By Darin 
Did you know that long before Red Grange captivated the nation, another Midwest athlete defined football greatness, not only as a player but as a central figure in the sport’s survival and growth? That figure is Walter Eckersall, affectionately known as “Eckie,” a true Chicago legend whose influence stretched across collegiate athletic fields, into the crucial development of the forward pass, and ultimately onto the burgeoning sports pages of America. His remarkable, multi-faceted career at the turn of the 20th century makes him one of the most significant, yet often forgotten heroes of American football history.
In our feature interview we talk with Eckersall Biographer Chris Serb.
Here is our Amazon Associate link to Chris Serb’s book “Eckie,” which gets you the book and provides a slight commission to Pigskin Dispatch operating costs to help the consumer, author, and the Pig Pen! Win, Win, Win!
Eckersall’s Impact: From Star Quarterback to Sports Journalist
Eckersall’s story, as illuminated in Chris Serb’s biography Ecky: Walter Eckersall and the Rise of Chicago Sports, begins with him being the first schoolboy superstar in Chicago sports. A three-sport champion in high school, Eckersall arrived at the University of Chicago in 1903, where he quickly became the face of the Maroons program, then coached by the great innovator Amos Alonzo Stagg.
Though slight in stature (he weighed about 140 pounds as a senior and notoriously played without a helmet), Eckersall’s blazing speed and hard-hitting style made him a phenomenon. As the quarterback—a position that then primarily involved calling and running plays—he led the Maroons to their greatest height: the 1905 national championship and a legendary 2-0 victory over Fielding Yost’s dominant Michigan “Point-a-Minute” team, snapping their 56-game unbeaten streak. This historic win, achieved during an era when the sport faced severe scrutiny and calls for abolition due to injuries, validated Midwestern football and was a pivotal moment in the game’s evolution. Eckersall earned the rare distinction of being a three-time First-Team All-American, the first from the Midwest outside of the traditional Eastern “Big Three” schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton) and the last until Red Grange over two decades later.
A Man of Two Hats: Official and Writer
Eckersall’s influence didn’t stop on the playing field. After his collegiate career ended in 1906, he transitioned into the burgeoning world of sports journalism, becoming the premier sports writer for the Chicago Tribune for over 20 years. He was widely syndicated, making him the “lens through which Chicagoans, and by extension the country, came to understand their sports.”
Amazingly, Eckersall pulled double duty: he was also one of the country’s best-known football officials from 1907 until his death in 1930, officiating major contests like the legendary Four Horsemen game and five different Rose Bowls. Though officiating and writing about the same game today would be scandalous, it was common then and gave Eckersall a unique, in-depth perspective that made his writing invaluable to readers eager for insight into the game. His career perfectly bridges the gap between the brutal, pre-reform era of football and the recognizable, modern sport we celebrate today.
Football Accolades and Accomplishments:
- National Champion (1905, University of Chicago).
- Big Nine (Big Ten) Champion (1905, University of Chicago).
- Three-Time First-Team All-American (Quarterback, University of Chicago).
- Pioneer of Midwest Football Excellence, breaking the East Coast’s All-American monopoly.
- Prominent Official in high-profile college football games, including five Rose Bowls.
- Premier Sports Writer for the Chicago Tribune, syndicated nationally.
You can learn more about Walter Eckersall from our 2024 chat with Football Archaeology’s Timothy Brown: