside from the trick plays, Gust was a solid performer at guard and received All-America recognition in 1937. Ohio State teams posted a combined record of 18-6 through Zarnas' three varsity seasons. Gust Zarnas was born December 16, 1913, in Ikaris, Greece. He attended high school in Latrona, Pennsylvania, and went one year to Kiski Prep. After starring at Ohio State, he played three years as a pro with the Bears and Packers. When World War II broke out, he enlisted in the Navy and became a lieutenant. Zarnas coached football at high schools in East Liverpool, Ohio, and Easton, Pennsylvania. In 1948 he moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and founded Zarnas and Co., painting contractors.