History of Tiger Football
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History of Tiger Football ....................................................... 178-186 Homes of the Tigers ...................................................................... 184 Conference Affiliations ................................................................. 186 TIGER FOOTBALL HISTORY Following are chronological notes and interesting facts about the rich tradition of Tiger football. Parts of this section were taken from Memphis State Football: The Fighting Tigers, written by Charles Holmes and William Sorrels. If you have any questions or can add facts to this section, please contact Jennifer Rodrigues, Director of Athletic Media Relations, at 901-678-2397. 1910S ``` The doors of West Tennessee State Normal School opened at 10:00 AM on the morning of September 10, 1912. Less than 300 students were enrolled in the two- year teachers school located in rural Shelby County. The campus consisted of three buildings that were erected at a cost of $450,000. President Seymore Mynders presided over a faculty that consisted of 25 teachers, including a young manual education instructor named Clyde Wilson. ``` On October 5, 1912, West Tennessee State Normal School played its fi rst football game at Red Elm Park, In 1912, the University of Memphis opened with three school buildings which were constructed in rural east home of the Memphis Turtles baseball team. The game Shelby County. The total cost of construction was $450,000. Pictured above is the administration building pitted the Normals of WTSNS against MUS. Game which still houses administrative offices today. time was slated for 2 p.m., and trollies from downtown DeSaussure tallied three scores each, while Lacy Bran- to the Normals with high recommendations. Memphis were decorated with blue and gray ribbons, the son, Bob Berry and John McDougle each crossed the ``` The downtown newspapers began to use the offi cial colors of the new school located in Shelby County. goal line once. Washburn kicked seven PATs. nickname “The Tigers” more and more prior to the 1925 The Normals had put together a team that consisted of ``` The 1919 season found Bic Campbell become season. However, in 1925 the name of the school was numerous Messick High School stars, including Brian and head football coach but early season injuries took Hugh changed from West Tennessee State Normal School Don Hanley, and the Howerton brothers. Clyde Wilson, Washburn, H.K. Grantham, Bob Berry, Rollin Wilson and to West Tennessee State Teachers College and pub- who had volunteered to coach the football boys, led his Pete McIntosh. None were able to return for the 1919 lications began referring to the football team as the charges to a 0-0 draw with the powerful MUS squad. campaign and the fi nal team record was 3-4-0. “Teachers or Tudors.” The Tiger nickname would not The game featured a 16-minute fi rst half and a 12-minute return for 15 years. second stanza. Thus started Tiger football. ``` Under the direction of captain Graham Crawford, the ``` West Tennessee State Normal School’s fi rst foot- 1927 Normals lost just two games, while capturing wins ball victory came in the 1912 season when the Tudors 1920S over Arkansas State College, Will Mayfi eld, Delta State defeated Bolton Agricultural College 13-0. College, Bethel, Lambuth and Arkansas A&M. ``` West Tennessee State Normal School opened ``` West Tennessee State Teachers College joined its practice for the 1913 season on Sept. 17, 1913, and later ``` The 1920s opened with West Tennessee State fi rst conference, the Mississippi Valley Conference, which that same day, President Seymore Mynders died and a Normal football falling to its lowest ebb. The 1920 squad included UT-Martin Junior College, Sunfl ower Junior grieving campus thought little of the football season at posted a record of 0-5-0 and in fact scored only one College, Bethel, Delta State, Murray Normal, Lambuth hand. In the fi rst game of the year, the Blue and Gray touchdown on the season, that coming in the fi nal contest and Little Rock College. lost 67-0 to Memphis High School, and the team never of the year. So dismal was the football atmosphere that it really recovered. Had it not been for a 13-0 win over appeared Normal would abandon the game in 1921. ``` Allyn McKeen, who was practicing law in Mem- Somerville High, WTSNS would have gone through the ``` The 1921 season opened with no coach and the phis, volunteered to assist Curlin with the team in 1929. 1913 season winless. realization that fi ve starters had transferred to Union McKeen brought a more modern version of football to West Tennessee State Teachers College, having just ``` Two assistant coaches were added in 1914 when University. Rollin Wilson, a stunt pilot who was twice an recently graduated from the University of Tennessee. the Normals faced the school’s fi rst eight-game schedule. All-Memphis selection at quarterback during his playing That version was the single-wing. With players like Frank Hubert Dennison and Hugh Chandler were named to as- days for Normal, volunteered to coach the team. Wilson McGoffi n, Gene Fulghum, captain Jimmy Graham and sist Clyde Wilson. On Sept. 14, 1914, The Commercial trained the young players and put together an amazing Rabbit Evans, the Teachers went undefeated, posting an Appeal ran a photograph of Coach Wilson, marking the 4-5-1 record. Following the season, President A.A. Kin- 8-0-2 record and winning the school’s fi rst conference fi rst time a photo involving Normal football appeared in cannon decided to employ a full-time athletic director and championship. Graham, who had become accustomed local print. coach. The job was given to Lester Barnard. to playing without his helmet, learned the hard way ``` In 1915, Cull Cullpepper joined the faculty at ``` With John Barnhill playing center, the 1922 team won fi ve games, the most victories in a single season since that what the coaches said was law. When McKeen WTSNS after a brilliant football career at Auburn. With caught Graham entering a game without his helmet, he Cullpepper assisting Wilson, expectations were high for the school’s inception. Barnhill would go on to become took a roll of adhesive tape and attached the helmet to the coming football season. Normal opened the season a renowned head coach at Arkansas and Tennessee. Graham’s head. with two disappointing losses to the Arkansas Aggies and Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville was named in his honor. Memphis HS, but then swamped Somerville HS 75-0. ``` The “high school era” ended in 1923 for West Ten- ``` On September 28, 1929, WTSTC played its fi rst night A close loss to MUS was followed by three victories to nessee State Normal School. From 1923 on, WTSNS football game. The contest, which pitted the Teachers close out the campaign. After the fi nal game, there was would play only college teams and no longer would high against Sunfl ower Junior College, was played at Hodges a spontaneous student parade, “with banners fl ying and school teams be accepted as opponents. Coach Barnard Field “beneath the rays of 20 powerful projectors.” The with Normal yells and songs rending the atmosphere.” instilled the Tiger spirit in every man and each pregame Commercial Appeal wrote that the Teachers had no Several students, in their exuberance, shouted, “We fi ght prayer concluded with the whispered statement “Every trouble seeing the ball at night as the locals won the like Tigers!” A new nickname was born. Man A Tiger.” Barnard left Memphis in 1923 to become game, 20-0, before 1,500 fans. HISTORY ``` Tom Shea, a renowned football player from the the head coach at Central Michigan Normal College. powerful Vanderbilt team, took over as head coach in Thus began the Zach Curlin era. 1916 and immediately led his team to the greatest barn ``` Zachery Henry Curlin became the athletic director 1930S burner in the school’s history. On October 14, 1916, West and head coach at West Tennessee State Normal School Tennessee State Normal School defeated Somerville HS in the fall of 1924. He remained with the Tigers as football 115-0 in the highest scoring game in Memphis history. coach and athletic director for 14 years and continued to ``` The 1930s opened with the Teachers again winning 178 In that contest, Elton McClure, a halfback, scored six serve the institution until his retirement in 1960. Curlin had the Mississippi Valley Conference championship with touchdowns. Hugh Washburn, Rollin Wilson and Charlie been a standout football player at Vanderbilt and came a 6-3-1 record. In a runaway game against Arkansas State College, Sam Johnson scored fi ve touchdowns counterintelligence. Most of the players enlisted in the and kicked seven PATs to lead the Teachers to a 73-0 armed forces after the 1942 season and football was victory. disbanded until the 1947 season. ``` In 1935, West Tennessee State Teachers College ``` When football returned to Memphis State’s campus left the Mississippi Valley Conference and joined the in 1947, Cecil C. Humphreys was hired as athletic director SIAA (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) and he in turn hired an old friend from the University of along with Middle Tennessee State College, Louisiana Tennessee to coach the football team. That friend was College, Delta State College, Troy State Teachers Col- Ralph Hatley. Upon Hatley’s hiring, the coaching staff lege, TPI (Tennessee Tech), Union University and Murray searched for ideas to improve Tiger football after the four- State Normal. year delay caused by World War II. To put players in game ``` After an 0-9-0 record in 1936, Curlin stepped down situations, Hatley and his staff created the fi rst Blue-Gray as head football coach to devote his attention to his job as Spring Game.