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Used by permission of Denison The 1913 Notre Dame-Army University SID, Craig Hicks. Game Most fans and many sportswriters accept the THE HISTORICAL common gridiron lore that the forward pass as a game- TIMES winning strategy originated QUARTERLY OF THE under the shadows of the famous GRANVILLE, OHIO, golden dome in South Bend, Indiana. Tradition holds that the HISTORICAL SOCIETY famous Notre Dame player and later coach, , was Volume XVI Issue 3 Fall 2002 on the receiving of aerial bombs thrown by the Irish A Backward Glance at , , in the rout of the cadets from Army on the Forward Pass: November 1, 1913. This Giving Credit Where November upset of the highly Credit is DU! favored Army team launched Notre Dame into its nearly unstoppable drive toward The story of the Denison national prominence as a football University Contribution to the powerhouse. Forward Pass Revolution in Modern Football. References to the significance for the development of football © Anthony J. Lisska strategy initiated in this Notre Denison University Dame-Army contest abound.' Fox Granville Historical Society News recently claimed that Notre Dame "changed the game The forward pass has made forever by utilizing the forward football livelier and more pass for something other than exciting, especially for the fans. desperation.” While erstwhile Ohio State USA Today this year claimed that football coach and Denison against Army, Note Dame alumnus, Woody Hayes [DU employed "an innovative game `35], was known for his playing plan." The "Great Football theory of "three yards and a Games" account boldly asserts: cloud of dust," it's the passing What happened on November 1" game that has generally 1913 is a incident that in surpassed the "grunt them out annals is running games" of long ago. separated as both a highlight and Where and when did this a turning point in the influential game changing development of the sport.... The football strategy arise? Read on! Dorais-Rockne pass combination made headlines on every sports University's page [and] a new conception was and Dave Reese this niche in the born. historical narrative of . Eastern sports writers raved about the forward pass. The Groundless Notre Dame Legend The Baltimore Sun, for instance, had a six-column headline Further tradition has it that the stating that "Notre Dame Shows Dorais-Rockne passing the Most Sensational Football the combination was finely honed on Nation Has Ever Seen."The the Cedar Point shores of Lake New York Evening Telegraph Erie during the summer of 1913, November 1" sports pages when both Notre Dame gridders contained the following account: worked as bus boys at the warm It took a so-called smaller college weather resort. The passing plan to come East and display an developed over the summer was attack so versatile and dazzling executed with perfection later that it may revolutionize the style that year as the Irish blasted the of offensive play throughout this Cadets in what former section of the country. Columbus Citizen Journal sportswriter Kaye Kessler called The football historian for "The "Notre Dame's 35-13 stunning of Most Memorable Games" claimed Army in November 1913 at West that this contest on the banks of Point."2 Dorais became the first the Hudson "was an epochal consensus All American football event in football [and] marked a player at Notre Dame, and turning point in football history." Rockne served as captain of that An interesting historical sidelight fabled 1913 Irish team. is that a young Cadet gridder sitting on the bench that fateful In his My Notre Dame, Thomas November afternoon was Dwight Stritch writes that on the Notre David Eisenhower. Dame campus "baseball remained more important till Dorais/Rockne combination Dorais and Rockne shocked the coached by Harper has received Knights of West Point out of their singular credit for this moleskins in 1913. From that "revolution" in college football. As day on Notre Dame and football you will see, it's also false. became inseparable. "3

Historical evidence demonstrates Long-time Columbus Dispatch without a doubt that Gus Dorais sports editor, Dick Fenlon, and Knute Rockne must step writing in 1985 about this aside and cede Denison development in modern day football of the forward pass, began his discussion with the worked out all summer on the much-overlooked role of Denison beach at Cedar Point perfecting University. the weapon that they unveiled in the 35-13 upset of Army. "But, Perhaps General Abner Fenlon notes emphatically, "What Doubleday, putting aside his isn't a fact is that the Irish were battle plans, did invent baseball. the first to turn the pass into a Maybe Benjamin Franklin, silly killer weapon." man, did fly a kite in the rain. Possibly, Christopher Columbus, The Granville Connection with looking for Calcutta, did fall Modern Football upon America. Indeed, the primary contender in This kind of legend keeps going the historical debate regarding on. In "The Birth of the Modern the origin of the fabled forward Passing Game, "the reader pass strategy is Granville's own discovers that" the win Denison University. In his history revolutionized college football as of athletics at Denison, The Big the forward pass, a legal weapon Red: One Hundred Years and since 1906, gained popularity More of Athletics at Denison, by as a legitimate offensive tool." Richard Blackburn devotes some attention to the claim that a full The Pigskin Post this fall noted year before the Dorais-Rockne the following: Notre Dame did not passing combination that invent the forward pass but . . . devastated the Army football they perfected it. Up to this team, famous Denison gridder point, the forward pass was more and later eminent Cleveland gimmick play and had never attorney, George Roudebush, been used as a regular part of a passed with a high degree of team’s offense. accuracy, especially in an awesome 68-0 victory over the The Athlon sports writer suggests Wittenberg Tigers. A newspaper that "The cadets found account of the day reports that themselves in the cross hairs of a Roudebush threw passes "for all ground breaking aerial assault sorts of distance with wonderful that would change the game of accuracy." football in America." Roudebush himself noted that he But Gus Dorais and Knute came to Denison "off the farm Rockne and Notre Dame did not where I had practiced throwing invent the forward pass. It's a stones and corncobs at hogs and swell legend! chickens."

Fenlon goes on to write that it is Legendary Denison coach Walter a fact that "Dorais and the Rock Livingston, "Livy" to generations of Denison athletes, realized What is at issue is when did a young Roudebush could throw a team first develop and use the football as well as corncobs on forward pass as a phenomenally the farm, so he teamed him up successful strategic method to with another Denison sports win football games. legend and Roudebush's fraternity brother and roommate, Several historical sources Dave Reese. Reese, who some suggest that as early as 1906, a suggest may have been Denison's kind of forward pass was all-time greatest athlete, was a permitted on the gridiron. stellar basketball player. Livy concluded that if Reese could That year Coach catch a basketball, he could of St. Louis University catch a pigskin. So developed the experimented with the forward famous and successful passing pass. combination of Roudebush to Reese, which exercised the Legendary coaches forward pass with precision in and had a the autumn of 1912. Thus, by couple pass plays in their the start of the 1913 football repertoire but used them season, in his junior year as a sparingly and often only in Big Red football player, desperation last minute Roudebush himself had spent situations. more than half a season passing the football with great verve and Yet the rules prohibited much success. activity in what today we would call a passing game. The Big Red gridders, under the watchful eye of Livy and the Late nineteenth and early talented arm of Roudebush, had twentieth century football developed a mighty passing game contests often were brutal and a full year before Notre Dame's bloody encounters. Greatly Fighting Irish pulled the upset of disturbed by this gridiron the Army Cadets along the violence, in 1905 Theodore Hudson River that beginning day Roosevelt summoned to the in November 1913. White House a blue ribbon committee of university The Change in the Rulebook administrators with the charge to either clean up football or see it The claim here is not that the banned in the United States. One first forward pass in modern item that arose from these football originated in either 1912 discussions, which Carl Mattison or 1913. Chapin called "The Great Reformation of 1906,"6” was the implementation of a modified version of the forward pass. The historical references to the 1913 rule permitting the forward pass Notre Dame/Army football game. was adopted for the 1906 season. In his thoughtful account of the The pass was thought to be an forward pass and its Denison avenue for eliminating some of connection, Dispatch sports the more violent situations in the editor Fenlon interviewed George nearly barbarous line play of the Roudebush on the front porch of day. his northern Granville Township Yet there were severe farmhouse. "Roudy," who later restrictions. The football then served as a football official for a had an unwieldy shape that quarter century, gave this made throwing a forward pass rendition of the football situation difficult. regarding the rules governing the forward pass during the early An underhand forward lateral years of the twentieth century: was the common forward pass of the day. Furthermore, the passer But the whole thing was, Rules 6 needed to execute the pass through 12 provided that the within a five-yard area on either forward pass would be thrown side of the center who snapped five yards behind the line of the . Within a few years, this scrimmage, but not to exceed 20 rule was changed to five yards yards, and nobody wanted to behind the . throw the ball into the line of scrimmage. A pass was declared illegal if it went more than twenty-yards in My first year eligible [as a the air. To assist the referee's Denison University sophomore], calls, the field was chalked off 1912, they [The football Rules into five-yard squares; this is Committee] changed it from 20 how the nickname "grid-iron" yards to any distance. came about. Moreover, if a pass were touched and then dropped Roudebush points out that what by a potential receiver, a free ball made possible the development much like a resulted. It is of the passing game for modern no surprise that many football football was this relaxation of the coaches did not deploy this new rules governing the forward pass. option. This was particularly true for Eastern colleges and The rule makers did away with universities, where the coaches the five and twenty-yard accepted the forward pass only in restraints. The new rules also theory as a way to get Roosevelt prohibited deliberate interference off their backs. All of this is by the defense. These new rules important background material made possible a wide open in understanding the many passing game for college football. 1912 Denison team; Lester But a problem arose early on, not Black, told how the Denison with the institution of the rules players developed a plan from change but with the their newly found knowledge of promulgation of the new set of the power and effectiveness of a rules regarding the forward pass. forward pass strategy: Several of us discussed the uncanny ability In 1912, football was still what of George Roudebush, our today would be called a "minor" substitute quarterback, in sport on college campuses, and throwing a football. As a result of not every institution bought a that discussion, Livy was copy of the newly printed 1912 approached with the idea of edition of the rulebook. Only a playing Roudy at half regularly few coaches knew about this rule so that use could be made of his change. Roudebush noted that prowess as a passer. Always not even Ohio State knew about eager for anything that would it. Before adopting the forward improve the team, Livy approved pass as part of its game plan, the idea and immediately devised Denison lost to the Buckeyes new plays. that fall 34-0 in the second game of the season. Two seniors were our regular ends, Chuck Mitchell was at left 1912 Denison Team Discovers end and at the end of the season, the Forward Pass The Denisonian described him as one "who can handle the forward Roudebush went on to tell pass to perfection. "At the other Fenlon that the Denison trip to end was Red Brown, also a engage the College of Wooster's senior, who was described by Fighting Scots in the third game The Denisonian as "a sure man of the 1912 season produced the on the forward pass." passing game for the Big Red. The Wooster coach, L.C. Boles, The Denison University Marching had a copy of the new rulebook— Band, circa 1913 Livy had Roudebush guessed that it might watched Dave Reese's all-round have been the only one in the athletic ability when he played whole state! In the Wooster for Doane Academy [then the game, Roudebush remarked that preparatory school at Denison the Fighting Scots "threw the University]. Thinking that a football all over the park, and we basketball player should be a couldn't find out why. "The game good man to catch passes, Livy ended in a 3-3 tie. devised a shift so that Dave, our center, while still centering the Reflecting on what the Denison ball, was at one end of the line eleven talked about after the and thus was eligible to receive game, another member of the passes. In the case of Black, a drew upon skills that had been tackle, the problem was easier; finely honed by throwing those to become an eligible pass stones and corncobs from his receiver, all he had to do was to early days on the farm in line up outside his end. ' Newtonsville. He passed the ball Observing the possibility of deftly by gripping it near the end and using the forward pass at the throwing it to his intended Wooster game, and depending on receiver with a pitching motion. Livy's ability to listen to his players, the Denison eleven This new passing weapon was so adapted marvelously to the new successful that the next week rules and went on to an Denison beat the Otterbein outstanding remainder of their Cardinals 60-3 and the Tigers of 1912 football season. This Wittenberg 68-0 in short order Denison team had several the following week. Reporting on sophomores who jelled in the the match with Wittenberg, the next two years to produce the Columbia Dispatch in its famous 1914 Ohio Conference November 2, 1912, edition noted Championship football team. that "Roudebush again starred by throwing passes for all sorts of The Big Red Adapt to the New distance with wonderful Passing Rules accuracy." 9 The Newark Advocate for the same day offers The next thing the Denison team the following account: The under Livy did was get its own forward pass was worked time copy of the new rulebook. With and time again, giving enormous this new strategic possibility, the gains to Denison. The game was passing expertise of halfback featured by the wonderful passes Roudebush blossomed. of Roudebush, which were the best seen on the Denison Roudebush himself noted that gridiron for many years. Five or Denison "scored 19 points in our six passes for 30 or more yards first three games. In the next five, were successfully made.'° we scored almost 200! "The passing strategy had begun in The following three games that earnest. closed out the season were all victories and against larger Roudebush remarked that the institutions: Denison 31- football was "fatter" in 1912 than University of Cincinnati 13; it is today and hence it was Denison 13-Miami of Ohio 0; and difficult to handle. Many players Denison 17-West Virginia entrusted to pass the football University 6. The passing arm of would try to "palm it in the George Roudebush carried the middle. "Roudebush, who also day—and the season—for the Big played baseball for the Big Red, Red of little Denison University in Granville, Ohio. style of play. "Livy" started out by running the team much as it had Newspapers of the day provide been the year before, but after factual accounts of the great the Ohio State and 'Wooster ability of Roudebush to be a games, the team was drilled in forward passer of distinction. The the use of the forward pass until Columbus Dispatch in reporting it became the leader in this style on the Wittenberg game noted of play. that "the Springfield bunch was outclassed and seemed to have The Adytum comments on the no idea ... how to break up the dramatic change after the forward pass. "Another example Wooster game. of stellar forward passing came a week later when Denison beat The Otterbein game showed a Cincinnati 31-13; The Advocate change in Denison 's style of sports writer reports that" play, the forward pass being used Granville's well trained and to such advantage that the game conditioned athletes showed too resulted in a walk-away 60 to 3. much dazzling work in the forward pass for Cincinnati to The Wittenberg game was a cope with." l I Following the repetition of this and gave us our second to the last game with highest score of the season, 68 to Miami University, The Cincinnati 0. Cincinnati could do little Enquirer reported that "Denison better and were easily taken into by Brilliant forward passes camp to the tune of 31-13. Miami defeated Miami 13 to 0."A fought hard but the Denison description of the final game of bunch succeeded in chalking up the season against West Virginia a 13-0 score in one of the played in Fairmont, W.Va., noted season's best games. The West that "the forward passes and long Virginia team could not solve our end runs of Denison bewildered... system of offence and were forced "the West Virginia Mountaineers. to yield to the better team, 17-6. 12 In all, Denison amassed a total of In describing for Denison 's own 211 points to our opponents institutional history the very 65. successful 1912 gridiron season, the Adytum, which is the college Here's to the Championship in yearbook, focuses much 1913! attention on the role of the forward pass in Denison's This Adytum summary conjoined football success that year. with the newspaper accounts provide substantial evidence that The striking feature of the season the Denison football team of was the development of the open 1912, using the passing skills of George Roudebush, executed on old Beaver Field, which was with distinction the craft of located where the present throwing the forward pass Denison University heating plant accurately and used this newly stands on South Main Street. justified strategy deftly to win football games, some played The Next Two Football Seasons against larger institutions. Roudebush continued his forward passing bombardment as The 1912 Adytum description of a throwing halfback for the Roudy the passer is explicit Denison Big Red. What is about his football throwing interesting historically is that abilities and this contribution to on November 1, 1913—the same Denison's winning ways on the day that the Dorais/Rockne duo gridiron: This year's style of play flabbergasted Army through the brought out a new star in the forward pass—Roudebush and person of "Roudy." "Roudy" went his Denison teammates carried out for quarterback and since he out a forward pass offensive couldn't very well take Deeter 's onslaught against the Bobcats of place, he made his presence so Ohio University on the loser's felt on the second team that Livy home field in Athens, winning by was forced to give him a place at the lopsided score of 52-0. Of half on the regular team, where course, this event in Athens that his beautiful long forward passes day occurred long before the furnished all sorts of the ESPN advances of instantaneous spectacular element to the team football news and interest 's work. stories. Earlier that season, Roudebush connected on three Here's hoping that "Roudy's" arm passes in a 31-0 win is working as well next year. at Wittenberg. The Advocate notes that in this second game of These events occurred one full the season, "The forward passing year before the Dorais/Rockne of Roudebush was very accurate passing duo mesmerized the and three of his passes resulted Cadets of Army in that fateful in ."15 November 1913 football match. In a 47-0 rout of Ohio Wesleyan Roudebush's passing skills in 1913, the Adytum reporter transformed football for Denison notes that "This game was one of and ultimately for everybody. forward passes and Roudy had This young Denison sophomore the Wesleyan bunch completely led the "revolution" in modern bewildered."10 The Advocate football by elevating the forward noted that Roudebush threw two pass to a significant offensive scoring passes and scored four weapon. At the time, the Denison times himself in this rout of Ohio home football games were played Wesleyan. Perfection of the open style of Roudebush was at the helm of play was the reason for a the Denison pass work and Denison success. Coach Walter undoubtedly there is no other Livingston earnestly groomed his man in the state who can men in the various new methods combine such great accuracy and of attack. His proteges attested distance to his passes. Roudy their ability to put the advice of had plenty of time to choose his the sterling leader into practice man." by making consistent gains with his plays.' In this game, Roudebush completed 19 of 42 passes, In the victory over Oberlin, the including 13 completions for 150 newspaper reporter notes that yards in the fourth quarter alone. "Denison worked the forward pass with success and scored a The 1913 Denison Big Red touchdown by this method in the indeed was a ferocious passing second quarter with a beautiful machine by the middle of its pass Roudebush to Dutch Thiele second season of using the "Roudebush came back the forward pass as an effective next week to throw two offensive strategy. touchdown passes in another win over Ohio Wesleyan. The football fame of the Denison gridders must have been Certainly these scoring totals widespread, because for the final alone would indicate that the game of the 1913 season, the Denison passing game was Denison team traveled to exceedingly productive. And it Rochester, NY, for a game before began definitely in the fall season four thousand fans with the of 1912, when Livy and his team University of Rochester. The next capitalized on the tremendous two Adytums reiterate throwing abilities of a Denison Roudebush's phenomenal sophomore student from passing skills. Newtonsville, Ohio. Roudebush was a four-sport letter winner, The 1914 team continued its playing for the Big Red in wizardry with the forward pass. football, basketball, baseball, and Commenting on the football tennis. success of this Ohio Conference Championship team, the editors Righting the History of College of the Adytum wrote the Football on the Forward Pass following: Denison was recognized as one of It is the Denison 1912 Big Red the most perfect exponents of football team that deserves the the new forward pass and lateral historical credit and pass game in the Buckeye State. acknowledgement for first establishing, perfecting, and In considering this story and its executing the strategy of the importance in the history of forward pass, not the Fighting football, one continues to see the Irish of Notre Dame. Newark effect of public relations and Advocate executive sports editor, newsworthy stories. That the Jim Wharton, wrote accurately 1913 Notre-Dame football team when he jotted the caught the imagination of the following account: News clippings Eastern sports press corps is from the 1912 Denison season undeniable. prove that Roudebush was a passing wizard in his own right— Rockne himself always knew how a year before Rockne unleashed to ingratiate himself with news the forward pass with people, especially sports writers. sensational results against Army. 's fabled story of 22 the "Four Horsemen" grew out of Rockne 's appreciation for the This historical evidence refutes press. passages like the one quoted earlier from The Pigskin Post The Gipper story would be asserting that before the another example. There were no 1913 Notre Dame/Army game" big time sports writers at the the forward pass was more games where Denison 's highly gimmick play and had never talented George Roudebush been used as a regular part of a hurled the pigskin with such team's offense. "Without any accuracy. Nonetheless, doubt, the 1912 Denison Big Red Roudebush and his corps of gridders used effectively the receivers rightly and forward unequivocally deserve the pass, not as a gimmick but as a recognition of perfecting the powerful offensive weapon. forward pass strategy a year before the Dorais/Rockne duo Kave Kessler ends his 1982 surprised the cadets of Army. article by writing, with some sense of astonishment Roudebush graduated from considering the "three yards and Denison with his class in 1915 a cloud of dust " policy of Woody and entered the Law School at Hayes, "To think that [the the University of Cincinnati. He forward pass] was perfected in was "drafted" by the famous the school that spawned Woody Canton Bulldogs and played part Hayes as a player [guard] and of a season in the same. coach!" Only by spectacular forward A Postscript passes was Denison able to win the victory. Two of those seemed to go half the length of the field and as each was successfully pass."22 It is instructive to executed, groans of despair came consider the point spread from the Wesleyan stands.'' between Denison and its opponents during this three-year During Roudebush's senior year, span when the team continued to the Adytum sports editor wrote perfect its forward passing the following about Denison's strategy. stellar passer: Roudebush must also be recognized as the best 1912: Denison—211; forward passer in Ohio and one Opponents—65; of the best in college football. 1913: Denison—173; Opponents—59; Forty-five yards was his longest 1914: Denison—183; completed pass in a game, but a Opponents—65. sixty yard one squirmed out of Grand total: Denison—567; the receiver's arms in the Miami Opponents: 189 fray.

The 1913 season only had seven The description of Roudebush's contests because a blinding snow gridiron accomplishments during storm forced the cancellation of his Denison years also refers to the second game in November. adept passing abilities: This team might have scored over Roudebush—We are very much two hundred points for a second afraid that "Roudy" will be year in a row.6 drafted by the Germans to throw their 42 cm shells for them, for He played in same backfield with he sure does put a lot of push the legendary Jim Thorpe. behind his passes and hits the Roudebush once recalled that the mark every time. Beyond the Bulldogs mailed him the plays shadow of a doubt, he is the best and signals in Cincinnati, and he passer in this or any other state, would study this information and moreover he can carry the while going on the train to the ball with the best of them. We game sites. He was paid a will miss him at left half next hundred dollars a month for his year.' football services with the Bulldogs, later an original The editor of the Cleveland member of the newly founded Athletic Club Journal, Matt Fenn, . gives sophomore George Roudebush and the 1912 When the United States entered Denison Big Red football team the First World War, Roudebush the historical credit as "first applied to Officer Candidate revolutionizing the game of School and served in the infantry Football by dramatically proving as a captain. Stationed at Camp the effectiveness of the forward Sherman near Chillicothe, he played for an army team that charter member of the National went against Ohio State and its Football League. A football official famous All American, Chic for a quarter century, Roudebush Harley, in a Thanksgiving Day was a seventy-year member of a contest on the old Ohio Field in large Cleveland law firm more Columbus. recently known as Arter & Hatten. He served for nearly half After serving in France in 1918, a century with the Trustees of his Roudebush returned to alma mater in Granville and is a Cincinnati and finished law member of the Denison school. Yet he still had his University Athletic Hall of Fame. football yearnings, and he played in the starting backfield for the 1919 Dayton Triangles, another George Roudebush died in 1992 The author expresses his at the age of 98. gratitude to Bob Shannon, Denison alumnus and former One of Roudebush's favorite member of the Denison football receivers, Dave Reese, also staff and himself a player during graduated in 1915. Reese was his student days, for his captain of the 1914 Ohio suggestions and assistance. The Conference Championship team author's colleagues, Don Bonar and received many accolades for and Stew Dyke, graciously his football abilities. provided references on Denison football from their files. Co-editor Reese and Roudebush were of The Historical Times, Lou fellow students at the University Middleman, offered many helpful of Cincinnati, where Reese editorial suggestions to earlier graduated from the Dental drafts of this article. School. Later Reese became the first commissioner of the Mid- Cookie Sunkle kindly dug out old American Athletic Conference. copies of the Adytum from the college yearbook files. Most of the Roudebush once recalled that photographs used are from these "Dave and I roomed together and Adytums. played football, basketball and baseball together for seven years." Reese was a star basketball player on the 1912-13 Denison team that beat Notre Dame 47-13. This basketball team was the undisputed state champions.