The 1937 Michigan Wolverines football team was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

team that represented the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in the

1937 Big Ten Conference football season The 1937 Big Ten Conference football season was the 42nd season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference (also known as the Western Conference) and was a part of the 1937 college football season. The 1937 Minnes ...

. In their ninth season under head coach

Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 4–4 record (3–3 against Big Ten opponents) and tied for fourth place in the Big Ten. Kipke was fired after the season, having compiled a 46–26–4 record in nine years as Michigan's head coach. After losing its first three games, the team won four consecutive games before losing to

Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...

in the final game of the season. The team was outscored by a combined total of 110 to 54, ranking 106th of 126 teams in major college football with an average of 6.8 points scored per game. Guard

Ralph Heikkinen Ralph Isaac "Hike" Heikkinen (May 14, 1917 – January 12, 1990) was an American college football player who was a guard for the Michigan Wolverines from 1936 to 1938. He was a unanimous All-American in 1938, the first player from the Gogebi ...

was named the team's most valuable player and also received first-team honors on the 1937 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Center Joe Rinaldi was the team captain.

Schedule

Season summary

Pre-season

During the 1936 football season, Michigan compiled a 1–7 record (0–5 against conference opponents) and finished in last place in the Big Ten Conference. The team had compiled a 2–14 conference record since the 1933 season. In December 1936, unhappiness with the team's performance was widespread, and the press reported that the school was intent on making sweeping changes and that chances were remote for the return of head coach Harry Kipke. In January 1937, in what was described in the press as "a compromise shakeup", the university fired Franklin Cappon as the team's line coach and assistant athletic director but retained Kipke as head coach for the 1937 season. The press reported that Kipke's retention was in part due to the failure to find a suitable replacement following a careful search. Cappon's dismissal was viewed as a victory for Kipke who had broken relations during the 1936 season.

Bennie Oosterbaan Benjamin Oosterbaan ( ; February 24, 1906 – October 25, 1990) was an American football end and head coach for the University of Michigan. He was a three-time All-American college football player, a two-time All-American basketball player, and ...

and Wally Weber also retained their positions as assistant coaches responsible for the team's ends and backfield players. The team filled out its coaching staff in February 1937, hiring

Hunk Anderson Heartley William "Hunk" Anderson (September 22, 1898 – April 24, 1978) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Saint Louis University (1928–1929), University of Notre Dame (1931–1933), and No ...

as the line coach to replace Cappon.

Week 1: Michigan State

On October 2, 1937, Michigan opened its season with a 19–14 loss to

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...

in front of a crowd of 71,200 at

Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "the Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the wo ...

. The defeat was the fourth in a row for Michigan against Charlie Bachman's Spartans – the first time in Michigan football history that any team had secured four consecutive victories over the Wolverines. After a scoreless first half, the Spartans scored three touchdowns in the second half, led by halfback John Pingel who threw two touchdown passes to Ole Nelson. Michigan State's Gene Ciolek also scored on an 89-yard run. For the Wolverines, Hercules Renda caught a touchdown pass from Stark Ritchie, and Fred Trosko scored on a run through center from inside the one-yard line. Trosko also kicked two points after touchdown.

Week 2: at Northwestern

On October 9, 1937, Michigan lost to Northwestern, winner of the 1936 Big Ten championship, by a 7–0 score at Dyche Stadium in

Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...

. Despite the defeat, Michigan tackle Don Siegel was credited with completely stopping Northwestern's rushing attack on the left side to the point that Northwestern ceased running to his side after the first quarter. After a scoreless first half, Northwestern capitalized after intercepting a Douglas Farmer pass near midfield in the third quarter. The Wildcats scored on a 15-yard pass from

Don Heap Donald Eugene Heap (September 28, 1912 – March 21, 2016) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He was twice selected as an All-American football player while playing for the Northwestern Wildcats football team. Early yea ...

to Cleo Diehl. The Wolverines out-gained the Wildcats on the ground by 125 rushing yards to 106, but the Wildcats exceeded the Wolverines in the air by a margin of 128 passing yards to 70.

Week 3: Minnesota

On October 16, 1937, in the annual Little Brown Jug rivalry game, Michigan lost to

Bernie Bierman Bernard W. Bierman (March 11, 1894 – March 7, 1977) was an American college football coach best known for his years as head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football program. Between 1934-41, his Minnesota teams won five national champio ...

Minnesota Golden Gophers The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college athletics, college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 21 (9 men's, 12 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and com ...

by a 39–6 score before approximately 70,000 spectators at Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines took a 6–0 lead in the first quarter on a four-yard touchdown pass from Fred Trosko to

Elmer Gedeon Elmer John Gedeon (April 15, 1917 – April 20, 1944) was an American professional baseball player, appearing in several games for the Washington Senators (1901–60), Washington Senators in . Gedeon and Harry O'Neill (catcher), Harry O'Neill wer ...

, the Wolverines' first touchdown against Minnesota since 1931. From that point forward, Minnesota responded with 39 unanswered points and intercepted six Michigan passes. Minnesota out-gained Michigan by a total of 389 yards to 31 yards. The loss was Michigan's fourth in a row against Minnesota. Minnesota star halfback Andy Uram sustained a broken wrist in the game. The 1937 Golden Gophers went on to win the Big Ten championship and were ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll.

Week 4: at Iowa

On October 23, 1937, Michigan defeated

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, 7–6, before a crowd of approximately 20,000 in Iowa City. The victory was the first for Michigan over a Big Ten opponent since 1935. Tex Stanton scored Michigan’s touchdown on a three-yard run in the second quarter. Fred Trosko kicked the point after touchdown. Iowa quarterback

Nile Kinnick Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training ...

, who went on to win the 1939

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

, returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Michigan tackle Bill Smith blocked Kinnick’s kick for the point after touchdown to preserve Michigan's lead. The Wolverines out-gained the Hawkeyes by 180 yards to 106 yards.

Week 5: at Illinois

On October 30, 1937, Michigan defeated

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

by a 7–6 score before a crowd of approximately 29,000 at Memorial Stadium in

Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Illinois, tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in ...

. After a scoreless first half, the Illini took a 6–0 lead in the third quarter as Willard Cramer recovered a fumble in Michigan's end zone for a touchdown. However, the kick for extra point was low. Shortly thereafter, Michigan quarterback Bill Barclay intercepted a Minnesota pass near midfield. After moving the ball to Illinois' 36-yard line, Fred Trosko threw a pass caught by a wide-open John Nicholson at the 15-yard line. Nicholson ran the remaining 15 yards untouched for a touchdown. Trosko converted the kick for point after touchdown to give the Wolverines a 7–6 lead. Michigan played well on defense, holding the Illini to only 56 total yards from scrimmage. The game was Illinois' homecoming game and included a celebration in honor of

Robert Zuppke Robert Carl Zuppke (July 2, 1879 – December 22, 1957) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Illinois—now known as the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign–from 1913 until 1941, compili ...

's 25th anniversary as the team's football coach.

Week 6: Chicago

On November 6, 1937, Michigan defeated the

Chicago Maroons The Chicago Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon. Team colors are maroon and gray, and Phil the Phoenix is their mascot. They now compete in the NCAA Division III, mos ...

, 13–12, before a crowd of approximately 20,000 at Michigan Stadium. Chicago scored touchdowns in the second and third quarters to take a 12–0 lead. With four minutes remaining in the game, the Wolverines rallied for two touchdowns. Stark Ritchie, who had just been brought into the game as a substitute, scored on a 41-yard sweep around the left side with a key block by Hercules Renda on Chicago's right end. Danny Smick kicked the extra point to narrow Chicago's lead to five points. On the ensuing drive, Smick hit the Chicago ball carrier at full speed; the ball came loose and Smick recovered the fumble at Chicago's 21-yard line with two minutes left in the game. A Chicago penalty advanced the ball to the 16-yard line, and Stark Ritchie then ran through the right end to the six-yard line. Chicago held on the next three plays, but Ritchie ran for the winning touchdown on fourth down. Michigan took the lead with one minute left to play. Smick's kick for extra point was unsuccessful.

intercepted a Chicago pass at midfield as time ran out.

Week 7: at Penn

On November 13, 1937, Michigan won its fourth consecutive game, defeating Penn by a 7–0 score on a wet, muddy

Franklin Field Franklin Field is a sports stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the eastern edge of the University of Pennsylvania's campus. Named after Penn's founder, Benjamin Franklin, it is the home stadium for the Penn Relays, and the university's ve ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Michigan scored with a minute and 20 seconds remaining in the first half on a six-yard touchdown pass from Stark Ritchie to Norm Purucker. Guard George Marzonie kicked the extra point. The touchdown was set up when

recovered a fumbled forward lateral. A Penn player, Walter Shinn, threw a punch at Michigan end John Nicholson during the scrum for the loose ball, resulting in Shinn's ejection and a penalty that moved the ball to the Penn 33-yard line. Penn out-gained Michigan in the game by a total of 94 yards to 74 yards. After the game, a small contingent of Michigan fans attempted unsuccessfully to tear down the goalpost, but their effort was thwarted by a much larger group of Penn students.

Week 8: Ohio State

On November 20, 1937, Michigan concluded its season with its annual rivalry game against an Ohio State team ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll. The game was played in the snow before a crowd of approximately 60,000 at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State dominated the game and won by a 21–0 score. Ohio State touchdowns were scored by Miller (two) and Nardi (one); the Buckeyes also scored two points on a safety in the second quarter. The Buckeyes out-gained the Wolverines by 225 rushing yards to 63 and by 101 passing yards to 37. The defeat was the fourth in a row to the Buckeyes. Prior to the 1937 season, Michigan had not lost four consecutive games to any opponents, but the 1937 season brought the team's fourth consecutive losses against all three major rivals – Michigan State, Minnesota, and Ohio State.

Post-season

On November 23, 1937, the Michigan football team elected tackle Fred Janke as captain of the 1938 team. At the same time, guard

was selected as the most valuable player on the 1937 squad. Heikkinen was also the only Michigan player to receive first-team honors on the 1937 All-Big Ten Conference football team. He was selected as a first-team tackle by the

United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...

and received second-team honors from the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

. Tackle Don Siegel also received second-team honors from the Associated Press.

was fired as Michigan's head coach on December 9, 1937. According to newspaper reports, Kipke was "on the outs" with athletic director Fielding H. Yost, and the Board in Control of Physical Education had come to the unanimous opinion that Kipke was "incompetent". Candidates to replace Kipke included

Gus Dorais Charles Emile "Gus" Dorais (July 2, 1891 – January 3, 1954) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. Dorais played college football at the University of Notre Dame, where he was an All-American in 1913 at quarterba ...

, George Veenker, Gar Davidson, Dutch Clark, Howard Jones, and

Ivy Williamson Ivan B. "Ivy" Williamson (February 4, 1911 – February 19, 1969) was a player and coach of American football and basketball, and a college athletics administrator. He played college football and basketball at the University of Michigan from 193 ...

Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler ( ; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college 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 ...

was ultimately hired in February 1938 as Kipke’s replacement.

Players

Varsity letter winners

The following 26 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1937 Michigan football team. For players who were starters, the list also includes the number of games started by position. Players who started at least half of Michigan's games are shown in bold. * Bill Barclay, quarterback, senior,

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...

– started 3 games at right halfback * John Brennan, guard, junior,

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River (Wisconsin), Root River, south of Milwaukee and north of Chicago. It is the List ...

– started 7 games at left guard *Robert D. Campbell, halfback, senior,

Ionia, Michigan Ionia ( ) is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 13,378 at the 2020 census. Every July it hosts what is said to be the world's largest free-admission fair, the Ionia Free Fair ...

* Douglas Farmer, fullback, senior,

Hinsdale, Illinois Hinsdale is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County. It is one of the wealthiest communities in Illinois. Hinsdale is a western suburb of Chicago with a population of 17,395 ...

– started 8 games at quarterback *

, end, junior,

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, Ohio – started 2 games at left end *

, guard, junior, Ramsay, Michigan – started 7 games at right guard * Fred Janke, fullback, junior,

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along Interstate 94 in Michigan, Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, U.S ...

– started 2 games at left tackle * Archie Kodros, center/guard, sophomore,

Alton, Illinois Alton ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend (Illinois), Riv ...

– started 7 games at center *Louis Levine, quarterback, junior,

Muskegon Heights, Michigan Muskegon Heights is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares w ...

*Earl B. Luby, tackle, senior,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois *George A. Marzonie, guard, senior, Flint, Michigan – started 1 game at right guard *John E. Nicholson, Jr., end, junior,

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The population was 53,923 at the 2020 census. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana. It is the most populous city in the Elkhart–Goshen metropolitan area, which in tu ...

– started 6 games at left end, 1 game at right end *Frederick C. "Fred" Olds, guard/tackle, junior,

East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, although a small portion extends north into Clinton County. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 47,741. The city is located immediate ...

– started 1 game at left guard *Ernest A. Pederson, guard, senior,

Grand Blanc, Michigan Grand Blanc is a city in Genesee County, Michigan, Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint, Michigan, Flint. The population was 7,784 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 US Census. It is part of the Flint metrop ...

* Norm Purucker, halfback, Poland, Ohio – started 1 game at right halfback * Hercules Renda, halfback, sophomore, Jochin,

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

– started 3 games at right halfback *Joseph M. Rinaldi, center, senior, Elkhart, Indiana – started 8 games at center * Stark Ritchie, halfback, senior,

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...

– started 1 game at center; 3 games at left halfback *Roland Savilla, tackle, sophomore,

Gallagher, West Virginia Gallagher is an unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Gallagher is south-southwest of Pratt. Gallagher has a post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, su ...

Roland Savilla, born May 13, 1916, died February 7, 2005, SSN issued Michigan, last residence Saint Albans, West Virginia – started 2 games at right tackle *Donald J. Siegel, tackle, junior, Royal Oak, Michigan – started 6 games at left tackle * Danny Smick, end, junior,

Hazel Park, Michigan Hazel Park is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Hazel Park borders Detroit to the north, roughly north of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 United Sta ...

– started 6 games at right end *William A. Smith, tackle, sophomore,

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...

– started 6 games at right tackle *Edward Stanton, fullback, junior,

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in West Virginia, most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Kanawha County, West Virginia, Kanawha County and ...

– started 7 games at fullback * Fred Trosko, halfback, sophomore, Flint, Michigan – started 5 games at left halfback *

Arthur Valpey Arthur Ludgate Valpey Jr. (August 5, 1915 – March 12, 2007) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Harvard University from 1948 to 1949 and at the University of Connecticut from 1950 to 1951, compilin ...

, end, senior, Detroit – started 1 game at right end *Clarence H. Vandewater, guard, junior,

Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa and Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the West Michigan, western region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula, the city is si ...

Varsity reserve

The following players were identified as varsity reserves on the roster of the 1937 Michigan football team. *Harold Floersch, end, junior,

Wyandotte, Michigan Wyandotte ( ) is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detro ...

*R. Wallace Hook, Jr., halfback, junior,

East Grand Rapids, Michigan East Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the United States, U.S. state of Michigan. , the population was 11,371. The city is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, including Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids ...

*John H. Kinsey, fullback, sophomore,

Plymouth, Michigan Plymouth is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western suburb of Detroit, Plymouth is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, and northeast of Ann Arbor. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 9,370. ...

– started 1 game at fullback *Dennis A. Kuhn, tackle, sophomore,

River Rouge, Michigan River Rouge (, ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,224 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the River Rouge, which flows along the city's northern border and into the Detroit River. The cit ...

*Derwood D. Laskey, halfback, sophomore, Milan, Michigan *Harry K. Mulholland, fullback, sophomore,

Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city in Bay County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 32,661 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is located just upriver from the Saginaw Bay on the Saginaw River. It is the princip ...

*Norman J. Nickerson, fullback, junior, Detroit, Michigan *Robert P. Piotrowski, halfback, junior,

Manistee, Michigan Manistee ( ') is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in southwestern Manistee County, it is part of the northwestern Lower Peninsula. Manistee is the county seat of Manistee County, and its population was 6,259 at the 2020 census. ...

*Joseph C. Rogers, end, sophomore,

Royal Oak, Michigan Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Metro Detroit, Detroit, Royal Oak is located roughly north of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cens ...

*Horace Tinker, center, sophomore,

*Frederick C. Ziem, guard, senior,

Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area, and is vari ...

All-freshman team

The 1937 all-freshman team included a nucleus of players, including

Tom Harmon Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), nicknamed "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster. Harmon played college football as a halfback for the Michigan Wolverines from ...

and

Forest Evashevski Forest "Evy" Evashevski (February 19, 1918 – October 30, 2009) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940 and with the Iowa Pre-Flight ...

, that would propel Michigan to the top tier of college football programs when

took over as head coach in 1938. *Pierce Barker, Detroit, Michigan *Richard C. Bennett,

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

*Irwin S. Clamage, Detroit, Michigan *George L. Clark,

Carthage, Illinois Carthage is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 2,490 as of the 2020 census. Carthage is best known for being the site of the 1844 murder of Joseph Smith, who founded the Latter Day Saint ...

*Edward W. Czak,

Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the forks of the Black River (Ohio), Black River in Northeast Ohio, southwest of Cleveland. The population was 52,656 at the 2020 United States cens ...

, Detroit, Michigan *Thomas G. Ford,

*Harlin E. Fraumann,

* Ralph Fritz,

New Kensington, Pennsylvania New Kensington (known locally as New Ken) is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 12,170 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is situated along the Allegheny River northeast of Pittsburgh ...

*William H. Gambill,

Centralia, Illinois Centralia is a city in Clinton, Jefferson, Marion, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Illinois with the largest portion in Marion County. The city is the largest in three counties, Clinton, Marion, and Washington, but it is not a ...

*Jack D. Grant, Chicago, Illinois *

Gary, Indiana Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...

*William J. Hermann, Detroit, Michigan *Robert Horst, Detroit, Michigan * Reuben Kelto,

Bessemer, Michigan Bessemer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,805. It is the county seat of Gogebic County. The city is surrounded by Bessemer Township, but the two are administered autonomously. It is on ...

*Thomas P. Kieckhefer,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

*Harry E. Kohl,

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

* Paul Kromer,

Lorain, Ohio Lorain () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located in Northeast Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River (Ohio), Black River about west of Cleveland. It is the List of cities in Ohio, ninth-most populous city in O ...

*Robert E. Larkin,

Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, adjacent to Chicago. It is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 26th-most populous municipality in Illinois, with a population of 54,318 as of the 2020 census. Oak Park was first se ...

*Blaz A. Lucas, Jr., Gary, Indiana *George S. Manolakas, Detroit, Michigan *Howard H. Mehaffey,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

*Jack Meyer,

*James R. Miller,

Highland Park, Michigan Highland Park is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Highland Park is located roughly north of Downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides. As of the 2020 United ...

*Charles E. Norton, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee *Arthur Paddy,

Benton Harbor, Michigan Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County, Michigan, Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 2 ...

*Lester Persky,

Cleveland Heights, Ohio Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. One of Cleveland's historic streetcar suburbs, it was founded as a village in 1903 and a city in 1921. History The area that is ...

*Richard G. Pugh, Detroit, Michigan *Charles R. Ross,

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

*Robert S. Ross,

Menasha, Wisconsin Menasha () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Winnebago and Calumet County, Wisconsin, Calumet counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 18,268 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Of this, 15,144 were in Winn ...

*Melvin S. Schlemenson,

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

*Robert M. Seltzer, Chicago, Illinois *Edward Shelberg,

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Awards and honors

*Captain: Joe Rinaldi *All-Conference:

(AP-2, UP-1); Don Siegel (AP-2) *Most Valuable Player: Ralph Heikkinen *Meyer Morton Award: Fred Trosko

Coaching staff

*Head coach:

*Assistant coaches :* ''Backfield coach'': Wally Weber :* ''Line coach'':

:* ''End coach'':

*Trainer: Ray Roberts *Manager: Fred Colombo, assisted by John Fecknay, Ralph Dubois, Warren Slater, Philip Woodworth

References

External links

1937 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{Michigan Wolverines football navbox

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

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