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John Maulbetsch

John Frederick Maulbetsch (June 20, 1890 – September 14, 1950) was an All-American football halfback at Adrian College in 1911 and for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1914 to 1916. He is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

John Maulbetsch
Maulbetsch pictured in The Redskin 1923, Oklahoma A&M yearbook
Biographical details
Born(1890-06-20)June 20, 1890
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
DiedSeptember 14, 1950(1950-09-14) (aged 60)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1911Adrian
1914–1916Michigan
Position(s)Halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1917–1920Phillips
1921–1928Oklahoma A&M
1929–1930Marshall
Basketball
1921–1929Oklahoma A&M
Baseball
1922–1929Oklahoma A&M
Head coaching record
Overall
  • 61–52–11 (football)
  • 75–75 (basketball)
  • 61–59 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1973 (profile)

After playing with an independent football team in Ann Arbor and at Adrian College, Maulbetsch became one of the most famous American football players in 1914 while playing for the University of Michigan. Maulbetsch became known as the "Human Bullet" because of his unusual low, line-plunging style of play, and was also known as the "Featherweight Fullback" because of his light weight and small size. After his performance against Harvard in 1914, in which some reports indicated he gained more than 300 yards, eastern writers, including Damon Runyon, wrote articles touting Maulbetsch. Maulbetsch was also selected by Walter Camp to his All-American team.

In 1915, Maulbetsch underwent surgery for appendicitis and did not perform to the same level as he had in 1914. He made a comeback as a senior in 1916 and was again one of the leading players in college football.

Between 1917 and 1920, Maulbetsch was the head football coach at Phillips University. With Maulbetsch's name recognition, he was able to recruit big name talent to Phillips, including future Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Owen, and future United States Olympic Committee President Doug Roby. Maulbetsch quickly turned Phillips into one of the top programs in the southwest, as his teams beat Oklahoma and Texas and lost only one game in the 1918 and 1919 seasons. Maulbetsch was later the football coach at Oklahoma A&M (later known as Oklahoma State) and Marshall College in the 1920s. He has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and the University of Michigan awards the John F. Maulbetsch Award each year to a freshman football player based on desire, character, and capacity for leadership and future success both on and off the football field.

Ann Arbor High School and the Independents edit

Maulbetsch was born and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He attended Ann Arbor High School where he led the football team to consecutive state championships in 1908 and 1909.[1] One account of the 1908 playoffs noted: "Ann Arbor's smashing play in the first half was wholly due to Maulbetsch, Ann Arbor's fullback, and his terrific line bucking. He clearly outshone his team mates."[2]

After graduating from high school, Maulbetsch joined the Ann Arbor Independents, a football team made up of Michigan "varsity eligibles" and "townies." Maulbetsch was once reportedly called upon to drive across the goal line for the Independents in a game in which a large crowd, including a farmer with his plow-horse, gathered in the end zone. "Head down and legs working like piston rods, Maulbetsch plowed ahead until head struck the plow horse amidships. Down went the horse Mauly on top of him."[3]

College football player edit

Transfer from Adrian College edit

Maulbetsch started his college football career at age 21, leading Adrian College to an 8–0 record in 1911, including a 15–0 win over the University of Michigan freshman team.[4][5] Maulbetsch's performance drew the attention of Michigan Coach Fielding H. Yost. After watching Maulbetsch dominate Michigan's freshman team, Yost concluded: "If I could get that kid into Michigan and keep him up in his studies I’d make an All-American place for him his first year."[3] Yost persuaded Maulbetsch to transfer, and he played with "the scrubs" in 1912.[6] Yost told the press at the time he had "another (Willie) Heston" in Maulbetsch.[6]

1914 season edit

Maulbetsch did not play for the varsity team until the fall of 1914 when he was 24 years old. Before the season began, Maulbetsch was "touted as one of the fastest halfbacks who ever donned moleskins. He weighs 155 pounds, is built low, has a powerful pair of shoulders and his dashes are characterized by lightning speed."[7] Another pre-season account said he was "a wonder as a line plunger and a wizard in the open field."[8] From the outset, considerable attention was paid to his unusual running style. Observers noted "the peculiar manner in which he runs. . . . He has a corkscrew style of dashing, and even when tackled squarely has such a sturdy pair of legs that his assailant is usually carried back several yards."[7]

The 1914 Michigan Wolverines football team opened the season with a 58–0 win over DePauw, followed by a 69–0 victory over Case. Maulbetsch was the offensive star against Case, as he twice "carried several would-be tackles across the goal."[9] Playing Vanderbilt the following week, Maulbetsch had runs of 25 and 35 yards, scored two touchdowns, "was worked overtime and probably advanced the pigskin more than any two other players."[10][11] After starting the season 5–0, Michigan lost three of four games against top eastern schools: Syracuse, Harvard, Penn, and Cornell.

1914 Harvard game edit

Maulbetsch's breakthrough came on October 31, 1914, in front of 30,000 fans at Harvard Stadium. The game was one of the most anticipated matches of the year. A special train brought Michigan fans to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and hundreds of Michigan alumni from the East were on hand as "reinforcements."[12] Though Harvard prevailed, 7–0, Maulbetsch was the big story in papers across the country. Writers from Ring Lardner to Damon Runyon told the story of Maulbetsch's performance. Lardner said: "If anyone tells you the East plays the best brand of football, Maulbetsch shot that theory full of holes."[13] According to Runyon, the Wolverines used "the mighty Maulbetsch as their battering ram", and he "gained enough ground against Harvard to bury a German army corps."[12] Football writer Frank G. Menke said: "No westerner ever created half the stir in the east as did this Michigander . . . His peculiar, baffling style of attack, backed by phenomenal strength almost always earned for him gains of 5 to 20 yards every time he was called upon to carry the ball."[14] Another writer noted Maulbetsch's skill as a "line breaker" as he "carried the ball repeatedly through the Harvard line and into the secondary defense with bullet-like rushes that upset tackler after tackler."[15] Maulbetsch was responsible for four-fifths of Michigan's ground gains, and on several occasions his dives reportedly "had so much power that he dove right through a double line of crimson players and went sprawling on the ground twelve to twenty feet clear of the double line."[16]

While every report indicates that Maulbetsch had a big day, the accounts vary dramatically as to exactly how many yards he gained. Frank Menke reported after the game that Maulbetsch gained 300 yards.[14] A 1938 newspaper account said he "gained 350 yards from scrimmage."[17] Yet, his 1951 obituary indicated he gained 133 yards in 30 attempts.[18]

Despite Maulbetsch's efforts, Michigan was never able to punch the ball across the goal line. Many blamed Michigan's quarterback who switched to another back every time after Maulbetsch "took the ball to the shadow of the Crimson goal posts."[17] In answer to the question why Michigan was unable to score, Frank Menke said: "Ask the fellow who quarterbacked for Michigan that day. His actions were too mystifying for the spectators to figure out."[14]

When Harvard reneged on an agreement to play a game in Ann Arbor in 1915, sports writers concluded it was to avoid facing Maulbetsch again.[19] Said one reporter: "When faih Hahvahd [sic] saw what Maulbetsch did in the first clash, it decided it cared to see no more of him. He was too rough."[14]

"Human Bullet" edit

Much of the attention on Maulbetsch focused on his diminutive size and unique running style. At 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), and 155 lb (70 kg), Maulbetsch was a small back, even by the standards of his day. And his running style saw him bend his torso and propel himself like a projectile into the opposing line. Indeed, he won several nicknames based on his size, running style, and fighting spirit, including the "Human Bullet,"[20] "Mauly", the "Human Shrapnel",[14] the "Featherweight Fullback",[5] the "Michigan Cannon Ball,"[21] and the "German bullet." Comparisons of Maulbetsch to military armaments were common. In addition to the "bullet", "shrapnel", and "cannonball" nicknames, the Syracuse Herald observed: "Standing up in front of a Krupp gun has its dangers, but it is not to be compared with the dangers of standing in front of Maulbetsch when he is going full speed ahead."[22]

Maulbetsch's style was described as "line-plunging."[16] A New York newspaper noted: "When the ball is snapped to him he almost doubles himself up, and, with his head aimed at the knees of the opposing line, he dives head first. Those who have seen Maulbetsch in action marvel at the great momentum he can get up in two or three steps."[16] Noted football writer Walter Eckersall said: "Mauly is a little fellow, being built close to the ground. They say that when he plunges at the line his head is almost on a level with his shoe tops – that he hits so low that it's well nigh impossible to stop him."[23] An Iowa newspaper wondered how it was possible "for a man to smash into a line of human bodies with the force that Maulbetsch does and come out of the game without a broken neck."[24]

Maulbetsch was said to run "so low that he could dash under an ordinary table without losing his feet."[25] At a coaching conference in the 1920s, a coach doubted the table-ducking story and challenged Maulbetsch. The doubter later recalled: "I began ribbing him about this table-ducking stuff and finally offered to bet him he couldn’t do it. Well, we got a table up in a room, Johnny tucked a water pitcher under his arm and backed against the wall. Darned if he didn’t do it, the only thing, that water pitcher broke in a million pieces."[25] Asked about the incident, Maulbetsch said it was true, except one part. Maulbetsch insisted there wasn’t a nick on the pitcher.[25]

Maulbetsch makes All-American edit

After the loss to Harvard in 1914, Michigan rebounded with a 34–3 win over Penn. Walter Eckersall reported that the Wolverines were "led by the redoubtable Johnny Maulbetsch."[26] Despite being "a marked man" by the Penn defense, he was not thrown for a loss in the entire game, and he scored three touchdowns.[26] Before Michigan lost to Cornell in the final game of the season, a scandal arose when it was revealed that the owner of an Ann Arbor pool room, Joe Reinger, had written a letter intimating that he could buy Maulbetsch and Michigan's quarterback to throw the Cornell game, and win US$50,000 from students willing to bet on Michigan.[27] The letter was turned in to the Michigan athletic officials, and Reinger went to the athletic office "to try to hush the matter up."[27] Reinger became abusive and was thrown out of the office by Coach Yost.[27] The incident caused "the biggest stir of the season on the campus,"[27] as students demolished Reinger's pool room, and police had to guard Reinger's residence against threatening demonstrations that continued to "a late hour."[27] Although Michigan did lose to Cornell, Maulbetsch was said to be "practically the only successful ground gainer for Michigan."[28] Over the course of the 1914 season, Maulbetsch was said to have scored about half of Michigan's 252 points.[29] A Wisconsin newspaper noted that, "when it comes time to write a resume of the 1914 football season", Maulbetsch's play "will live in the minds of men . . . for years to come."[30] As a reward for his efforts, Maulbetsch was named a first-team All-American at the end of the 1914 season.[31]

Pie and coffee diet edit

As public attention focused on Maulbetsch as "the greatest line-plunger of a decade,"[32] the press could not get enough of Maulbetsch, even interviewing his family. His sister revealed that Maulbetsch had a fondness for home cooking and received permission from the team trainer to eat at his family's Ann Arbor home. "Now, Johnny's sister explains that each day his mother baked two pies for the athlete's supper, and that in addition he had everything else his appetite craved, including coffee."[32][33][34] Confronted by reporters about the revelation, Maulbetsch replied: "The story was slightly exaggerated. I rarely ate more than one and one half pies for dinner."[35] Joking references to Maulbetsch's diet continued when it was reported in 1915 that he was suffering from "acute indigestion."[36] One reporter quipped, "Those much advertised pies of his maw's evidently aren’t as great training dope as they were cracked up to be."[36] It turned out that the indigestion was appendicitis, and Maulbetsch was hospitalized at St. Joseph's Sanitarium in Ann Arbor in April 1915, where he underwent an operation.[37]

1915 season edit

As the 1915 season was set to get underway, Coach Yost reported, "Johnny told me he was feeling fine when I saw him recently, although he doesn’t weigh as much as he used to."[38] Despite Yost's hopes, Maulbetsch fell far short of the prior year's performance in 1915. He was several pounds lighter after the illness and surgery, and it was noted that "a few pounds means much to a man of Maulbetsch's weight."[39] In the opening game against Lawrence, Maulbetsch scored three touchdowns, but he was "woefully weak on interference."[40] Playing against Mount Union, Maulbetsch made several big gains, including a 50-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.[41] His difficulties returned in the season's third game against Marietta, as "Maulbetsch was powerless to stop the Marietta forward pass, all of the successful ones being directed toward his side of the line."[42]

After The Michigan Daily criticized his performance following the Marietta game, Maulbetsch "threatened to desert the Michigan squad and give up football for good."[43] It reportedly took Yost several hours to coax Maulbetsch to report for practice again,[44] and in the next game against Case, Maulbetsch did not play until the third quarter.[45] In the season's first big game, Michigan was soundly beaten by Michigan Agricultural College, 24–0, and most of Maulbetsch's runs "didn’t even get as far as his own line."[46] In the final four games of the season, matters got worse for Michigan and Maulbetsch, as the team went 0–3–1, scoring only 14 points in four games.

In Maulbetsch's defense, some writers noted the weakness of the Michigan line, often allowing rushers into the backfield before Maulbetsch even had the ball. But some of those same observers noted that "Mauly" was not carrying the ball "at his usual pace."[47] Sports writer Frank Menke described Maulbetsch's 1915 performance this way: "[The] Wolverine halfback skidded from the heights of greatness to the level of mediocre. . . . The lines that he had crumpled like eggshells a year before stood up under his charges, often dumping him back for losses. The once 'unstoppable' Maulbetsch not only was stopped but forced to retract."[14] Despite the subpar performance in 1915, Michigan's varsity letter-winners elected him captain of the team for 1916.[48]

1916 comeback edit

Maulbetsch made a strong comeback in 1916. Instead of spending the summer recovering from appendicitis, he spent the summer working as an assistant barkeeper on a steamship plying between Chicago and St. Joseph, Michigan. Maulbetsch spent his afternoons swimming and running sprints up and down the beach.[49] On one trip, a giant coal passer claimed to be the strongest man in the world, and Maulbetsch agreed to a wrestling match on the boat. "The coal passer rushed the stripling, who ducked, caught his opponent about the waist and crushed him to the deck. When the giant woke, he wanted to know if the boat hit a rock."[50] As the season started, The New York Times wrote: "Michigan's come-back football team, headed by Bullet Maulbetsch, is going to be an eleven to be reckoned with on the gridiron this Fall."[51] Maulbetsch returned to his prior form, and one of the writers who had criticized him in 1915 said "the great Michigander using the same method of attack, has repeatedly broken in fragments this year the lines that he couldn’t dent in 1915."[14]

Professional football edit

After the 1916 football season ended, Maulbetsch considered his options. There was a report that he had been engaged as a high school football coach (and math instructor) in Toledo, Ohio.[51] Even more prevalent were reports that he had signed to play for a professional football team. Professional football was still in its infancy in 1917, and landing a well-known star would have been a boost to any of the budding franchises. In January 1917 newspapers reported that Maulbetsch had signed a contract to play professional football for Detroit Tigers owner, Frank Navin. Navin was supporting efforts to organize a professional football league in all the important Midwestern cities, including a Detroit franchise to play at Navin Field.[52][53] As late as November 1917, newspapers reported Maulbetsch had played professional football after graduating and was offered "a handsome fee" to play with the Akron Burkhardts in November 1917.[54] Although professional football records prior to 1920 are scarce, it appears unlikely that Maulbetsch played professional football, as press accounts show he was working as a college football coach starting in 1917.[55]

Head football coach edit

Building Phillips University into a football power (1917–1920) edit

In June 1917, Maulbetsch announced that he had accepted a position as the football coach (and professor of chemistry) at Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma.[56] Phillips was a small, private school without a well-known athletic program. In the fall, Enid residents were "leaving their work every afternoon to watch [Maulbetsch] and his husky young Oklahoma youths work out on campus."[55] Within a year, Maulbetsch turned Phillips into one of the strongest teams in the southwest.[57]

Maulbetsch landed his first big recruit before leaving Ann Arbor. While playing at Michigan, Maulbetsch became friends with Doug Roby, a football player at the Michigan Military Academy, and one of the state's top recruits.[1] Roby followed Maulbetsch to Phillips and later went on to become a member of the International Olympic Committee in the 1950s and 1960s and president of the United States Olympic Committee from 1965 to 1968.[1] Maulbetsch's next find was future Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Owen, who later spent 23 years with the New York Giants. Maulbetsch saw Owen watching football practice from under a tree and told him: "A fellow your size ought to be out for the squad." Owen showed up the next day and, when Maulbetsch used him to illustrate blocking fundamentals, Owen threw a block into Maulbetsch that threw him five yards through the air. Maulbetsch was satisfied, and Owen had a spot on the team.[58] Because Phillips was not part of a conference, it was not subject to any eligibility limitations, an advantage Maulbetsch was accused of exploiting. A third key player recruited by Maulbetsch was a Native American halfback named Levi, and dubbed "Big Chief" by Phillips fans.[59]

Having recruited top talent to Enid, Maulbetsch's teams lost only one game in 1918 and 1919, including a 10–0–1 record in 1919.[1] In 1917 and 1918, Phillips came into the limelight when they beat the Oklahoma Sooners and the Henry Kendricks College team that had swept the west without allowing another team to score.[60] Maulbetsch arranged a game against the Texas Longhorns in 1919, the first meeting between the schools. When the game was announced The San Antonio Light reported: "Phillips University has one of the strongest teams in the Southwest. The only team to beat them in the past two years is Oklahoma and last year Phillips beat the Sooners 13–7."[57] The report credited Maulbetsch for securing success at an institution little known in athletics before he arrived.[57] The University of Texas had not lost a game since 1917 when the Phillips "Haymakers" arrived in Austin, Texas on October 11, 1919. Maulbetsch's team shocked the Longhorns, holding them scoreless and winning the contest, 10–0.[61] One Texas newspaper reported that Phillips had "whitewashed the Longhorns in their own corral."[62]

Others in Texas concluded that Phillips' success was the result of lax or non-existent eligibility policies.[63] The lack of eligibility rules almost certainly did play a part in Phillips’ success. When Phillips joined the Southwest Conference in 1920, it became bound by the conference's eligibility rules, and the team was outscored 97–0 in conference play against Texas A&M (47–0), Texas (27–0), Arkansas (20–0), and Texas Christian (3–0). The Galveston Daily News noted that Maulbetsch's 1920 team could not "compare with the strong team" he surprised Texas with in 1919.[64] At the end of the 1920 season, Phillips withdrew from the Southwest Conference, and Maulbetsch accepted a new position at Oklahoma A&M.

Head coach at Oklahoma A&M (1921–1928) edit

In January 1921, Maulbetsch was hired as the head coach at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Oklahoma State University) in Stillwater, Oklahoma.[65] He served as the coach at Oklahoma A&M from 1921 to 1928, where his teams posted a 28–37–6 (.437) record.[66] In 1924, his team went 6–1–2 and shut out Oklahoma (6–0), Arkansas (20–0) and Kansas (3–0).[66] Maulbetsch's Aggies also shut out Phillips that year, 13–0.[66] After the season, attempts were made to lure him to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, but Maulbetsch said he was satisfied with his position in Stillwater.[67]

Maulbetsch arranged a game in Ann Arbor against his alma mater to start the 1926 season.[68] Michigan beat the Aggies, 42–3. Despite an overall record of 3–4–1, Oklahoma A&M won its first conference football championship by going 3–0–1 in games against Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponents. Maulbetsch also drew attention in 1926 for his disciplinary methods. When the team lost two games due to fumbles, he ordered eight of his backfield players to carry footballs with them to classes throughout the week and instructed other team members to try knocking the balls from under their arms. The penalty for losing a ball was "a hard run around the stadium."[69] He also ordered one of his ends to wear boxing gloves after he poked an opposing player in the eye.[69]

The Aggies won only one game against seven defeats in 1928. In late November, the day after a 46–0 loss to Oklahoma, newspapers reported that "reliable sources" had said Maulbetsch intended to resign.[70][71] Maulbetsch immediately denied the rumor, saying: "I have not resigned. I am aware that a faction here is trying to get me out, but I do not intend to throw up the sponge."[72] In December, pressure to fire Maulbetsch grew, and one Oklahoma newspaper observed: "Coach Maulbetsch of the A. & M. football team is the object of attacks from many sides because of the rather poor showing made by his team during the past season. They are looking for a goat and just now Johnnie is cast in that role. Regardless of his past record, those who demand victory at any price and by any means whatsoever, are insisting that he be fired forthwith and a man be placed in the position who, by fair means or foul, will gather in a team that will win victories and never lose a game."[73] Ultimately, Maulbetsch resigned at the end of May 1929 as Oklahoma A&M's coach in football, baseball, and basketball. It was announced that he would spend the remaining year of his contract on a leave of absence at half pay.[74]

Head coach at Marshall College (1929–1930) edit

In July 1929, Maulbetsch was hired by Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia to become head coach in charge of football and track.[75] When Marshall's "Thundering Herd" got off to a 4–1 start, Maulbetsch won praise in the West Virginia press,[76] but Marshall finished the season 1–2–1 in the second half. And in 1930, the Marshall team went 3–5–1, including a 65–0 loss to Penn State. Maulbetsch resigned as Marshall's coach in January 1931; his only comment at the time was that he had "other plans."[77]

Later years and legacy edit

 
Maulbetsch Ave. street sign

After retiring from football, Maulbetsch bought a drug store in Huntington, West Virginia. During World War II, Maulbetsch took a job building B-24 Liberator bombers at Ford Motor Company's famed Willow Run Plant near Ypsilanti, Michigan. From 1946 until his death, he owned an automobile sales company in Adrian, Michigan.[18] Maulbetsch died of cancer in 1950 at his home in Ann Arbor.[78] He was survived by his widow, Ida, a son John Maulbetsch, and a daughter Barbara.[18] Maulbetsch had been married to Ida (maiden name Ida Elizabeth Cappon) since May 27, 1917.

Maulbetsch was inducted posthumously into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973.[5] Since 1956, the John F. Maulbetsch Award has been given at the University of Michigan after spring practice to a freshman football candidate on the basis of desire, character, capacity for leadership and future success both on and off the football field. The award was established by Frederick C. Matthaei – a former classmate of Maulbetsch who went on to become a Regent of the University.[79] The award has been a good indicator of future success, as past recipients include Jim Mandich (1967), Rick Leach (1976), Charles Woodson (1996), Marlin Jackson (2002), and Jake Long (2004). Maulbetsch Avenue in Ypsilanti Township is presumably named after Maulbetsch.

Head coaching record edit

Football edit

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Phillips Haymakers (Independent) (1917–1919)
1917 Phillips 8–1
1918 Phillips 4–2
1919 Phillips 10–0–1
Phillips Haymakers (Southwest Conference) (1920)
1920 Phillips 4–4–2 0–3 T–7th
Phillips: 26–7–3 0–3
Oklahoma A&M Aggies/Cowboys (Southwest Conference) (1921–1924)
1921 Oklahoma A&M 5–4–1 1–1 T–4th
1922 Oklahoma A&M 4–4–1 2–3 5th
1923 Oklahoma A&M 2–8 1–3 6th
1924 Oklahoma A&M 6–1–2 1–1–1 T–3rd
Oklahoma A&M Cowboys (Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1925–1927)
1925 Oklahoma A&M 2–5–1 0–3–1 10th
1926 Oklahoma A&M 3–4–1 3–0–1 1st
1927 Oklahoma A&M 4–4 2–1 3rd
Oklahoma A&M Cowboys (Missouri Valley Conference) (1928)
1928 Oklahoma A&M 1–7 0–1 T–4th
Oklahoma A&M: 27–37–6 10–13–3
Marshall Thundering Herd (West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1929–1930)
1929 Marshall 5–3–1 4–1 T–4th
1930 Marshall 3–5–1 3–0–1 T–2nd
Marshall: 8–8–2 7–1–1
Total: 61–52–11
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Basketball edit

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Oklahoma A&M Aggies (Southwest Conference) (1921–1925)
1921–22 Oklahoma A&M 5–16 1–4 5th
1922–23 Oklahoma A&M 12–11 7–8 T–3rd
1922–23 Oklahoma A&M 14–6 9–5 3rd
1924–25 Oklahoma A&M 15–3 12–2 1st
Oklahoma A&M Aggies (Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1925–1928)
1925–26 Oklahoma A&M 9–9 5–6 8th
1926–27 Oklahoma A&M 8–9 6–6 T–5th
1927–28 Oklahoma A&M 11–8 11–7 3rd
Oklahoma A&M Aggies (Missouri Valley Conference) (1928–1929)
1928–29 Oklahoma A&M 1–14 0–4 4th
Oklahoma A&M: 75–75 (.500) 51–42 (.548)
Total: 75–75 (.500)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Baseball edit

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Oklahoma A&M Aggies/Cowboys () (1922–1929)
1922 Oklahoma A&M 8–7
1923 Oklahoma A&M 8–6
1924 Oklahoma A&M 10–8
1925 Oklahoma A&M 6–8
1926 Oklahoma A&M 6–9
1927 Oklahoma A&M 6–10
1928 Oklahoma A&M 12–4
1929 Oklahoma A&M 5–7
Oklahoma A&M: 61–59
Total: 61–59

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Madej, Bruce (1997). Michigan: Champions of the West, p. 39. Sport Publishing.
  2. ^ "Ann Arbor Defeats DC". The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). 1908-11-14.
  3. ^ a b "Maulbetsch A Natural Player". The Lincoln Daily Star. 1915-01-10.
  4. ^ . Adrian College. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  5. ^ a b c "Johnny Maulbetsch". College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  6. ^ a b "Football Notes". The Janesville Daily Gazette. Wisconsin. 1912-10-30.
  7. ^ a b "'We'll Meet 'Em At the Cross Roads,' Says Hurry-Up Yost". The Galveston Daily News. 1914-08-30.
  8. ^ "Results on the Gridiron: Michigan, 69, Case 0". The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 1914-10-04.
  9. ^ "Western Football To Get Stiff Test When Michigan Meets Four Eastern Teams". The Fort Wayne Sentinel. 1914-09-22.
  10. ^ "Vanderbilt Shows Splendid Fight". The Atlanta Constitution. 1914-10-11.
  11. ^ "Michigan Wins From Vanderbilt In Mud". The Galveston Daily News. 1914-10-11.
  12. ^ a b Runyon, Damon (1914-11-01). "Harvard Noses Out Michigan In Fast Game". The San Antonio Light.
  13. ^ "John Maulbetsch". The Regents of the University of Michigan. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Menke, Frank G. (1916-11-08). "Maulbetsch will come into his own this year". The Times-Democrat (Lima, Ohio).
  15. ^ "Harvard Defeats Michigan, 7 to 0". The Indianapolis Star. 1914-11-01.
  16. ^ a b c "Maulbetsch, Michigan Halfback, Line Plunging Sensation of Season: Equal of 'Human Bullet' Has Not Been Seen In East For Ten Years – Credited With Four-Fifths of Gains Against Harvard – Hits Line Low". The Olean Evening Herald (N.Y.). 1915-11-29.
  17. ^ a b "Do You Know? – Answers". Lowell Sun. 1938-09-03.
  18. ^ a b c "Johnny Maulbetsch, All-Time Michigan Football Great, Dies". East Liverpool Review. Ohio. 1950-09-15.
  19. ^ "Harvard Is Panned". Portsmouth Daily Times. 1914-12-31.
  20. ^ Maulbetsch, Johnny (1916-09-26). "'Human Bullet' Tells How To Play Football". The Fort Wayne Sentinel.
  21. ^ "Michigan Cannon Ball Plays Piano: Maulbetsch of Gridiron Fame Learning Mysteries of Pianoforte so as to Dumfound his Enemies". New Castle News. 1916-02-26.
  22. ^ Menke, Frank G. (1914-12-16). "Hot Liners". Syracuse Herald.
  23. ^ Eckersall, Walter (1914-12-18). "Prettiest Play on An Eastern Gridiron". LeGrand Reporter. Iowa.
  24. ^ "Maulbetsch Grid Wonder of Season". Cedar Rapids Republican. 1914-11-29.
  25. ^ a b c "Sport News from the University of Michigan". The Bessemer Herald. Michigan. 1950-09-28.
  26. ^ a b Eckersall, Walter (1914-11-08). "Pennsylvania Crumbles Before Yost's Shifty Michigan Team: Johnnie Maulbetsch Leads Fighting Attack on Easterners and Wolverines Score Clean-Cut Victory, 34 to 3". The Indianapolis Star.
  27. ^ a b c d e "Michigan Students Revenge Insults". Xenia Daily Gazette. Ohio. 1914-11-11.
  28. ^ "Cornell 28; Michigan 13". Waterloo Times-Tribune. 1914-11-15.
  29. ^ Frank G. Menke (1914-12-22). "Michigan's Queer Season: Lost More Games Than Ever Before". Fort Wayne News.
  30. ^ "Maulbetsch, Marvelous Michigan Player". Racine Journal-News. 1914-11-14.
  31. ^ . Archived from the original on 2007-12-27.
  32. ^ a b "Some Fodder: Maulbetsch Played Football on a Pie Diet". The Fort Wayne News. 1914-11-28.
  33. ^ "Maulbetsch Trains on Pie and Cake". Bismarck Daily Tribune. 1914-11-18.
  34. ^ "Horrors! Maulbetsch Ate Pie in Training". Syracuse Herald. 1914-11-18.
  35. ^ "Maulbetsch Spikes Rumor". The McKean Democrat. Pennsylvania. 1915-01-28.
  36. ^ a b "untitled article, page 6, column 1". Janesville Daily Gazette. 1915-04-19.
  37. ^ "Maulbetsch Out of Hospital After Operation". Wisconsin State Journal. 1915-04-28.
  38. ^ "'Hurry Up' Yost Is Out With Bear Story: Five Stars Upon Whom He Was Depending Have Scholastic Deficiencies". Mansfield News (Ohio). 1915-08-17.
  39. ^ "Michigan's Football Player Operated On". The Ogden Standard. 1916-08-26.
  40. ^ "Lawrence Holds Michigan Better: Wolverines Put Up A Ragged Game and Methodists Are Able To Hold Them To 39–0 Score". Racine Journal-News. 1915-10-07.
  41. ^ "Mount Union Loses: Finds Michigan Much Improved Team, Losing Game 35 to 0". The Sandusky Register. 1915-10-10.
  42. ^ "Marietta Scores on Michigan in 28-6 Game". The Evening Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 1915-10-14.
  43. ^ "Maulbetsch Threatens To Quit Wolverines". Racine Journal-News. 1915-10-16.
  44. ^ "Punts and Passes". Syracuse Herald. 1915-10-22.
  45. ^ "Michigan 14; Case 3". Cedar Rapids Republican. 1915-10-17.
  46. ^ "Michigan Aggies Whip Wolverines". The Lincoln Daily Star. 1915-10-24.
  47. ^ "Wolverines Expect To Defeat Cornell: After Only Mediocre Season, Michigan May Show Real Form in Big Game". The Lincoln Daily Star. 1915-10-24.
  48. ^ "Maulbetsch Is Honored". The Indianapolis Star. 1915-11-25.
  49. ^ "'Mauly' Trains As Barkeep On Boat". Des Moines Daily News. 1915-07-30.
  50. ^ "Johnny Maulbetsch Trains On Great Lake Vessel". Janesville Daily Gazette. Wisconsin. 1916-09-29.
  51. ^ a b "Michigan Gains Strength; Yost's Eleven, with Capt. Maulbetsch, Is Striving for Supremacy". The New York Times. 1916-10-02.
  52. ^ "Maulbetsch To Be A Pro?". Syracuse Herald. 1916-10-02.
  53. ^ "Pro Football Big Factor in 1917". Racine Journal-News. 1917-01-06.
  54. ^ "Maulbetsch in Toledo". Portsmouth Daily Times. Ohio. 1917-02-27.
  55. ^ a b "Maulbetsch Makes Big Hit". Maurice Times. Iowa. September 1917.
  56. ^ "Maulbetsch Is Married". Syracuse Herald. 1917-06-29.
  57. ^ a b c "Longhorns to Play Phillips Uni. October 11th". San Antonio Evening News. 1919-09-13.
  58. ^ Baillie, Scott (1951-09-30). "Grid Old-Timer Steve Owen OK's Modern Methods: Mass Substitution, Wide-Open Play 'Beautiful'". Nevada State Journal.
  59. ^ "Longhorns Play Phillips Today". San Antonio Express. 1922-10-07.
  60. ^ "A New Fore in Football: Texas University Will Meet Phillips University in Austin". Corsicana Daily. 1919-10-10.
  61. ^ "Texas, Unable to Score, Bows to Haymakers, Phillips University Blanks Longhorns on Muddy Field 10 to 0". San Antonio Light. 1919-10-12.
  62. ^ "College Elevens Busy Today". The Galveston Daily News. 1919-11-08.
  63. ^ "Texas-Sooner Game Decisive In Conference". San Antonio Light. 1919-10-17.
  64. ^ "Longhorns Defeat Phillips College: Visitors Are Outclassed In Every Department Of Game". The Galveston Daily News. 1920-11-06.
  65. ^ "Maulbetsch Named Oklahoma Mentor". The Atlanta Constitution. 1921-01-16.
  66. ^ a b c "Oklahoma State Cowboy Football 2006 Season: Year-By-Year Results" (PDF).[permanent dead link]
  67. ^ "Oklahoma Aggie Coach In Demand: Maulbetsch, Former Michigan Star, Wanted by Washington University – Bo McMillan Considered". Nebraska State Journal. 1924-12-26.
  68. ^ "Maulbetsch's Team To Play At Michigan: Yost Gives Complete Schedule at Kiwanis Dinner". Ironwood Daily Globe. 1925-12-09.
  69. ^ a b "Coach Punishes Football Squad For Fumbling". Iowa City Press-Citizen. 1926-10-28.
  70. ^ "Maulbetsch To Resign As Grid Mentor?". The Amarillo Globe. 1928-11-26.
  71. ^ "Maulbetsch To Resign-Rumor". The Galveston Daily News. 1928-11-26.
  72. ^ "Maulbetsch Denies Rumor That He Will Quit Job". The Ada Evening News. Oklahoma. 1928-11-26.
  73. ^ "For A Better Understanding". The Ada Evening News. 1928-12-03.
  74. ^ "Oklahoma Aggies Coach To Retire". Waterloo Evening Courier. 1929-05-21.
  75. ^ "A. & M. Athletic Director Goes To New College". The Amarillo Globe. 1929-07-15.
  76. ^ "Maulbetsch Having Success With Marshall This Season: New Coach At Huntington Has Lost Only One Game Since He Took Over Reins From Tallman; Strong Penn State Eleven Proved Too Much". Charleston Daily Mail. 1929-11-14.
  77. ^ "Ex-All-American Quits Marshall College". The Coshcocton Tribune. Ohio. 1931-01-16.
  78. ^ "Maulbetsch, Old M Great, Dies at 58". Detroit Free Press. September 15, 1950.
  79. ^ . University of Michigan & Host Interactive. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-27. Retrieved 2007-12-19.

External links edit

john, maulbetsch, john, frederick, maulbetsch, june, 1890, september, 1950, american, football, halfback, adrian, college, 1911, university, michigan, wolverines, from, 1914, 1916, also, member, college, football, hall, fame, maulbetsch, pictured, redskin, 192. John Frederick Maulbetsch June 20 1890 September 14 1950 was an All American football halfback at Adrian College in 1911 and for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1914 to 1916 He is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame John MaulbetschMaulbetsch pictured in The Redskin 1923 Oklahoma A amp M yearbookBiographical detailsBorn 1890 06 20 June 20 1890Ann Arbor Michigan U S DiedSeptember 14 1950 1950 09 14 aged 60 Ann Arbor Michigan U S Playing careerFootball1911Adrian1914 1916MichiganPosition s HalfbackCoaching career HC unless noted Football1917 1920Phillips1921 1928Oklahoma A amp M1929 1930MarshallBasketball1921 1929Oklahoma A amp MBaseball1922 1929Oklahoma A amp MHead coaching recordOverall61 52 11 football 75 75 basketball 61 59 baseball Accomplishments and honorsChampionshipsFootball 1 MVIAA 1926 AwardsConsensus All American 1914 College Football Hall of FameInducted in 1973 profile After playing with an independent football team in Ann Arbor and at Adrian College Maulbetsch became one of the most famous American football players in 1914 while playing for the University of Michigan Maulbetsch became known as the Human Bullet because of his unusual low line plunging style of play and was also known as the Featherweight Fullback because of his light weight and small size After his performance against Harvard in 1914 in which some reports indicated he gained more than 300 yards eastern writers including Damon Runyon wrote articles touting Maulbetsch Maulbetsch was also selected by Walter Camp to his All American team In 1915 Maulbetsch underwent surgery for appendicitis and did not perform to the same level as he had in 1914 He made a comeback as a senior in 1916 and was again one of the leading players in college football Between 1917 and 1920 Maulbetsch was the head football coach at Phillips University With Maulbetsch s name recognition he was able to recruit big name talent to Phillips including future Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Owen and future United States Olympic Committee President Doug Roby Maulbetsch quickly turned Phillips into one of the top programs in the southwest as his teams beat Oklahoma and Texas and lost only one game in the 1918 and 1919 seasons Maulbetsch was later the football coach at Oklahoma A amp M later known as Oklahoma State and Marshall College in the 1920s He has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the University of Michigan awards the John F Maulbetsch Award each year to a freshman football player based on desire character and capacity for leadership and future success both on and off the football field Contents 1 Ann Arbor High School and the Independents 2 College football player 2 1 Transfer from Adrian College 2 2 1914 season 2 3 1914 Harvard game 2 4 Human Bullet 2 5 Maulbetsch makes All American 2 6 Pie and coffee diet 2 7 1915 season 2 8 1916 comeback 3 Professional football 4 Head football coach 4 1 Building Phillips University into a football power 1917 1920 4 2 Head coach at Oklahoma A amp M 1921 1928 4 3 Head coach at Marshall College 1929 1930 5 Later years and legacy 6 Head coaching record 6 1 Football 6 2 Basketball 6 3 Baseball 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksAnn Arbor High School and the Independents editMaulbetsch was born and grew up in Ann Arbor Michigan He attended Ann Arbor High School where he led the football team to consecutive state championships in 1908 and 1909 1 One account of the 1908 playoffs noted Ann Arbor s smashing play in the first half was wholly due to Maulbetsch Ann Arbor s fullback and his terrific line bucking He clearly outshone his team mates 2 After graduating from high school Maulbetsch joined the Ann Arbor Independents a football team made up of Michigan varsity eligibles and townies Maulbetsch was once reportedly called upon to drive across the goal line for the Independents in a game in which a large crowd including a farmer with his plow horse gathered in the end zone Head down and legs working like piston rods Maulbetsch plowed ahead until head struck the plow horse amidships Down went the horse Mauly on top of him 3 College football player editTransfer from Adrian College edit Maulbetsch started his college football career at age 21 leading Adrian College to an 8 0 record in 1911 including a 15 0 win over the University of Michigan freshman team 4 5 Maulbetsch s performance drew the attention of Michigan Coach Fielding H Yost After watching Maulbetsch dominate Michigan s freshman team Yost concluded If I could get that kid into Michigan and keep him up in his studies I d make an All American place for him his first year 3 Yost persuaded Maulbetsch to transfer and he played with the scrubs in 1912 6 Yost told the press at the time he had another Willie Heston in Maulbetsch 6 1914 season edit Maulbetsch did not play for the varsity team until the fall of 1914 when he was 24 years old Before the season began Maulbetsch was touted as one of the fastest halfbacks who ever donned moleskins He weighs 155 pounds is built low has a powerful pair of shoulders and his dashes are characterized by lightning speed 7 Another pre season account said he was a wonder as a line plunger and a wizard in the open field 8 From the outset considerable attention was paid to his unusual running style Observers noted the peculiar manner in which he runs He has a corkscrew style of dashing and even when tackled squarely has such a sturdy pair of legs that his assailant is usually carried back several yards 7 The 1914 Michigan Wolverines football team opened the season with a 58 0 win over DePauw followed by a 69 0 victory over Case Maulbetsch was the offensive star against Case as he twice carried several would be tackles across the goal 9 Playing Vanderbilt the following week Maulbetsch had runs of 25 and 35 yards scored two touchdowns was worked overtime and probably advanced the pigskin more than any two other players 10 11 After starting the season 5 0 Michigan lost three of four games against top eastern schools Syracuse Harvard Penn and Cornell 1914 Harvard game edit Maulbetsch s breakthrough came on October 31 1914 in front of 30 000 fans at Harvard Stadium The game was one of the most anticipated matches of the year A special train brought Michigan fans to Cambridge Massachusetts and hundreds of Michigan alumni from the East were on hand as reinforcements 12 Though Harvard prevailed 7 0 Maulbetsch was the big story in papers across the country Writers from Ring Lardner to Damon Runyon told the story of Maulbetsch s performance Lardner said If anyone tells you the East plays the best brand of football Maulbetsch shot that theory full of holes 13 According to Runyon the Wolverines used the mighty Maulbetsch as their battering ram and he gained enough ground against Harvard to bury a German army corps 12 Football writer Frank G Menke said No westerner ever created half the stir in the east as did this Michigander His peculiar baffling style of attack backed by phenomenal strength almost always earned for him gains of 5 to 20 yards every time he was called upon to carry the ball 14 Another writer noted Maulbetsch s skill as a line breaker as he carried the ball repeatedly through the Harvard line and into the secondary defense with bullet like rushes that upset tackler after tackler 15 Maulbetsch was responsible for four fifths of Michigan s ground gains and on several occasions his dives reportedly had so much power that he dove right through a double line of crimson players and went sprawling on the ground twelve to twenty feet clear of the double line 16 While every report indicates that Maulbetsch had a big day the accounts vary dramatically as to exactly how many yards he gained Frank Menke reported after the game that Maulbetsch gained 300 yards 14 A 1938 newspaper account said he gained 350 yards from scrimmage 17 Yet his 1951 obituary indicated he gained 133 yards in 30 attempts 18 Despite Maulbetsch s efforts Michigan was never able to punch the ball across the goal line Many blamed Michigan s quarterback who switched to another back every time after Maulbetsch took the ball to the shadow of the Crimson goal posts 17 In answer to the question why Michigan was unable to score Frank Menke said Ask the fellow who quarterbacked for Michigan that day His actions were too mystifying for the spectators to figure out 14 When Harvard reneged on an agreement to play a game in Ann Arbor in 1915 sports writers concluded it was to avoid facing Maulbetsch again 19 Said one reporter When faih Hahvahd sic saw what Maulbetsch did in the first clash it decided it cared to see no more of him He was too rough 14 Human Bullet edit Much of the attention on Maulbetsch focused on his diminutive size and unique running style At 5 ft 7 in 1 70 m and 155 lb 70 kg Maulbetsch was a small back even by the standards of his day And his running style saw him bend his torso and propel himself like a projectile into the opposing line Indeed he won several nicknames based on his size running style and fighting spirit including the Human Bullet 20 Mauly the Human Shrapnel 14 the Featherweight Fullback 5 the Michigan Cannon Ball 21 and the German bullet Comparisons of Maulbetsch to military armaments were common In addition to the bullet shrapnel and cannonball nicknames the Syracuse Herald observed Standing up in front of a Krupp gun has its dangers but it is not to be compared with the dangers of standing in front of Maulbetsch when he is going full speed ahead 22 Maulbetsch s style was described as line plunging 16 A New York newspaper noted When the ball is snapped to him he almost doubles himself up and with his head aimed at the knees of the opposing line he dives head first Those who have seen Maulbetsch in action marvel at the great momentum he can get up in two or three steps 16 Noted football writer Walter Eckersall said Mauly is a little fellow being built close to the ground They say that when he plunges at the line his head is almost on a level with his shoe tops that he hits so low that it s well nigh impossible to stop him 23 An Iowa newspaper wondered how it was possible for a man to smash into a line of human bodies with the force that Maulbetsch does and come out of the game without a broken neck 24 Maulbetsch was said to run so low that he could dash under an ordinary table without losing his feet 25 At a coaching conference in the 1920s a coach doubted the table ducking story and challenged Maulbetsch The doubter later recalled I began ribbing him about this table ducking stuff and finally offered to bet him he couldn t do it Well we got a table up in a room Johnny tucked a water pitcher under his arm and backed against the wall Darned if he didn t do it the only thing that water pitcher broke in a million pieces 25 Asked about the incident Maulbetsch said it was true except one part Maulbetsch insisted there wasn t a nick on the pitcher 25 Maulbetsch makes All American edit After the loss to Harvard in 1914 Michigan rebounded with a 34 3 win over Penn Walter Eckersall reported that the Wolverines were led by the redoubtable Johnny Maulbetsch 26 Despite being a marked man by the Penn defense he was not thrown for a loss in the entire game and he scored three touchdowns 26 Before Michigan lost to Cornell in the final game of the season a scandal arose when it was revealed that the owner of an Ann Arbor pool room Joe Reinger had written a letter intimating that he could buy Maulbetsch and Michigan s quarterback to throw the Cornell game and win US 50 000 from students willing to bet on Michigan 27 The letter was turned in to the Michigan athletic officials and Reinger went to the athletic office to try to hush the matter up 27 Reinger became abusive and was thrown out of the office by Coach Yost 27 The incident caused the biggest stir of the season on the campus 27 as students demolished Reinger s pool room and police had to guard Reinger s residence against threatening demonstrations that continued to a late hour 27 Although Michigan did lose to Cornell Maulbetsch was said to be practically the only successful ground gainer for Michigan 28 Over the course of the 1914 season Maulbetsch was said to have scored about half of Michigan s 252 points 29 A Wisconsin newspaper noted that when it comes time to write a resume of the 1914 football season Maulbetsch s play will live in the minds of men for years to come 30 As a reward for his efforts Maulbetsch was named a first team All American at the end of the 1914 season 31 Pie and coffee diet edit As public attention focused on Maulbetsch as the greatest line plunger of a decade 32 the press could not get enough of Maulbetsch even interviewing his family His sister revealed that Maulbetsch had a fondness for home cooking and received permission from the team trainer to eat at his family s Ann Arbor home Now Johnny s sister explains that each day his mother baked two pies for the athlete s supper and that in addition he had everything else his appetite craved including coffee 32 33 34 Confronted by reporters about the revelation Maulbetsch replied The story was slightly exaggerated I rarely ate more than one and one half pies for dinner 35 Joking references to Maulbetsch s diet continued when it was reported in 1915 that he was suffering from acute indigestion 36 One reporter quipped Those much advertised pies of his maw s evidently aren t as great training dope as they were cracked up to be 36 It turned out that the indigestion was appendicitis and Maulbetsch was hospitalized at St Joseph s Sanitarium in Ann Arbor in April 1915 where he underwent an operation 37 1915 season edit As the 1915 season was set to get underway Coach Yost reported Johnny told me he was feeling fine when I saw him recently although he doesn t weigh as much as he used to 38 Despite Yost s hopes Maulbetsch fell far short of the prior year s performance in 1915 He was several pounds lighter after the illness and surgery and it was noted that a few pounds means much to a man of Maulbetsch s weight 39 In the opening game against Lawrence Maulbetsch scored three touchdowns but he was woefully weak on interference 40 Playing against Mount Union Maulbetsch made several big gains including a 50 yard touchdown run in the third quarter 41 His difficulties returned in the season s third game against Marietta as Maulbetsch was powerless to stop the Marietta forward pass all of the successful ones being directed toward his side of the line 42 After The Michigan Daily criticized his performance following the Marietta game Maulbetsch threatened to desert the Michigan squad and give up football for good 43 It reportedly took Yost several hours to coax Maulbetsch to report for practice again 44 and in the next game against Case Maulbetsch did not play until the third quarter 45 In the season s first big game Michigan was soundly beaten by Michigan Agricultural College 24 0 and most of Maulbetsch s runs didn t even get as far as his own line 46 In the final four games of the season matters got worse for Michigan and Maulbetsch as the team went 0 3 1 scoring only 14 points in four games In Maulbetsch s defense some writers noted the weakness of the Michigan line often allowing rushers into the backfield before Maulbetsch even had the ball But some of those same observers noted that Mauly was not carrying the ball at his usual pace 47 Sports writer Frank Menke described Maulbetsch s 1915 performance this way The Wolverine halfback skidded from the heights of greatness to the level of mediocre The lines that he had crumpled like eggshells a year before stood up under his charges often dumping him back for losses The once unstoppable Maulbetsch not only was stopped but forced to retract 14 Despite the subpar performance in 1915 Michigan s varsity letter winners elected him captain of the team for 1916 48 1916 comeback edit Maulbetsch made a strong comeback in 1916 Instead of spending the summer recovering from appendicitis he spent the summer working as an assistant barkeeper on a steamship plying between Chicago and St Joseph Michigan Maulbetsch spent his afternoons swimming and running sprints up and down the beach 49 On one trip a giant coal passer claimed to be the strongest man in the world and Maulbetsch agreed to a wrestling match on the boat The coal passer rushed the stripling who ducked caught his opponent about the waist and crushed him to the deck When the giant woke he wanted to know if the boat hit a rock 50 As the season started The New York Times wrote Michigan s come back football team headed by Bullet Maulbetsch is going to be an eleven to be reckoned with on the gridiron this Fall 51 Maulbetsch returned to his prior form and one of the writers who had criticized him in 1915 said the great Michigander using the same method of attack has repeatedly broken in fragments this year the lines that he couldn t dent in 1915 14 Professional football editAfter the 1916 football season ended Maulbetsch considered his options There was a report that he had been engaged as a high school football coach and math instructor in Toledo Ohio 51 Even more prevalent were reports that he had signed to play for a professional football team Professional football was still in its infancy in 1917 and landing a well known star would have been a boost to any of the budding franchises In January 1917 newspapers reported that Maulbetsch had signed a contract to play professional football for Detroit Tigers owner Frank Navin Navin was supporting efforts to organize a professional football league in all the important Midwestern cities including a Detroit franchise to play at Navin Field 52 53 As late as November 1917 newspapers reported Maulbetsch had played professional football after graduating and was offered a handsome fee to play with the Akron Burkhardts in November 1917 54 Although professional football records prior to 1920 are scarce it appears unlikely that Maulbetsch played professional football as press accounts show he was working as a college football coach starting in 1917 55 Head football coach editBuilding Phillips University into a football power 1917 1920 edit In June 1917 Maulbetsch announced that he had accepted a position as the football coach and professor of chemistry at Phillips University in Enid Oklahoma 56 Phillips was a small private school without a well known athletic program In the fall Enid residents were leaving their work every afternoon to watch Maulbetsch and his husky young Oklahoma youths work out on campus 55 Within a year Maulbetsch turned Phillips into one of the strongest teams in the southwest 57 Maulbetsch landed his first big recruit before leaving Ann Arbor While playing at Michigan Maulbetsch became friends with Doug Roby a football player at the Michigan Military Academy and one of the state s top recruits 1 Roby followed Maulbetsch to Phillips and later went on to become a member of the International Olympic Committee in the 1950s and 1960s and president of the United States Olympic Committee from 1965 to 1968 1 Maulbetsch s next find was future Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Owen who later spent 23 years with the New York Giants Maulbetsch saw Owen watching football practice from under a tree and told him A fellow your size ought to be out for the squad Owen showed up the next day and when Maulbetsch used him to illustrate blocking fundamentals Owen threw a block into Maulbetsch that threw him five yards through the air Maulbetsch was satisfied and Owen had a spot on the team 58 Because Phillips was not part of a conference it was not subject to any eligibility limitations an advantage Maulbetsch was accused of exploiting A third key player recruited by Maulbetsch was a Native American halfback named Levi and dubbed Big Chief by Phillips fans 59 Having recruited top talent to Enid Maulbetsch s teams lost only one game in 1918 and 1919 including a 10 0 1 record in 1919 1 In 1917 and 1918 Phillips came into the limelight when they beat the Oklahoma Sooners and the Henry Kendricks College team that had swept the west without allowing another team to score 60 Maulbetsch arranged a game against the Texas Longhorns in 1919 the first meeting between the schools When the game was announced The San Antonio Light reported Phillips University has one of the strongest teams in the Southwest The only team to beat them in the past two years is Oklahoma and last year Phillips beat the Sooners 13 7 57 The report credited Maulbetsch for securing success at an institution little known in athletics before he arrived 57 The University of Texas had not lost a game since 1917 when the Phillips Haymakers arrived in Austin Texas on October 11 1919 Maulbetsch s team shocked the Longhorns holding them scoreless and winning the contest 10 0 61 One Texas newspaper reported that Phillips had whitewashed the Longhorns in their own corral 62 Others in Texas concluded that Phillips success was the result of lax or non existent eligibility policies 63 The lack of eligibility rules almost certainly did play a part in Phillips success When Phillips joined the Southwest Conference in 1920 it became bound by the conference s eligibility rules and the team was outscored 97 0 in conference play against Texas A amp M 47 0 Texas 27 0 Arkansas 20 0 and Texas Christian 3 0 The Galveston Daily News noted that Maulbetsch s 1920 team could not compare with the strong team he surprised Texas with in 1919 64 At the end of the 1920 season Phillips withdrew from the Southwest Conference and Maulbetsch accepted a new position at Oklahoma A amp M Head coach at Oklahoma A amp M 1921 1928 edit In January 1921 Maulbetsch was hired as the head coach at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College now Oklahoma State University in Stillwater Oklahoma 65 He served as the coach at Oklahoma A amp M from 1921 to 1928 where his teams posted a 28 37 6 437 record 66 In 1924 his team went 6 1 2 and shut out Oklahoma 6 0 Arkansas 20 0 and Kansas 3 0 66 Maulbetsch s Aggies also shut out Phillips that year 13 0 66 After the season attempts were made to lure him to Washington University in St Louis Missouri but Maulbetsch said he was satisfied with his position in Stillwater 67 Maulbetsch arranged a game in Ann Arbor against his alma mater to start the 1926 season 68 Michigan beat the Aggies 42 3 Despite an overall record of 3 4 1 Oklahoma A amp M won its first conference football championship by going 3 0 1 in games against Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponents Maulbetsch also drew attention in 1926 for his disciplinary methods When the team lost two games due to fumbles he ordered eight of his backfield players to carry footballs with them to classes throughout the week and instructed other team members to try knocking the balls from under their arms The penalty for losing a ball was a hard run around the stadium 69 He also ordered one of his ends to wear boxing gloves after he poked an opposing player in the eye 69 The Aggies won only one game against seven defeats in 1928 In late November the day after a 46 0 loss to Oklahoma newspapers reported that reliable sources had said Maulbetsch intended to resign 70 71 Maulbetsch immediately denied the rumor saying I have not resigned I am aware that a faction here is trying to get me out but I do not intend to throw up the sponge 72 In December pressure to fire Maulbetsch grew and one Oklahoma newspaper observed Coach Maulbetsch of the A amp M football team is the object of attacks from many sides because of the rather poor showing made by his team during the past season They are looking for a goat and just now Johnnie is cast in that role Regardless of his past record those who demand victory at any price and by any means whatsoever are insisting that he be fired forthwith and a man be placed in the position who by fair means or foul will gather in a team that will win victories and never lose a game 73 Ultimately Maulbetsch resigned at the end of May 1929 as Oklahoma A amp M s coach in football baseball and basketball It was announced that he would spend the remaining year of his contract on a leave of absence at half pay 74 Head coach at Marshall College 1929 1930 edit In July 1929 Maulbetsch was hired by Marshall College in Huntington West Virginia to become head coach in charge of football and track 75 When Marshall s Thundering Herd got off to a 4 1 start Maulbetsch won praise in the West Virginia press 76 but Marshall finished the season 1 2 1 in the second half And in 1930 the Marshall team went 3 5 1 including a 65 0 loss to Penn State Maulbetsch resigned as Marshall s coach in January 1931 his only comment at the time was that he had other plans 77 Later years and legacy edit nbsp Maulbetsch Ave street signAfter retiring from football Maulbetsch bought a drug store in Huntington West Virginia During World War II Maulbetsch took a job building B 24 Liberator bombers at Ford Motor Company s famed Willow Run Plant near Ypsilanti Michigan From 1946 until his death he owned an automobile sales company in Adrian Michigan 18 Maulbetsch died of cancer in 1950 at his home in Ann Arbor 78 He was survived by his widow Ida a son John Maulbetsch and a daughter Barbara 18 Maulbetsch had been married to Ida maiden name Ida Elizabeth Cappon since May 27 1917 Maulbetsch was inducted posthumously into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973 5 Since 1956 the John F Maulbetsch Award has been given at the University of Michigan after spring practice to a freshman football candidate on the basis of desire character capacity for leadership and future success both on and off the football field The award was established by Frederick C Matthaei a former classmate of Maulbetsch who went on to become a Regent of the University 79 The award has been a good indicator of future success as past recipients include Jim Mandich 1967 Rick Leach 1976 Charles Woodson 1996 Marlin Jackson 2002 and Jake Long 2004 Maulbetsch Avenue in Ypsilanti Township is presumably named after Maulbetsch Head coaching record editFootball edit Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl playoffsPhillips Haymakers Independent 1917 1919 1917 Phillips 8 11918 Phillips 4 21919 Phillips 10 0 1Phillips Haymakers Southwest Conference 1920 1920 Phillips 4 4 2 0 3 T 7thPhillips 26 7 3 0 3Oklahoma A amp M Aggies Cowboys Southwest Conference 1921 1924 1921 Oklahoma A amp M 5 4 1 1 1 T 4th1922 Oklahoma A amp M 4 4 1 2 3 5th1923 Oklahoma A amp M 2 8 1 3 6th1924 Oklahoma A amp M 6 1 2 1 1 1 T 3rdOklahoma A amp M Cowboys Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association 1925 1927 1925 Oklahoma A amp M 2 5 1 0 3 1 10th1926 Oklahoma A amp M 3 4 1 3 0 1 1st1927 Oklahoma A amp M 4 4 2 1 3rdOklahoma A amp M Cowboys Missouri Valley Conference 1928 1928 Oklahoma A amp M 1 7 0 1 T 4thOklahoma A amp M 27 37 6 10 13 3Marshall Thundering Herd West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1929 1930 1929 Marshall 5 3 1 4 1 T 4th1930 Marshall 3 5 1 3 0 1 T 2ndMarshall 8 8 2 7 1 1Total 61 52 11 National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berthBasketball edit Statistics overview Season Team Overall Conference Standing PostseasonOklahoma A amp M Aggies Southwest Conference 1921 1925 1921 22 Oklahoma A amp M 5 16 1 4 5th1922 23 Oklahoma A amp M 12 11 7 8 T 3rd1922 23 Oklahoma A amp M 14 6 9 5 3rd1924 25 Oklahoma A amp M 15 3 12 2 1stOklahoma A amp M Aggies Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association 1925 1928 1925 26 Oklahoma A amp M 9 9 5 6 8th1926 27 Oklahoma A amp M 8 9 6 6 T 5th1927 28 Oklahoma A amp M 11 8 11 7 3rdOklahoma A amp M Aggies Missouri Valley Conference 1928 1929 1928 29 Oklahoma A amp M 1 14 0 4 4thOklahoma A amp M 75 75 500 51 42 548 Total 75 75 500 National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament championBaseball edit Statistics overview Season Team Overall Conference Standing PostseasonOklahoma A amp M Aggies Cowboys 1922 1929 1922 Oklahoma A amp M 8 71923 Oklahoma A amp M 8 61924 Oklahoma A amp M 10 81925 Oklahoma A amp M 6 81926 Oklahoma A amp M 6 91927 Oklahoma A amp M 6 101928 Oklahoma A amp M 12 41929 Oklahoma A amp M 5 7Oklahoma A amp M 61 59Total 61 59 National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament championSee also editList of Michigan Wolverines football All AmericansReferences edit a b c d Madej Bruce 1997 Michigan Champions of the West p 39 Sport Publishing Ann Arbor Defeats DC The News Palladium Benton Harbor Mich 1908 11 14 a b Maulbetsch A Natural Player The Lincoln Daily Star 1915 01 10 Adrian College Football Game by Game Results Adrian College Archived from the original on 2008 05 17 Retrieved 2007 12 19 a b c Johnny Maulbetsch College Football Hall of Fame Retrieved 2007 12 19 a b Football Notes The Janesville Daily Gazette Wisconsin 1912 10 30 a b We ll Meet Em At the Cross Roads Says Hurry Up Yost The Galveston Daily News 1914 08 30 Results on the Gridiron Michigan 69 Case 0 The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette 1914 10 04 Western Football To Get Stiff Test When Michigan Meets Four Eastern Teams The Fort Wayne Sentinel 1914 09 22 Vanderbilt Shows Splendid Fight The Atlanta Constitution 1914 10 11 Michigan Wins From Vanderbilt In Mud The Galveston Daily News 1914 10 11 a b Runyon Damon 1914 11 01 Harvard Noses Out Michigan In Fast Game The San Antonio Light John Maulbetsch The Regents of the University of Michigan Retrieved 2007 12 19 a b c d e f g Menke Frank G 1916 11 08 Maulbetsch will come into his own this year The Times Democrat Lima Ohio Harvard Defeats Michigan 7 to 0 The Indianapolis Star 1914 11 01 a b c Maulbetsch Michigan Halfback Line Plunging Sensation of Season Equal of Human Bullet Has Not Been Seen In East For Ten Years Credited With Four Fifths of Gains Against Harvard Hits Line Low The Olean Evening Herald N Y 1915 11 29 a b Do You Know Answers Lowell Sun 1938 09 03 a b c Johnny Maulbetsch All Time Michigan Football Great Dies East Liverpool Review Ohio 1950 09 15 Harvard Is Panned Portsmouth Daily Times 1914 12 31 Maulbetsch Johnny 1916 09 26 Human Bullet Tells How To Play Football The Fort Wayne Sentinel Michigan Cannon Ball Plays Piano Maulbetsch of Gridiron Fame Learning Mysteries of Pianoforte so as to Dumfound his Enemies New Castle News 1916 02 26 Menke Frank G 1914 12 16 Hot Liners Syracuse Herald Eckersall Walter 1914 12 18 Prettiest Play on An Eastern Gridiron LeGrand Reporter Iowa Maulbetsch Grid Wonder of Season Cedar Rapids Republican 1914 11 29 a b c Sport News from the University of Michigan The Bessemer Herald Michigan 1950 09 28 a b Eckersall Walter 1914 11 08 Pennsylvania Crumbles Before Yost s Shifty Michigan Team Johnnie Maulbetsch Leads Fighting Attack on Easterners and Wolverines Score Clean Cut Victory 34 to 3 The Indianapolis Star a b c d e Michigan Students Revenge Insults Xenia Daily Gazette Ohio 1914 11 11 Cornell 28 Michigan 13 Waterloo Times Tribune 1914 11 15 Frank G Menke 1914 12 22 Michigan s Queer Season Lost More Games Than Ever Before Fort Wayne News Maulbetsch Marvelous Michigan Player Racine Journal News 1914 11 14 Walter Camp Football Foundation All Americans Archived from the original on 2007 12 27 a b Some Fodder Maulbetsch Played Football on a Pie Diet The Fort Wayne News 1914 11 28 Maulbetsch Trains on Pie and Cake Bismarck Daily Tribune 1914 11 18 Horrors Maulbetsch Ate Pie in Training Syracuse Herald 1914 11 18 Maulbetsch Spikes Rumor The McKean Democrat Pennsylvania 1915 01 28 a b untitled article page 6 column 1 Janesville Daily Gazette 1915 04 19 Maulbetsch Out of Hospital After Operation Wisconsin State Journal 1915 04 28 Hurry Up Yost Is Out With Bear Story Five Stars Upon Whom He Was Depending Have Scholastic Deficiencies Mansfield News Ohio 1915 08 17 Michigan s Football Player Operated On The Ogden Standard 1916 08 26 Lawrence Holds Michigan Better Wolverines Put Up A Ragged Game and Methodists Are Able To Hold Them To 39 0 Score Racine Journal News 1915 10 07 Mount Union Loses Finds Michigan Much Improved Team Losing Game 35 to 0 The Sandusky Register 1915 10 10 Marietta Scores on Michigan in 28 6 Game The Evening Gazette Cedar Rapids Iowa 1915 10 14 Maulbetsch Threatens To Quit Wolverines Racine Journal News 1915 10 16 Punts and Passes Syracuse Herald 1915 10 22 Michigan 14 Case 3 Cedar Rapids Republican 1915 10 17 Michigan Aggies Whip Wolverines The Lincoln Daily Star 1915 10 24 Wolverines Expect To Defeat Cornell After Only Mediocre Season Michigan May Show Real Form in Big Game The Lincoln Daily Star 1915 10 24 Maulbetsch Is Honored The Indianapolis Star 1915 11 25 Mauly Trains As Barkeep On Boat Des Moines Daily News 1915 07 30 Johnny Maulbetsch Trains On Great Lake Vessel Janesville Daily Gazette Wisconsin 1916 09 29 a b Michigan Gains Strength Yost s Eleven with Capt Maulbetsch Is Striving for Supremacy The New York Times 1916 10 02 Maulbetsch To Be A Pro Syracuse Herald 1916 10 02 Pro Football Big Factor in 1917 Racine Journal News 1917 01 06 Maulbetsch in Toledo Portsmouth Daily Times Ohio 1917 02 27 a b Maulbetsch Makes Big Hit Maurice Times Iowa September 1917 Maulbetsch Is Married Syracuse Herald 1917 06 29 a b c Longhorns to Play Phillips Uni October 11th San Antonio Evening News 1919 09 13 Baillie Scott 1951 09 30 Grid Old Timer Steve Owen OK s Modern Methods Mass Substitution Wide Open Play Beautiful Nevada State Journal Longhorns Play Phillips Today San Antonio Express 1922 10 07 A New Fore in Football Texas University Will Meet Phillips University in Austin Corsicana Daily 1919 10 10 Texas Unable to Score Bows to Haymakers Phillips University Blanks Longhorns on Muddy Field 10 to 0 San Antonio Light 1919 10 12 College Elevens Busy Today The Galveston Daily News 1919 11 08 Texas Sooner Game Decisive In Conference San Antonio Light 1919 10 17 Longhorns Defeat Phillips College Visitors Are Outclassed In Every Department Of Game The Galveston Daily News 1920 11 06 Maulbetsch Named Oklahoma Mentor The Atlanta Constitution 1921 01 16 a b c Oklahoma State Cowboy Football 2006 Season Year By Year Results PDF permanent dead link Oklahoma Aggie Coach In Demand Maulbetsch Former Michigan Star Wanted by Washington University Bo McMillan Considered Nebraska State Journal 1924 12 26 Maulbetsch s Team To Play At Michigan Yost Gives Complete Schedule at Kiwanis Dinner Ironwood Daily Globe 1925 12 09 a b Coach Punishes Football Squad For Fumbling Iowa City Press Citizen 1926 10 28 Maulbetsch To Resign As Grid Mentor The Amarillo Globe 1928 11 26 Maulbetsch To Resign Rumor The Galveston Daily News 1928 11 26 Maulbetsch Denies Rumor That He Will Quit Job The Ada Evening News Oklahoma 1928 11 26 For A Better Understanding The Ada Evening News 1928 12 03 Oklahoma Aggies Coach To Retire Waterloo Evening Courier 1929 05 21 A amp M Athletic Director Goes To New College The Amarillo Globe 1929 07 15 Maulbetsch Having Success With Marshall This Season New Coach At Huntington Has Lost Only One Game Since He Took Over Reins From Tallman Strong Penn State Eleven Proved Too Much Charleston Daily Mail 1929 11 14 Ex All American Quits Marshall College The Coshcocton Tribune Ohio 1931 01 16 Maulbetsch Old M Great Dies at 58 Detroit Free Press September 15 1950 John F Maulbetsch Award University of Michigan amp Host Interactive 2007 Archived from the original on 2007 12 27 Retrieved 2007 12 19 External links editProfile at Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan Athletics History John Maulbetsch at the College Football Hall of Fame John Maulbetsch at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Maulbetsch amp oldid 1217661834, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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