Origins of the Forward Pass
Used by permission of Denison The 1913 Notre Dame-Army University SID, Craig Hicks. Football 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, Knute Rockne, was Volume XVI Issue 3 Fall 2002 on the receiving end of aerial bombs thrown by the Irish A Backward Glance at quarterback, Gus Dorais, 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 single incident that in surpassed the "grunt them out American football annals is running games" of long ago.
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