Nebraska Wesleyan University Athletics

Dewey Van Cleave competed as a dual-sport athlete at Nebraska Wesleyan, earning a total of eight varsity letters.
            On the football field, Van Cleave started every game of his NWU career and played multiple positions, including center, tackle, linebacker and kicker. As a tackle, he earned first team All-Conference honors as a junior and senior. He was also the team captain his junior year, and during his senior season, Van Cleave kicked the game-winning field goal as Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Midland College 3-2 in the 1955 homecoming game.
            As a member of the track and field teams, Van Cleave placed first in the shot put and second in the discus at the conference level as a senior. He set a school record in the discus that was later broken by an athlete Van Cleave worked with as an assistant coach under Woody Greeno in 1957.
            Van Cleave played basketball during his first year at Nebraska Wesleyan and was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity and NWU Letterman’s Club all four years. He also worked on campus and assisted with construction of the Taylor Gymnasium.