Washington and Jefferson

One of the early powerhouses in college pigskin play was the Washington and Jefferson Presidents from just South of Pittsburgh. The teams from W and J were not only competitive against other schools but against the pioneers of pro football as well.

The original institution of W&J was founded in 1781 as the Washington Academy. It stands as the eleventh-oldest school of higher learning in the United States. A mere eight miles away, at the time a frontier forest, at times with hostile Native American attacks, was the Canonsburg Academy, which a few later would be re-branded as Jefferson College. A charter issued by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on March 4, 1865, gave way to finally merging these two institutions to become Washington and Jefferson College.

Washington & Jefferson College football has a long and storied history, dating back to the 19th century. Football was first organized on campus in 1890 when 75 students each paid $1 to become members of the Athletic Association of W&J. The first official game of the Presidents was on November 1, 1890, when they defeated the Western University of Pennsylvania, later to be known as the University of Pittsburgh, by the score of 34-0. It was a more than positive experience in the second game, too, as the Presidents blanked the semi-professional East End Athletic Club of Pittsburgh 10-0.

The third game of that inaugural season is interesting and lies in controversy. The contest against the College of Wooster has each school claiming a victory. The high-caliber opponents that this newly formed Red and Black team scheduled did not subside as Wooster was touted as the “Champions of Ohio.” The referee on the game gave W&J's eleven the impression that the game clock in the final period had expired, and Red and Black players, having a 4-0 lead at that point, celebrated and left the field. Wooster, however, continued to play on and scored an easy touchdown, with no one to stop them, and then with this score and the extra point, Wooster felt they won the game 6-4. TD's were worth four points, and points after were valued at two points in 1890. The first season was a success, as more interest followed. It came to the point that after playing in 1890 without a head coach, the organization hired one.

In the early days of football at W&J, the team played a variety of opponents, including teams from other colleges, local high schools, and semi-professional teams. The Presidents were a dominant force in the early years of college football, winning numerous championships and compiling a winning record of over .700. By the time 1894 came, the school fan base's interest in the gridiron had grown considerably, with more vigorous opponents and the team's first paid coach, E. Gard Edwards. A special rail transport from Washington, PA, to Pittsburgh, was chartered to carry fans and students to witness a 6–0 victory against the mighty semi-pro Pittsburgh Athletic Club. 

Paying players to play football was becoming a trend, especially in Western Pennsylvania in that period. The W&J program, playing teams with professional players, was thought by many as dangerous. Those of that opinion was proven correct when Washington and Jefferson player John Brallier got a taste of pay-for-play and was a roster member of the Washington & Jefferson College gridiron program, playing in 1895 before returning to the Greensburg Athletic Association and its profit rewards. The faculty of W&J responded by setting guidelines for eligibility to play ball at the school.

Football, or Foot Ball as it was then, became quite a popular event. The temptation was too great for the W&J program not to play the local clubs and professional elevens of the gridiron. One of their most memorable games was in 1896, when a crowd of 12,000 watched them defeat Duquesne Country and Athletic Club 4-0. However, it was their game against the University of Pennsylvania Quakers in 1897 that marked the "birth of big-time football" at W&J. Although they lost 18-4 to the eventual national champions, W&J considered it a moral victory since they were missing 4 of their 11 starters due to new eligibility requirements. 

The 1898 team had star players like:

Teck Williams - Full Back
Vincent Paul Whelan - Quarterback
Posey Flowers (1897 Captain)

In 1908, W&J made history again by becoming the first college football team to wear numbered uniforms in a game against Denison University on September 19th.

In the early 20th century, W&J football began to play a more rigorous schedule, with games against teams from larger colleges and universities. The first two decades of President football ended with a winning record. David C. Morrow served as head coach three times for a total of eight seasons across three different decades. The Presidents continued to be successful, winning several more championships and maintaining a winning record.

On September 29, 1923 the program became even more legendary when John Heisman coached his first football game at W&J and leads the Presidents to a 21-0 home victory over Bethany. The program made history again on October 25, 1930 when the Presidents played in the first indoor night football game in history and defeat Lafayette 7-0 in Atlantic City (NJ) Auditorium.

Washington & Jefferson College had the best college football team on the east coast, coming off of an undefeated 1921 season when the Tournament of Roses Association unanimously voted to invite the school to play in the 1922 Rose Bowl. the California Golden Bears was the last New Years' game played at Tournament Park. The 10-0 Presidents were coached by the legendary Greasy Neale while the Bears sideline boss was Coach Andy Smith who led these Wonder Teams to some amazing seasons in the early 1920s.

This game had some pretty amazing bullet points:

The only scoreless Rose Bowl Game
The first tie in a Rose Bowl
The first African-American quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl (Charles Fremont West from Washington & Jefferson)
The first freshman to play in a Rose Bowl (Herb Kopf of Washington and Jefferson)
The only man ever to play in two Rose Bowls, Hal Erickson (W&J) ( and 1922), with two teams (1919 with Great Lakes Navy and W&J in 1922) without losing.
W&J would be the last Rose Bowl team to play the same 11 men the entire game.

1922 ROSE BOWL

Rose Bowl History and 1922 Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl evolved from a simple sideshow event at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses civic tourism pageant into the significant spectacle of annual New Years' Day sporting events. Enjoy the travel through the history of this great event and stadium.

1922 Rose Bowl Game History

Football History | The Tournament of Roses 1922 Stalemate between Cal and Washington and Jefferson^**

More Information

Pennsylvania Heritage Website, Washington and Jefferson Athletics History, and the fine book by author E. Lee North, Battling the Indians, Panthers, and Nittany Lions… The story of Washington and Jefferson College’s First Century of Football, 1890-1990.

The Banner image is of 1910 Wash. & Jeff. versus Pitt football action, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.