Frank Hinkey Gets His Bell Rung

Frank Hinkey played end for Yale from 1891 to 1894, earning All-American status all four years. Slight of build, Hinkey was a ferocious competitor and hitter, becoming the game’s premier shutdown end nearly one century before shutdown corners came into vogue. — www.footballarchaeology.com
Timothy P. Brown of Football Archaeology.com deleivers a remarkable story on a player that was concussed, who kept on playing in the late 19th century

Harvard and The Flying Wedge and Horse's Neck

Lorin Deland, a Bostonian and student of military tactics, borrowed from military tacticians of the late 1800s by creating football plays using miniature figures set up on a tabletop football field. One output of his tabletop generalship was the Flying Wedge, which remains among the game’s most famous designed plays. Harvard sprung the Flying Wedge on Yale when they kicked off to start the second half of their game in 1892. — www.footballarchaeology.com
Timothy P. Brown has an excellent write-up on the tactics of Harvard coach Lorin Deland's Flying Wedge and Horse's Neck scheme of designed plays against rival Yale.