Hilo native Herman Wedemeyer won All-America honors as a halfback for St. Mary's College in California in 1945, and three decades later regained the spotlight as an actor on "Hawaii Five-O."
Wedemeyer — called the greatest athlete in the country by sportswriter Grantland Rice in 1945 and nicknamed "Squirmin' Herman" for his elusive moves on the gridiron — was inducted to the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 1979.
Wedemeyer was a first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dons of the All America Football Conference in 1947, and later played for the Baltimore Colts, but an injury cut short his career.
He returned to Hawai'i, had a successful business career and entered politics.
He was elected to the Honolulu City Council as a Republican in 1968, then to the state House of Representatives for the Waikiki-Mo'ili'ili area as a Democrat in 1970. He won re-election in 1972.
Wedemeyer appeared in "Hawaii Five-O" from 1971 to 1980, playing Edward D. "Duke" Lukela. He called it "a fascinating experience."
Wedemeyer led St. Louis College (now Saint Louis School) to Interscholastic League of Honolulu football titles in 1941 and 1942. He turned down scholarship offers from Notre Dame and Ohio State to attend St. Mary's.
He died Jan. 25, 1999, after suffering complications from a heart attack. He was 74.
