Wayne State University Athletics

Cherup, a native of Detroit and graduate of Detroit Cass Technical HS, had a collegiate athletic career that spanned eight years, two colleges and one war. Cherup played on Wayne's 1938, 1941 and 1945 football squads, receiving two varsity letters, and on the 1945 and 1946 track squad, receiving one varsity letter. Cherup's career at WSU was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II, and a hiatus at another Michigan college. Cherup is remembered as one of the state's best running backs and defensive halfbacks in the 1940s. In Wayne's 6-0 Homecoming win over Central Michigan in 1941, which gave WSU possession of the Old Oaken Bucket, Cherup ran for 122 yards on 32 carries. Both marks were Tartar single game records that stood for over a decade. On the 1945 football team Cherup led the squad in scoring with 27 points on four touchdowns and three point-after kicks. He was the Tartars' MVP and honorary captain that season. The Daily Collegian named Cherup as the Football Man-Of-The-Year in 1945. Perhaps Cherup's biggest moment as a collegiate player was in 1941 when he scored a 72-yard interception touchdown on the last play of the game against Michigan State. Cherup ran back the interception through Spartan fans filing on the field as time expired. The crowd of over 50,000 did not realize the touchdown occurred until Monday's morning papers were out. Instead of a 46-0 MSU victory, the score had been changed to 46-6. Cherup enrolled at Wayne in 1938 after playing football, baseball and track at Detroit Cass Tech HS. During his senior season at Cass Tech he earned football all-city honorable mention honors, and he participated in, the all-city track meet. In 1938 Cherup played on Wayne's freshman football squad, but when his father took ill, Cherup had to leave school to work at Ford Motor and support his family. In 1939 Cherup played football at Adrian, earning a varsity letter. Realizing he missed Wayne, Cherup transferred back. Under the rules he was forced to sit out the 1940 season. After the 1941 season was concluded Cherup enlisted in the Infantry, and earned campaign ribbons in the South Pacific at Guadalcanal and New Georgia. In January 1945 he was honorably discharged, and he immediately enrolled at Wayne and joined the track squad. He was a member of Wayne's 1945 mile-relay squad which placed second at the Penn Relays with a time of3:31. That squad was anchored by WSU Hall of Famer Lorenzo Wright. After the 1946 track season was finished Cherup received a B.S. in Science, and enrolled in Wayne's Medical School, where he received his M.D. in 1950. He interned at Pontiac St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in 1950-51, then began a long and illustrious career with several metropolitan Detroit hospitals. In 1986 Cherup retired from his private practice (1970. 86) and as director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Pontiac General Hospital (1966-86). During his medical career Cherup was active in developing safer football equipment that used the latest available plastics. Cherup and his wife, Nadja, now winter in Florida and summer in Michigan. They are parents of one daughter, Nadya, three sons, Gordon Paul, Nicholas George, and Glenn Gregory, and two grandchildren. An avid golfer, he has a hole-in-one to his credit. Cherup remains an active supporter of WSU and its athletics program.