Wendell joined the
Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 1944 as a
fullback and
linebacker. He did not play for Notre Dame in 1945 due to being in the
United States Navy. However, he did play football for the
Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets. Wendell returned to Notre Dame in 1946 was moved from fullback on offense to
center while still playing linebacker on defense. In 1947, he was moved to guard on offense while still playing linebacker. After the 1948 season, head coach
Frank Leahy called him the best linebacker he had ever coached. Wendell
lettered all four years he played for the Fighting Irish and was later billed as the first Notre Dame player to win three letters at three different positions (FB/C/G). He majored in
business administration at Notre Dame. ==Professional career==