HHIISSTTOORRYY Grover Wearshing & Head Coach Henry Miller A Look Back at Temple Football [1894-2012] The Temple University football program will There is almost no record of the first two Geiges began his career as a college football play its 115th season in 2013. For more than 35 decades of Temple football. The games were rarely official the following season. He officiated games years, the Owls have been the only major college reported in the newspapers, and the opposition for 27 years, advancing to the head of the profes‐ football team in the Philadelphia region. That was usually consisted of small schools such as Pratt In‐ sion. Geiges is credited with inventing the signals not the case at the turn of the century. stitute or Pennsylvania Military College (now for holding, offsides, illegal shift and timeout. He Widener University). After the turn of the century, was elected to the National Football Foundation The Early Years the Owls began playing regularly against city College Football Hall of Fame in 1984. schools La Salle and Saint Joseph’s. The Temple football program was adminis‐ Football at Temple first planted its roots in The school mascot had already been estab‐ tered by the Physical Education Department until 1894, a decade after Russell Conwell founded the lished though, along with the school colors— well into the 20th century. For many years, the de‐ night school on North Broad Street. Nearly every Cherry and White. For many years, the football partment was headed by Dr. Charles Prohaska, college in and around Philadelphia had some sort team had no official home field. Eventually it set‐ who was largely responsible for the expansion of of football squad at that time, though it may be a tled into Vernon Park, a spacious green located on the intercollegiate athletic program following stretch to call them organized. The serious football the city limits beyond Germantown. World War I. powers of the east included Pennsylvania, Prince‐ The most notable person associated with the The Owls did not field a varsity football team ton, Harvard and Yale. Temple football program prior to World War I was between 1918 and 1921 due to the war. In the Temple's 11‐man squad was technically a part Elwood Geiges, who was supposed to coach the years that followed, Temple grew to have the sec‐ of the school's Physical Education Department. The varsity team in 1917. But the Owls forfeited every ond largest enrollment in the Philadelphia area. 1894 team was organized by physical education in‐ regular game on the schedule that season because University President Charles F. Beury made a structor Charles M. Williams, who also coached the of the war. Late that fall, the varsity squad matched strong commitment at that time to greater success basketball team. The Owls won their first game up with the freshman squad in a game to benefit in intercollegiate athletics. that fall against Philadelphia Dental College, 14‐6. the war effort. The contest finished in a 6‐6 tie. 164 New Conference. New Traditions. New Rivalries. #ITBEGINS #ITBEGINS valry with the school located in Lewisburg, Pa. The Owls and the Bison played every year for the next 44 years, often in the last game of the season. Some years later, “The Old Shoe” was dedicated as a prize for the winner of the Temple‐Bucknell con‐ test. The bronze statue of a football shoe was awarded to the winning school, which held it until the following year's game. The 1927 season finale against Bucknell was played at Franklin Field, marking Temple's first ap‐ pearance on the home field of the Pennsylvania Quakers. The Owls would not need to borrow the facility the following season. In December of 1927, President Beury an‐ nounced that the University had received a gift of $100,000 from Philadelphia land developer Charles G. Erny for the construction of a football stadium at TEMPLE vs. BUCKNELL, Franklin Field, November 19, 1927: Vernon Park. The stadium was to seat between 20,000 and 25,000 and was to be completed in The first game of a 44-year series between the schools time for the 1928 football season. (above) and the battle for the “Old Shoe” trophy (right below). Temple Stadium was first referred to as Beury Stadium, and for many years was known as Owl Stadium. The structure was designed by Philadel‐ The Modern Era phia architect Clarence E. Wunder and was built by Erny's development firm. The total cost of con‐ What might be called the modern era of Tem‐ struction was $350,000, with a seating capacity of ple football began in 1925 with the hiring of Henry 34,200, including mobile field seats. J. Miller as head coach. “Heinie” Miller had been a The Owls made their debut in the new sta‐ star player at Penn, earning All‐America honors in dium on Sept. 29, 1928, against St. Thomas College 1917. His much‐hailed arrival promised great suc‐ of Scranton. Team captain Howard “Barney” Gugel cess against a much tougher level of competition. made it a successful debut, scoring on a 66‐yard Miller's Owls did well in 1925 and 1926, com‐ fumble recovery and a 38‐yard interception return piling a record of 10‐5‐2, the best two‐year stretch for a 12‐0 Temple victory witnessed by 10,000 fans. in the school's short history. Things were about to The stadium's official dedication game came get much better. Several outstanding players two weeks later against Eastern power Western joined the roster in 1927, including future Temple Maryland. The Owls won that game, 7‐0, thanks to Hall of Famers Tucker “Swede” Hanson, Grover a touchdown pass from Wearshing to Hanson. The Wearshing and Jack Bonner. contest drew 25,000 fans, including several digni‐ The Owls opened the season with a home taries from the city of Philadelphia. game against Blue Ridge College, a small school lo‐ The 1928 campaign was another great suc‐ cated in New Windsor, Md. The mismatch was ap‐ cess, as the Owls finished 7‐1‐2, losing only to parent from the opening kickoff. Temple held a Schuylkill College and posting ties against Bucknell 27‐0 lead at the end of the first quarter, and then and Villanova. Temple was dominant in the new scored eight touchdowns in the second quarter to stadium, winning its first six games by shutout. The establish a 78‐0 lead at the half. Unable to move only team to score against the Owls was Washing‐ the ball on offense, Blue Ridge actually began punt‐ ton College, which managed a single touchdown in ing on first down. The coaches agreed at halftime a 73‐7 rout. Wearshing and Hanson scored three to shorten the third quarter to eight minutes and times apiece in that contest. later shortened the fourth quarter to six minutes. The battle against Villanova—a scoreless By the end of the game, three Temple players had tie—also marked the beginning of a long rivalry switched jerseys to fill in for Blue Ridge. The Owls (though the teams had played one another in won by a final score of 110‐0. Hanson scored five 1908). The Owls and the Wildcats were both de‐ touchdowns and Wearshing scored three. veloping strong national reputations, and this was Several other one‐sided results from the 1927 the big game on their schedules for the next 15 campaign, against Juniata (58‐0), Gallaudet (62‐0) years. and Washington College (75‐0), indicated that the Miller continued to field successful teams Owls were ready for a new level of competition. through the Depression Era, tutoring a new set of That competition came from Dartmouth, Brown future Hall of Famers in Hank Reese, Tony Dougal and Bucknell. and Leon Whittock. All three played key roles in Temple finished 7‐1 that season, losing only 1931, another milestone year for the program. to Dartmouth, while posting notable victories James Russell The Owls finished with a record of 8‐1‐1 that against Brown (7‐0) and Bucknell (19‐13). The season, setting a school record for wins that stood Bucknell game marked the beginning of a long ri‐ 1935 Team Captain 2013 Temple Football Media Guide 165 Temple Football Hall of Fame The careers and accomplishments of 52 distinguished Temple players and coaches have DHAMIRI ABAYOMI / ANTHONY ANDERSON BILL BERNARDO DON BITTERLICH DON COUNCIL (1975‐78) been recognized by their (1946, 1948‐49) (1973‐75) (1960‐62) Third‐leading ground‐ Top ground‐gainer in Nation’s top kicker in 1975, Leading ground‐gainer in gainer all‐time, induction into the Hall of 1949, earned All‐East set six NCAA records while 1960, netting 465 yards 1976 All‐America and honors as a senior booting the longest field goal on 84 carries All‐East honors Fame, established in 1969. in Temple history (inducted in 1978) (inducted in 1994) (inducted in 1978) (inducted in 2007) for 42 years. Along the way, Temple recorded a 12‐ The Pop Warner Years Carnegie Tech. Temple finished the run with a 0 victory over developing regional power Penn 22‐0 rout of Villanova, and then played Bucknell “Pop” Warner was one of football's great State. It was considered the school's most notable to a scoreless tie in the regular season finale. innovators. He pioneered the use of several of‐ victory to date. The Owls also scored their first‐ever The 1934 backfield quartet of Smukler, quar‐ fensive formations (the single wing, the double victory over Villanova by the score of 13‐7.