Walter Koppisch
Encyclopedia
Walter Frederic "Wally" Koppisch (June 6, 1901 – November 2, 1952) was an American football
halfback
in the National Football League
for the Buffalo Bisons
and New York Giants
. He attended Columbia University
. At 23 years old, Koppisch, a local celebrity and high school football
star, was named the head coach of the Buffalo Bisons, making him among the youngest head coaches in NFL history. Koppisch is considered one of the earliest bust
s in the NFL, having spectacularly failed to meet the high expectations of him in his lone season in Buffalo, although the expectations may have been unwarranted due to changes outside of his control.
He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1981.
, in Buffalo, New York
. While there, he led his team to three consecutive Harvard Cup championships, which denoted Buffalo city champions. Upon graduation, Koppisch went on to star at Columbia University, where he captained the Lions for three seasons. While playing Columbia's backfield
, Koppisch was teammates with, future New York Yankee, Lou Gehrig
. In 1924 he was received All-American honors by Walter Camp
.
, in his book Pro Football: Its Ups and Downs
, the Giants stopped pursuing Koppisch at the request of the Bisons.
While expectations were high for the Bison in 1925, the reality was that the team needed to undergo a rebuilding process. Many of the team's top players from the previous season
had left the team. These players included mainstays Tommy Hughitt, Benny Boynton, Pete Calac
, and Eddie Kaw
. Upon assuming the job of coach, Koppisch implemented the same system that was in use at Columbia University, by coach Frank "Buck" O'Neill
, with himself as the offense's focal point. Meanwhile the new players consisted of stand-out collegians, but not one of them an All-American.
At one point the Buffalo Evening News reported on several leaks, concerning the Bisons roster. According to the News, the story was to be kept under wraps until a time approved by Koppisch. However the News reportedly saw the same story published in a rival newspaper (presumably the now-defunct Buffalo Courier-Express
) and ran the story. The News maintained that it was Koppisch who broke the agreement by leaking the story to the rival newspaper. As a result Koppisch removed the News reporter from training camp. The News carried its grudge against the Bisons for the entire season, publishing only a few very small articles about the team.
The Bisons 1925 season
,ended with a 1-6-2 record. The team began the season with back-to-back losses against the Frankford Yellow Jackets
and Pottsville Maroons
. The they then posted scoreless ties against the Rochester Jeffersons
and Akron Pros
. During the Rochester game, Koppisch and Jim Kendrick
, made huge runs on offense. However the Jeffersons defense stopped the Bisons from scoring. Meanwhile during the Akron showdown, the Bison defense held future Hall of Famer
, Fritz Pollard
in check throughout the game, allowing the Pros just seven first downs for the entire game. However the Pros defense held Buffulo to only two first downs. The team's only victory in 1925 came in a 17-6 win against the Columbus Tigers.
On October 22, Koppisch was involved in an automobile accident. He received some bad cuts and bruises on his legs, and was advised to sit out a few games to allow his injuries to heal. This forced Koppisch to miss the November 1 rematch against Frankford. The Bisons would go on to lose that game, 12-3. Meanwhile, Koppisch was forced to miss a second game at New York's
Polo Grounds
. The game was to be a homecoming for Koppisch since he played at the Polo Grounds while attending Columbia. Upon hearing that Koppisch would not be playing in the game, a large group of fans from Columbia, who turned out just to see him play, booed him. The fans were unaware of the injuries suffered by Koppisch in the October 22 accident. However the boos led Koppisch to come out and play two series of downs in the second quarter. The Bisons were still down by 7 points and Koppisch, as a result of his injuries, was unable to get the team to score. He later returned in fourth quarter to attempt a score while deep into Giants' territory, but to no avail. The Giants held on for the 7-0 victory and Buffalo’s record fell to 1-4-2. It would be Koppisch’s last appearance in a Buffalo uniform. The Bisons ended their 1925 season with losses to the Providence Steam Roller
and, eventual champions, the Chicago Cardinals
.
The Bisons did not ask Koppisch to return as the coach for the 1926 season
. While Buffalo expected him to challenge for the NFL title, the environmentin the city proved that challenge to be impossible. The franchise suffered from years of declining attendance, which in turn meant little money with which the team could sign decent players. Meanwhile many of the NFL's top team were able to exploit Bufflo's inexperienced team.
), the number of pro teams dropped dramatically: half of the NFL teams, and all but one of the AFL teams, folded, significantly increasing the pool of available talent. Koppisch gave up on professional football.
Koppisch remained in New York City after his playing career and became a stockbroker. At one point, he was a business partner of Lou Gehrig
, his former Columbia teammate. Koppisch later became an investigator for the Securities and Exchange Commission.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
halfback
Halfback (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...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo (NFL)
Buffalo, New York had a turbulent, early-era National Football League team that operated under three different names and several different owners between the 1910s and 1920s...
and New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He attended Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. At 23 years old, Koppisch, a local celebrity and high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
star, was named the head coach of the Buffalo Bisons, making him among the youngest head coaches in NFL history. Koppisch is considered one of the earliest bust
Bust
Bust may refer to:*Bust , a sculpture depicting a person's head and shoulders*Bust , a feminist pop culture magazine*Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in north-eastern France*Bust, a word for a woman's breasts...
s in the NFL, having spectacularly failed to meet the high expectations of him in his lone season in Buffalo, although the expectations may have been unwarranted due to changes outside of his control.
He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1981.
High school and college football
While playing high school ball at Masten Park High, now City Honors SchoolCity Honors School
City Honors School at Fosdick-Masten Park, known colloquially as City Honors, or CHS, is a college preparatory school in Buffalo, New York. City Honors is part of the Buffalo Public Schools system. The school was founded in 1975 by three faculty members from Bennett High School and Clinton Junior...
, in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. While there, he led his team to three consecutive Harvard Cup championships, which denoted Buffalo city champions. Upon graduation, Koppisch went on to star at Columbia University, where he captained the Lions for three seasons. While playing Columbia's backfield
Backfield
The backfield is the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage. The backfield or offensive backfield can also refer to members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the quarterback, running back, and/or fullback.-Play...
, Koppisch was teammates with, future New York Yankee, Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
. In 1924 he was received All-American honors by Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
.
Buffalo:1925
In September 1925, it was announced that Koppisch would be returning to Buffalo to coach the Buffalo Bisons. He was only 23 years-old at the time, making him one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history. However the newly established New York Giants, were seeking a well-known player which they could build a team around, and Walter’s was the top name on their list. However according Harry MarchHarry March
Harry Addison March was an early football historian and promoter, as well as a medical doctor. He also helped organize the National Football League and well as the second American Football League. March is also credited with convincing Tim Mara to purchase an NFL franchise for New York City, which...
, in his book Pro Football: Its Ups and Downs
Pro Football: Its Ups and Downs
Pro Football: Its Ups and Downs, published in 1934, is a novel by Dr. Harry March that was the first ever attempt to write a history of professional American football. March had served in several executive offices with the New York Giants of the National Football League in the late 1920s and was a...
, the Giants stopped pursuing Koppisch at the request of the Bisons.
While expectations were high for the Bison in 1925, the reality was that the team needed to undergo a rebuilding process. Many of the team's top players from the previous season
1924 Buffalo Bisons (NFL) season
The 1924 Buffalo Bisons season was their fifth in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 5-4-3, losing five games. They finished ninth in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
had left the team. These players included mainstays Tommy Hughitt, Benny Boynton, Pete Calac
Pete Calac
Pedro "Pete" Calac was a professional football player who played in the Ohio League and during the early years of the National Football League...
, and Eddie Kaw
Eddie Kaw
Eddie Kaw was an American football player. He attended Cornell University and graduated in 1923. Kaw was elected into the Sphinx Head Society during his senior year....
. Upon assuming the job of coach, Koppisch implemented the same system that was in use at Columbia University, by coach Frank "Buck" O'Neill
Frank "Buck" O'Neill
Frank J. "Buck" O'Neill was an American football player and coach. He served as head football coach at Colgate University , Syracuse University , and Columbia University , compiling a career college football coaching record of 81–41–8...
, with himself as the offense's focal point. Meanwhile the new players consisted of stand-out collegians, but not one of them an All-American.
Leak dispute with the media
At one point the Buffalo Evening News reported on several leaks, concerning the Bisons roster. According to the News, the story was to be kept under wraps until a time approved by Koppisch. However the News reportedly saw the same story published in a rival newspaper (presumably the now-defunct Buffalo Courier-Express
Buffalo Courier-Express
The Buffalo Courier-Express was a morning newspaper in Buffalo, New York. It ceased publication on September 1982.The Courier-Express was created in 1926 by a merger of the Buffalo Daily Courier and the Buffalo Morning Express. William James Conners, owner of the Buffalo Courier, brought the two...
) and ran the story. The News maintained that it was Koppisch who broke the agreement by leaking the story to the rival newspaper. As a result Koppisch removed the News reporter from training camp. The News carried its grudge against the Bisons for the entire season, publishing only a few very small articles about the team.
Rough start
The Bisons 1925 season
1925 Buffalo Bisons (NFL) season
The 1925 Buffalo Bisons season was their sixth in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous record against league opponents of 6-5, winning four games...
,ended with a 1-6-2 record. The team began the season with back-to-back losses against the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
and Pottsville Maroons
Pottsville Maroons
The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1920, they went on to play in the National Football League for four seasons, from 1925–1928...
. The they then posted scoreless ties against the Rochester Jeffersons
Rochester Jeffersons
The Rochester Jeffersons from Rochester, New York played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1925.Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of the century , the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing...
and Akron Pros
Akron Pros
The Akron Pros were a professional football team located played in Akron, Ohio from 1908–1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional...
. During the Rochester game, Koppisch and Jim Kendrick
Jim Kendrick
James Marcellus Kendrick was a professional football player during the early years of the National Football League with the Toledo Maroons, Canton Bulldogs, Louisville Brecks, Chicago Bears, Hammond Pros, Buffalo Bisons, Rochester Jeffersons, Rock Island Independents, Buffalo Rangers and the New...
, made huge runs on offense. However the Jeffersons defense stopped the Bisons from scoring. Meanwhile during the Akron showdown, the Bison defense held future Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
, Fritz Pollard
Fritz Pollard
Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was the first African American head coach in the National Football League . Pollard along with Bobby Marshall were the first two African American players in the NFL in 1920...
in check throughout the game, allowing the Pros just seven first downs for the entire game. However the Pros defense held Buffulo to only two first downs. The team's only victory in 1925 came in a 17-6 win against the Columbus Tigers.
Playing through pain
On October 22, Koppisch was involved in an automobile accident. He received some bad cuts and bruises on his legs, and was advised to sit out a few games to allow his injuries to heal. This forced Koppisch to miss the November 1 rematch against Frankford. The Bisons would go on to lose that game, 12-3. Meanwhile, Koppisch was forced to miss a second game at New York's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
. The game was to be a homecoming for Koppisch since he played at the Polo Grounds while attending Columbia. Upon hearing that Koppisch would not be playing in the game, a large group of fans from Columbia, who turned out just to see him play, booed him. The fans were unaware of the injuries suffered by Koppisch in the October 22 accident. However the boos led Koppisch to come out and play two series of downs in the second quarter. The Bisons were still down by 7 points and Koppisch, as a result of his injuries, was unable to get the team to score. He later returned in fourth quarter to attempt a score while deep into Giants' territory, but to no avail. The Giants held on for the 7-0 victory and Buffalo’s record fell to 1-4-2. It would be Koppisch’s last appearance in a Buffalo uniform. The Bisons ended their 1925 season with losses to the Providence Steam Roller
Providence Steam Roller
The Providence Steam Roller was a professional American football team based in Providence, Rhode Island in the National Football League from 1925 to 1931. Providence was the first New England team to win an NFL championship...
and, eventual champions, the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Termination
The Bisons did not ask Koppisch to return as the coach for the 1926 season
1926 Buffalo Rangers season
The 1926 Buffalo Rangers season was their seventh in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 1-6-2, winning four games. They finished ninth in the league.-Background:...
. While Buffalo expected him to challenge for the NFL title, the environmentin the city proved that challenge to be impossible. The franchise suffered from years of declining attendance, which in turn meant little money with which the team could sign decent players. Meanwhile many of the NFL's top team were able to exploit Bufflo's inexperienced team.
Retirement
In 1926, Koppisch signed with the New York Giants, playing under head coach Joe Alexander, a fellow Western New York native. Koppisch played just one season with the team, seeing action in nine of the team's fourteen games that year. After the 1926 season (one in which there were at least 31 top level professional teams between the NFL and the American Football LeagueAmerican Football League (1926)
The first American Football League , sometimes called AFL I, AFLG, or the Grange League, was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C...
), the number of pro teams dropped dramatically: half of the NFL teams, and all but one of the AFL teams, folded, significantly increasing the pool of available talent. Koppisch gave up on professional football.
Koppisch remained in New York City after his playing career and became a stockbroker. At one point, he was a business partner of Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, his former Columbia teammate. Koppisch later became an investigator for the Securities and Exchange Commission.