1943 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
The 1943 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan
in the 1943 college football season
. The 1943 team compiled a record of 8–1 and was ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press
poll. The 302 points scored by the Wolverines in 1943 was their highest point total since 1917 when the team had scored 304 points (and the 1917 team played one more game than the 1943 team).
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in the 1943 college football season
1943 college football season
The 1943 college football season concluded with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame crowned as the nation’s #1 team by a majority of the voters in the AP poll, followed by the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks as the runner-up...
. The 1943 team compiled a record of 8–1 and was ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll. The 302 points scored by the Wolverines in 1943 was their highest point total since 1917 when the team had scored 304 points (and the 1917 team played one more game than the 1943 team).
Schedule
Starters
- Bill DaleyBill Daley (American football)William Edward "Bullet" Daley was an All-American fullback who played for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1940–1942 and for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1943. The Gophers were National Champions in his freshman and sophomore years...
- 5 games at fullbackFullback (American football)A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback... - Robert DerlethRobert DerlethRobert J. "Bob" Derleth was an American football lineman. He played college football for the University of Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1942, 1943, 1945 and 1946—missing the 1944 season due to military service...
- 3 games at right tackle - Wally DreyerWally DreyerWalter Otto "Wally" Dreyer was a professional American football defensive back/halfback in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers...
- 4 games at right halfbackHalfback (American football)A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive... - John Gallagher - 5 games at left guardGuard (American football)In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, 3 games at right guard - Robert Hanzlik - 8 games at left tackleTackle (American football)Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
- Elroy "Crazylegs" HirschElroy HirschElroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was an American football running back and receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Rockets, nicknamed for his unusual running style.-Early life:...
- 6 games at left halfbackHalfback (American football)A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive... - George W. Kraeger - 3 games at right guardGuard (American football)In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, 3 games at left guard - Don LundDon LundDonald Andrew Lund is a former backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers . He batted and threw right-handed....
- 1 game at quarterback, 1 game at left halfback - Fred NegusFred NegusFrederick Wilson Negus was an American football player. He played college football for Wisconsin and Michigan and professional football in the All-America Football Conference and the National Football League....
- 8 games at centerCenter (American football)Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... - Bob NussbaumerBob NussbaumerRobert John Nussbaumer was an American football halfback and end in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers, and the Chicago Cardinals. He played college football at the University of Michigan as a left halfback from 1943 to 1945 and served in the United States...
- 2 games at left halfback - Henry S. Olshanski - 1 game at right end
- Jack PetoskeyJack PetoskeyJack Petoskey was an American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head coach at Hillsdale College from 1949 to 1950 and at Western Michigan University from 1953 to 1956, compiling a career college football record of 19–32–3.-Coaching career:Petoskey was...
- 1 game at right end - Merv PregulmanMerv PregulmanMervin Pregulman is a former All-American football tackle and center who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines and in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers , Detroit Lions , and New York Bulldogs ....
- 5 games at right tackleTackle (American football)Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions.... - Robert B. Rennebohm - 1 game at right end
- Art Renner - 5 games at right end
- Rudy SmejaRudy SmejaRudolph M. Smeja was an American football player. Smeja played at the end position for the University of Michigan from 1941 to 1943. In November 1943, Smeja intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter in a 23–6 win over the Indiana...
- 8 games at left end - Rex Wells - 2 games at right guard
- Paul WhitePaul White (American football)Paul Grover White was an American football lineman. He played college football for Fritz Crisler's University of Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1946 — missing the 1944 and 1945 seasons due to military service. He also played professional football for the Pittsburgh...
- 4 games at right halfbackHalfback (American football)A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive... - Bob WieseBob WieseRobert Lee Wiese was an American football player. He played college football for Fritz Crisler's University of Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1946—missing the 1945 season due to military service...
- 5 games at quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, 3 games at fullback - Jack WinkJack WinkJack S. Wink is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Nebraska State Teachers College at Wayne, now Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, from 1949 to 1951, at The Stout Institute, renamed at Stout State College in 1955 and now known as the...
- 2 games at quarterback
Non-starters
- Larry Alberti, halfback, Chicago, IL
- James Aliber, quarterback, Detroit, MI
- Ralph Amstutz, guard, Oak Park, IL
- Clement Bauman, tackle, Dayton, OH
- James Brieske, center, Harbor Beach, MI
- James Brown, halfback, St. Ignace, MI
- Fred J. Bryan, tackle, Melvindale, MI
- Thomas C. Cook, end, Detroit, MI
- John S. Crandell, center, Ann Arbor, MI
- Fenwick J. Crane, end, Pleasant Ridge, MI
- William L. Culligan, halfback, Detroit, MI
- Robert H. Fischer, guard, Benton Harbor, MI
- John J. Greene, tackle, Pittsburgh, PA
- Bruce HilkeneBruce HilkeneBruce L. Hilkene was the captain and starting left tackle of the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team. The team defeated the USC Trojans 49-0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl and has been selected as the greatest Michigan football team of all time...
, end, Indianapolis, IN - James G. Holgate, Milwaukee, WI
- Farnham JohnsonFarnham Johnson-Career:Farnham played with the Chicago Rockets of the All-America Football Conference in 1948. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.-References:...
, end, Appleton, WI - Shelden M. Kavieff, end, Detroit, MI
- Robert W. Kennedy, tackle, Riverside, IL
- Frank J. Kern, center, Detroit, MI
- George C. Kiesel, quarterback, Detroit, MI
- Arthur N. Leroux, tackle, Muskegon Heights, MI
- Hugh R. Mack, Jr., quarterback, Birmingham, MI
- Richard E. Manning, guard, Ecorse, MI
- Earl C. Maves, fullback, Stanley, WI
- Vincent P. Mroz, end, East Chicago, IN
- Clifton O.Myll, end, St. Clair Shores, MI
- Leonard G. Naab, tackle, Lansing, MI
- Robert A. T. Oren, tackle, Evart, MI
- Thomas C. Paton, end, Okemos, MI
- Joe Ponsetto, quarterback, Flint, MI
- Jerome E. Powers, halfback, Green Bay, WI
- William R. Rohrbach, guard, East Aurora, NY
- Alan E. Schwartz, end, Detroit, MI
- William K. Sigler, guard, Toledo, OH
- Robert P. Stenberg, fullback, Milwaukee, WI
- Ray E. Sturges, guard, Detroit, MI
- Jack Trump, guard, Battle Creek, MI
- Harold M. Watts, center, Birmingham, MI
- George A. Welch, halfback, Pleasant Ridge, MI
- Lewis T. Wheeler, tackle, Roosevelt, NY
- Howard L. Wikel, halfback, Ann Arbor, MI
Awards and honors
- All-American1944 College Football All-America TeamThe 1944 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1944 college football season...
s: Bill DaleyBill Daley (American football)William Edward "Bullet" Daley was an All-American fullback who played for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1940–1942 and for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1943. The Gophers were National Champions in his freshman and sophomore years...
, Merv PregulmanMerv PregulmanMervin Pregulman is a former All-American football tackle and center who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines and in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers , Detroit Lions , and New York Bulldogs .... - All-Conference: Fred NegusFred NegusFrederick Wilson Negus was an American football player. He played college football for Wisconsin and Michigan and professional football in the All-America Football Conference and the National Football League....
, Bill Daley, Bob WieseBob WieseRobert Lee Wiese was an American football player. He played college football for Fritz Crisler's University of Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1946—missing the 1945 season due to military service... - Most Valuable Player: Bob Wiese
- Meyer Morton Award: Clem Bauman
Coaching and training staff
- Head coach: Fritz CrislerFritz CrislerHerbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
- Assistant coaches: William Barclay, Ray FisherRay FisherRay Lyle Fisher was an American professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball. His debut game took place on July 2, 1910. His final game took place on October 2, 1920...
, Earl MartineauEarl Martineau-External links:...
, Clarence "Biggie" MunnBiggie MunnClarence Lester "Biggie" Munn was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He was the head football coach at Albright College , Syracuse University , and most notably Michigan State College , where his 1952 squad won a national championship...
, Bennie OosterbaanBennie OosterbaanBenjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
, Arthur ValpeyArthur ValpeyArthur L. Valpey was an American football player and coach.A native of Dayton, Ohio, Valpey was an all-state halfback at Dayton's Steele High School. Valpey enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1934, where freshman football coach Wally Weber moved him to the end position...
, Walter WeberWally WeberWalter J. Weber was an American football player and coach at the University of Michigan. He played halfback and fullback for the Wolverines in 1925 and 1926 on the same teams as Benny Friedman and Bennie Oosterbaan. He later became an assistant football coach at Michigan for 28 years from 1931 to... - Trainer: Ray Roberts
- Manager: James D. Kline