By Darin The Committee met again on November 14, 1889 but resolved nothing, and the divide between the two sides grew wider. This made 1890 a pivotal year for resolving these issues and advancing new innovations in American football.
Deep Dive into 1890 Football History and Highlights
- May 3, 1890 – Ohio State University played its first-ever football game against Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, with the Buckeyes winning 20-14.
- May 10, 1890 – The Rules Committee convened for a look at amending gridiron rules for the upcoming 1890 season. Harvard withdrew from the Association once again. The new rule provided kick-catching protections, injury substitution, and prevented disqualified players from re-entering the game.
- October 2, 1890 – The University of Illinois’ first game was a 16-0 loss to Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington. IL.
- October 20, 1890 – The Missouri Tigers played their first-ever football game, a 22-6 win over a local picked-up football team.
- November 15, 1890 – Colorado Buffaloes’ first football game ever, as they lost the contest to the Denver Athletic Club 20-0.
- On November 22, 1890, Kansas hosted its first-ever college football game, in which the Baker Methodists defeated the Kansas Jayhawks, 22–9. It was the 1st game college game officially played in the state of Kansas.
- November 27, 1890 – In the inaugural college football game held in the state of Tennessee, the Vanderbilt Commodores delivered a dominant 40–0 shutout victory over Nashville (Peabody Normal School).
- November 27, 1890 – The University of Nebraska played its first-ever football game on Thanksgiving Day in a win over the Omaha YMCA team, 18-0. The game was played on lot that had been logged out the year before by civil engineering students, and was attended by several hundred spectators.
- November 29, 1890 – The first official Army-Navy football game was played at West Point, NY, where the US Naval Academy (Navy) defeated the US Military Academy (Army) 24-0.
A Convention takes place in the Committee session on 10 May 1890
The Association hierarchy, sensing the stalemate the Committee had reached in its previous two sessions, decided to hold a convention in early May rather than another Committee meeting. The convention began with an uproar as a letter from Harvard was delivered to the delegation, announcing its withdrawal from the Association. This news did not keep the convention from making progress, though, as they did incorporate some rule changes.
The first change was quite interesting, as it introduced two concepts that we carry in today’s rules. The Association adopted a rule revision in which the catcher of a kick that was fair caught would be protected via a 5-yard penalty against any opponent who would hit him after the fair catch was signaled. If the catch was within five yards of the goal line, then the ball would be moved half the distance towards the goal line. Thus, the first inkling of a half the distance penalty was created, as well as fair catch protection.
Other rules amended included those regarding injured players who left the game and disqualified players who were unable to enter the contest. Another new rule somewhat contradicted the earlier rule establishing a half-distance penalty, stating that offside penalties against a team inside its opponent’s five-yard line would result in a touchback for the opposition.
Football was now entering its second decade, looking very different from when it started. As the sport evolved, it began facing significant controversy and turmoil within its ranks. Whether the Fathers of football knew it or not, even bigger changes and obstacles awaited them in the new decade. Stay tuned right here on PigskinDispatch.com, your source for positive stories about football.
1890 Season Highlights
The negative news of football was very abundant in 1890, but there were also some positive aspects. Yale had a very good athlete on their team that year named W. W. Heffelfinger. Heffelfinger was a giant among his fellow players, and he possessed agility and quickness to go with his size. Yale used his talents very well in 1890 as they developed a system that hedged on W.W.’s skills.
The Blue positioned Heffelfinger as a lineman and then, at the snap, would pull him off of his normal blocking assignment to run him around an end and block out in front of the ball carrier. This is the first time in recorded football annals that the pulling guard technique was used. Heffelfinger was well known not only for his size, but also for always wearing a white bandage around his head to protect his ears. He was also known as a motivator to his teammates. This uncanny drive in Heffelfinger is very evident in some of the tactics he became famous for. There were many times when Heffelfinger would block an opponent and, at the same time, reach back and grab his teammate with the ball, literally pulling him through the hole! This is captured in the first photograph attached to this article. If you look closely at this photograph from a Yale practice in 1890, you can find Heffelfinger with his arm outstretched to the right of the big tree in the middle of the picture.
The technique of blocking was not called that per se during this period of football; it was referred to as running interference. Remember, the offensive players could not use their hands or arms to run interference for the runner, only their bodies. This would be difficult to do, and in reality, the offensive interference would use their hands and arms because it was also difficult for the two officials to see their illegal activity amid the mass of human flesh on the rush line.
Harvard Tops All Teams
Dominating the gridiron in 1890, the Harvard Crimson finished a flawless 11–0 season by obliterating their competition with a staggering 555 to 12 scoring margin. This powerhouse performance earned them a consensus national championship title, validated by major selectors including the Helms Athletic Foundation, Billingsley Report, and Parke H. Davis.
Key Season Stats
| Metric | Performance |
| Record | 11–0 (Undefeated) |
| Total Points Scored | 555 |
| Total Points Allowed | 12 |
| Average Margin of Victory | ~49.4 Points |
Letting their hair down
Another aspect of football in 1890 was the adoption of many players to start growing their hair long. The players stated they did this for protection during games, but this was almost a running joke because of how much protection could hair four to five inches long give? It was more of a fashion statement by the men who played the game, showing they belonged to a special group: those brave enough to play the rough game of football. The rest of the very conservative world looked on in disbelief as men of the time kept their hair very short and neatly groomed.
Other positives of 1890: the First Army Vs. Navy Game
Another football tradition that is still carried on to this day was started in 1890. That was the first year West Point Academy played Annapolis Naval Academy in a competitive football game, which went down in history as the original Army-Navy game.
Minnesota and Wisconsin Universities also began football traditions that year, each fielding a team and playing each other. Could this be the start of the Big Ten Conference minus the other nine teams? One of those other nine, Iowa, also started a football program in 1890, but joined a league called the Western Intercollegiate Football Association. Other newcomers to football that year that formed the Western league were Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. This explosion of growth saw many graduates of the eastern schools going west. It was reported that 45 former Yale players, 35 from Princeton, and 24 from Harvard actively moved west and south to teach the game to others around the country! Is there any wonder why the football fever swept the country so rapidly?
Conclusion
Football was spreading quickly, and ingenious minds were developing new concepts and strategies to gain an edge over opponents. The challenge was now really on those of the rule makers to keep up with the other aspects of the game. Please look back soon for Part 14 of this series to see how they dealt with the issues. Right here on PigskinDispatch.com, your place for the good news about football.
We can provide this in-depth look into history from so long ago through careful research. Using someone who was contemporary to the period is the best source. So, a very special shout-out to our main source of reference for this article: Parke H. Davis, in his 1911 book, Football-The American Intercollegiate Game.
