Saylor was born in 1871 in
Van Wert, Ohio. He became a left-handed pitcher for the Ohio Wesleyan
baseball team, where he acquired the nickname "Lefty." At the end of Saylor's senior year the OWU students put together an
American football team, and Saylor was named the quarterback. His first and only appearance with the team was in the first game for the OWU football program, a 20–14 loss to the
Ohio State University team on May 3, 1890. The game was also the first for the Ohio State squad. == Career ==