Yale's 1901 Bicentennial Team, The Most Accomplished Team Ever?

It's common to see writers and panels name all-time football teams that ignore those who did not play in the last 50 years. While acknowledging the difficulty of comparing players across eras, folks ought to occasionally give it the old college try.

Today's Tidbit flips the script by reviewing an old-time team that might have been the most accomplished ever to take the field. Among the twenty-two players suited up that day were eight Yale captains, seven College Football Hall of Fame members, and fifteen consensus All-Americans, including two four-time All-Americans. The All-American numbers do not count two College Football Hall of Famers whose careers preceded Caspar Whitney naming the first All-American team in 1889.

That team gathered on the occasion of Yale’s bicentennial celebration in October 1901 when the school turned its attention from more scholarly pursuits to enjoy a Wednesday afternoon football doubleheader. The early game was unremarkable, as Yale's varsity defeated Bates 21-0 before 10,000 fans. The nightcap, however, was something to behold, as the collection of Yale alums beat the varsity second team 12-0 in a game featuring 10-minute halves.

While one Yale alum in the game, Pudge Heffelfinger, is recognized as the first professional football player, pro football was in its infancy in 1901. So, most alums who took the field that day had not donned the cleats for some time other than in a coaching capacity. Some were out of shape, but they represented one of the finest collections of football talent ever assembled on one team. Plus, they beat a handful of strapping young lads.

According to New Haven's Morning Journal-Courier, twenty-two alumni took the field at one point or another, including a brief appearance by 42-year-old Walter Camp. The players wore uniforms from their playing days, though Camp added a modern helmet when he kicked off. He left the game after that play.

The photograph below identifies 27 former Yale players but does not include everyone who played in the game, according to the newspaper box score. The image includes a few who did not take the field.

(Image from Harper's Weekly, November 2, 1901. Names sourced from Archives at Yale)

Below is a list of the alumni players (with Wikipedia links when available) and their key football accomplishments at Yale.

Left End

Frank Hinkey (not pictured)

• Four-time consensus All-American, 1891-1894

• Captain, 1893, 1894

• College Football Hall of Fame

George Hubbell

• Team member, 1898-1899

Left Tackle

Fred Murphy

• Second team All-American, 1893, 1894

• Consensus All-American, 1895, 1896

Clarence Fincke (not pictured)

• Consensus All-American,1896,

• Captain, 1895

Left Guard

Gordon Brown

• Four-time Consensus All-American, 1897-1900

• Captain, 1900

• College Football Hall of Fame

Orville "Bill" Hickock

• Consensus All-American, 1893-1894

• College Football Hall of Fame

Center

William "Pa" Corbin

• Captain, 1889

• College Football Hall of Fame

Harry Cross

• Second Team All-American, 1895

George Barton Cutten

• Team member, 1898

Right Guard

William "Pudge" Heffelfinger

• Three-time Consensus All-American, 1899-1891

• College Football Hall of Fame

Right Tackle

Burr Chamberlain

• All-American, 1896

• Consensus All-American, 1897-1898

Right End

Josh Hartwell

• Second Team All-American, 1889

• Consensus All-American, 1891

John Hall

• Consensus All-American, 1897

Quarterback

Morris Ely

• Team member, 1895-1898

Left Halfback

Walter Camp

• Team member, 1876-1881

• Captain, 1878

• College Football Hall of Fame

• The Father of Football

Samuel Brink Thorne

• Second Team All-American, 1893, 1894

• Consensus All-American, 1895

• Captain, 1895

Albert Sharpe

• Consensus All-American, 1899

• Third-team All-American, 1900

Right Halfback

Thomas L "Bum" McClung

• Consensus All-American, 1890-1891

• Captain, 1891

• College Football Hall of Fame

Harmon S. Graves (not pictured)

• Team member, 1889, 1891-1892

Fullback

Perry Hale

• Consensus All-American, 1900

Vance McCormick

• First team All-American, 1892

• Captain, 1892

Frank Butterworth

• Consensus All-American, 1893, 1894

• Captain, 1892

For my money, that is as good a crop of players as I’ve seen and likely the greatest aggregation ever. Let me know if a more accomplished team ever stepped onto the gridiron.

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