1944 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
The 1944 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan
in the 1944 college football season
. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler
. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium
.
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 1944 college football season
1944 college football season
The 1944 college football season was played during the Second World War. The football team of the United States Military Academy, more popularly known as Army, was crowned as the nation’s #1 team by 95 of the 121 writers who participated in the AP poll...
. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert 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...
. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
.
Schedule
Starters
- Clement L. Bauman - 10 games at right tackle
- George Burg - 10 games at left guard
- Ralph L. Chubb - 3 games at right halfback
- William L. Culligan - 1 game at left halfback
- Gene DerricotteGene DerricotteEugene "Gene" Derricotte is a former American football player who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1944 to 1948. He was one of the University's first African American athletes in the era when NCAA Division I college football was beginning to integrate...
- 9 games at left halfback - 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...
- 9 games at left end - Milan LazetichMilan LazetichMilan "Sheriff" Lazetich was an American football player in the 1940s. He played college football for the University of Montana and University of Michigan. He was a first-team All-Big Ten tackle and second-team All-American in 1944 for the Michigan Wolverines. He later played professional...
- 8 games at left tackle - Arthur N. LeRoux - 2 games at left tackle
- John Lintol - 5 games at center
- 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....
- 3 games at fullback - 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...
- 7 games at right halfback - Joseph PonsettoJoseph PonsettoJoseph Ponsetto was an American football player who was the starting quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines football teams of 1944 and 1945. Playing under head coach Fritz Crisler, Ponsetto led the 1944 team to an 8–2 record and a #8 ranking in the final AP Poll...
- 10 games at quarterback - Art Renner - 9 games at right end, 1 game at left end
- Dick RifenburgDick RifenburgRichard Gale "Dick" Rifenburg was a pioneering television broadcaster for the forerunner to WIVB-TV in Buffalo. He was also a professional American football wide receiver who played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions in 1950 and had been an All-American end for the University of Michigan Wolverines...
- 1 game at right end - Quentin SickelsQuentin SickelsQuentin Brian "Quent" Sickels is a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Michigan in 1944 and from 1946 to 1948. He played on Michigan's undefeated 1947 and 1948 national championship teams...
- 10 games at right guard - Harold WattsHarold WattsHarold M. Watts was a former American football player. He played at the center position for the University of Michigan from 1943 to 1946. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1945 Michigan Wolverines football team and received the award in absentia after being transferred off the...
- 5 games at center - 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...
- 7 games at fullback
Awards and honors
- Captain: 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...
- All-Conference: 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...
, Milan LazetichMilan LazetichMilan "Sheriff" Lazetich was an American football player in the 1940s. He played college football for the University of Montana and University of Michigan. He was a first-team All-Big Ten tackle and second-team All-American in 1944 for the Michigan Wolverines. He later played professional...
, Joseph PonsettoJoseph PonsettoJoseph Ponsetto was an American football player who was the starting quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines football teams of 1944 and 1945. Playing under head coach Fritz Crisler, Ponsetto led the 1944 team to an 8–2 record and a #8 ranking in the final AP Poll... - Most Valuable Player: 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....
Coaching 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: William Hart, Rawland Sylvester