Discover the incredible legacy of George Pfann, the legendary Cornell quarterback who never lost a college game before becoming a Rhodes Scholar and serving on General Patton’s staff in World War II.
Football Bio
October 6, 1902 – George Pfann, a legendary quarterback from Cornell University, was born.
How many college quarterbacks in college history can claim that they were never beaten and never tied?
According to the National Football Foundation’s website, not many have, but George Pfann did.
Pfann, along with Big Red backfield mate and Hall of Famer Eddie Kaw, helped Cornell dispatch every opposing team they faced in the 1921 through 1923 seasons.
The Cornell teams of this period outscored opponents by a whopping margin of 1051-81!
The box scores showed finals such as 110-0, 55-0, 59-0, and even more lopsided contests.
During the 1923 season, George scored 15 touchdowns in just 8 games!
After graduating from Cornell, Pfann became a Rhodes Scholar by completing additional studies at Oxford University in England, and then returned to the United States to coach briefly at Cornell and Swarthmore College.
He also served as a U.S. Attorney in New York State and, during World War II, was on the staff of General George S. Patton as a lieutenant colonel!
The National Football Foundation enshrined him in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1957. [National Football Foundation]
George Pfann cemented his legacy as a peerless college football champion, a dedicated scholar, and a decorated military hero who achieved greatness on and off the gridiron.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- Named to the Rockne All-Time All-America team.
- Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1957.
- 1923 Consensus First-Team All-American.
- 1922 Second-Team All-American.
- Led Cornell to three consecutive undefeated seasons (1921, 1922, 1923) with a perfect 24-0 overall record.
- Won three National Championships (1921, 1922, 1923) as Cornell’s starting quarterback.
- Served as the team captain for the undefeated 1923 Cornell Big Red squad.
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Here Are More Stories of Cornell Football Legends
- Clint Wyckoff: Cornell Football Hall of Fame Legend
- Jack O’Hearn: Cornell Football Legend & Hall of Famer
- Murray Shelton: The Intellectual Edge of Cornell’s 1915 National Champions
- Winchester Osgood: The “Snake-Like” Pioneer Who Broke the Yale Streak
- Ed Marinaro: The Ivy League Icon Who Outrushed the Giants
- Eddie Kaw: The Cornell Legend Who Scored 5 Touchdowns in the 1921 “Mud Bowl”
- Jerome “Brud” Holland: From Cornell All-American to US Ambassador and NYSE Trailblazer
- Frank Sundstrom: Cornell’s All-American Tackle and College Football Hall of Fame Legacy
- The Fifth-Down Fiasco: How Cornell Forfeited a Victory to Dartmouth in 1940
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