Sol S. Metzger (December 29, 1880 – January 18, 1932) 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 ...

player, coach of football and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, college athletics administrator, and sports journalist. He served as the head football coach at

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

(1904), the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

(1908),

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

(1909),

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...

(1914–1915),

Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian m ...

(1916–1917),

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

(1919), the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

(1920–1924). Metzger was also the head basketball coach at South Carolina for one season in 1920–21, tallying a mark of 7–11. In addition, Metzger wrote a nationally syndicated sports column.

Early life

Metzger was born in

Bedford, Pennsylvania Bedford is a borough, spa town, and the county seat of Bedford County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located west of Harrisburg, the state capital, and east of Pittsburgh. Bedford's population was 2,865 at the 2020 census. History ...

on December 29, 1880. He was of son of

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

veteran Captain Sol Metzger and his wife Margaret (Andrews) Metzger. He was one of six children with three brothers and two sisters. Growing up in Bedford he attended Bedford Public Schools and the Bedford Academy before going to Phillips-Andover Academy in

Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was Settler, settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''Encyclopedia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed. ...

. He graduated from Phillips-Andover Academy in 1899 where he was a member of the track team as a member of the quarter mile relay team.

University of Pennsylvania

Metzger was a graduate of University of Pennsylvania in 1903 with a Bachelor of Architecture. He was active in many organizations including

Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi (), commonly known as Phi Psi, is an American collegiate social fraternity that was founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania in 1852. The fraternity has over ninety chapters at accredited four-year colleges and uni ...

fraternity and Sphinx Society. He was also business manager of the University’s monthly periodical, The Red and Blue. At Penn he was also much involved in several athletic programs including being the manager of the varsity rowing team, a member of the track team and most notably the football team.

Football player

Metzger began his college career as a member of the freshman football team. He lettered three years at

end End, END, Ending, or ENDS may refer to: End Mathematics *End (category theory) * End (topology) * End (graph theory) * End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) * End (endomorphism) Sports and games *End (gridiron football) *End, a division ...

and

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

on the varsity team. His first varsity year was played under

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

coach

George Washington Woodruff George Washington Woodruff (February 22, 1864 – March 23, 1934) was an American college football player, Rowing (sport), rower, coach, teacher, lawyer and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Pennsylvania (1892� ...

and last two under Carl S. Williams. In 1901, Metzger first season for the Quakers, he played as a backup. The team started strong by winning their first seven games, but were weakened in part to injuries accumulated during the earlier games. The Quakers lost five out the last eight to finish the season 10–5. The five losses were the most under Woodruff. In addition to the tough season the team had to deal with an undergraduate and dental student revolt upset about the coaching of the team. This led to Head Coach George W. Woodruff to resign as coach. After Woodruff resignation was accepted, the members of the football team sent a letter to the Football Committee unanimously requesting that Woodruff be reinstated as coach. The letter was ignored. In 1902, Carl Sheldon Williams succeeded George W. Woodruff as coached and the Quakers improved to 9–4. The following year Metzger was named captain and led Penn to a 9–3 mark. During his playing career he was best known for playing right end on Defense where he was known for his tackling and stopping the opposition’s runs around end.

Coaching career

Baylor

After graduating from Penn, he took a job as coach at

. He compiled a 2–5–1 record in 1904.

Pennsylvania

In 1908, Metzger succeeded Carl Williams, his former coach, at the

. Penn won a retroactive national title after an 11–0–1 campaign in his only year at the helm of the Quakers. During the championship run, the Quakers out-scored their opponents, 215–18. A 6–6 tie with the Carlisle Indians was only blemish on their season. This team was led by two future members of the

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n senior captain Bill "Big Bill" Hollenback at halfback and All-American Hunter Scarlett at end.

Oregon State

In 1909, Metzger became head coach at

(then known as Oregon Agricultural College) where he posted a 4–2–1 record including late season losses to

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

and the

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. During the season, Metzger removed the team's captain, Carl Wolff, from the squad for insubordination.

West Virginia

After spending time raising fruit in

Lewiston, Idaho Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's North Central Idaho, north central region. It is the third-largest city in the Idaho Panhandle, northern Idaho region, behind Post Falls, Idaho, Pos ...

, Metzger coached at

from 1914 to 1915, where he and compiled a 10–6–1 record. Metzger replaced

Edwin Sweetland Edwin Regur Sweetland (January 10, 1875 – October 21, 1950) was an American coach, trainer, and athletic administrator at several universities. During his coaching career he was head coach of many sports including basketball, track and field, an ...

to please outraged alumni calling for the hiring of a nationally known coach. During his tenure as coach he was credited with bring in stars such as Ira Errett Rodgers, Russ Bailey and Clay Hite. While at West Virginia he was also noted for being one of the first coaches to employ the screen pass. In Metzgers first season at West Virginia, the team finished with a 5–4 record. During the season his coaching was hindered when he broke his leg in an automobile accident. The 1915 squad improved to a record of 5–2–1 and gained some national attention. The team scored 216 points to 25 by their opponents. The two losses were a 7–0 loss to traditional power the University of Pennsylvania to start the season, and a forfeit to Washington and Lee. During the Washington & Lee game, Metzger pulled his team off the field alleging rough play while leading 8–6. The only other blemish was a tie to Washington & Jefferson which later defeated traditional power

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

. Metzger was offered the coaching position for the next season but turned it down, instead signing to coach Washington and Jefferson College.

Tower play controversy

In 1915, Metzger was involved in a controversy with what would become known as a "Tower Play" during a game between West Virginia and

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...

. The Mountaineers were heavily favored and Metzger told the media he would "eat his hat if Marshall scores." As expected, Metzger's team won the game handily by a score of 92–6. West Virginia mostly ran ball to the side line where Blondie Taylor was so to punish him for transferring from WVU to Marshall before the season. To prevent the shutout, Marshall coach Boyd Chambers developed a special play. On their fourth possession. Marshall moved the ball down to the 15-yard line. Marshall back Dayton Carter came in the game. Marshall quarterback Brad Workman, took the snap and set up to pass. Marshall's tackle Okey Taylor and Carter ran toward the end zone. Carter was hoisted onto Taylor's shoulders as Workman rifled a high pass in their direction. Carter caught the ball and fell into the end zone for a score. Metzger argued with the officials, but the referee and umpire could find no rule to discount the score. The next day the Huntington Herald Dispatch head line was “Marshall Scores” The story did not mention much about West Virginia until the middle of the article instead focusing on the Tower play. Metzger protested to former Yale coach

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American college football player and coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage a ...

, who was in charge of college football rules. Camp upheld the score, however, he changed the rules to not allow the play for the 1916 season.

Washington & Jefferson

In 1916, Metzger moved

where he coached for two years. During his tenure he coached the Red and Black to a record of 15–5. Metzger replaced Robert Folwell who became coach of the University of Pennsylvania. The 1916 season Metzger had to contend with injuries and suspensions. Two players (Nuss and Ruble) were injured in a loss to Yale. Before the team left for

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

to play Washington and Lee, three players, Fain, Whitehill and Nall, were declared ineligible due to poor grades. During the victory over Washington and Lee, center Bill Shields fractured ankle and was out for the rest of the season. Before the last game of the season, a victory over

Rutgers Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...

, Metzger became ill with ptomaine poisoning. Washington and Jefferson was considered one of the youngest and smallest teams in the country, averaging 169 pounds and 20 years of age. Even with the injuries and suspensions, Metzger and the Red and Black finished the season with an 8–2 record, the only losses coming mid season in back-to-back games against Yale and

Pittsburgh 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 ...

. Metzger and the Red and Black went 7–3 in 1917 losing to West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Notre Dame by a total of 13 points. The team was led by two future college football hall of fame members Wilbur "Pete" Henry, who was named All-American that year and

Edgar Garbisch Edgar William Garbisch (April 7, 1899 – December 13, 1979) was an American college football player, military officer, businessman and art collector. He played eight years of college football at Washington & Jefferson College (1917–1920) and t ...

. After the 1917 season, several players enlisted in the military to serve in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. There were rumors that the administration was not happy with Metzger's performance, but would allow him to coach the 1918 season. After the season, Metzger tried to enlist in for service in World War I. He was twice refused because of a leg injury he suffered during his tenure as West Virgian head football coach. After those rejections he took a position as an athletic director in the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

at Camp Dix where he organized athletic events for the military personnel.

Union

In 1919, Metzger was named Director of Physical Activities at

Schenectady, New York Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

. In this position he was in charge of coaching the football team as well as developing basketball, baseball and track teams. In developing the athletic program after World War I, Metzger did not have to start from scratch since Union did not abandon its program like other colleges did during the war.

South Carolina

Metzger's last coaching stop was at the

, where he went 31–20–2.

Sports author and journalist

Even while coaching, Metzger's chief occupation was writing for magazine and newspapers. He focused mainly on sports and outdoor subjects including fishing and hunting. Many times he would illustrate his articles with his own drawings. He contributed articles to such magazines as ''

Outing Outing is the act of disclosing an LGBTQ person's sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent. It is often done for political reasons, either to instrumentalize homophobia, biphobia, and/or transphobia Transphobia consists ...

'', ''

Collier's Weekly } ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...

'', and ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

''. He wrote a syndicated column called "Touchdown Secrets" that was published by newspapers throughout the country. In addition he started a syndicate to provide newspapers articles written by himself as well as other journalists.

World War I

At the beginning of the War many colleges and universities were questioning the value of athletic programs on campus. Metzger wrote a series articles that supported the continuation of athletics at colleges and universities. He argued athletes were more likely to enlist than the general student body. He also indicated that athletic programs help train students for the War effort. He wrote ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' that he regarded participating in athletics as a patriotic duty.

Books

* 1929 ''Putting Analyzed'' * 1931 ''How To Play Golf'' co-authored by

Grantland Rice Henry Grantland Rice (November 1, 1880 – July 13, 1954) was an American sportswriter and poet known as the "Dean of American Sports Writers". He coined the famous phrase that it was not important whether you “won or lost, but how you playe ...

and Innis Brown () * 1931 ''How To Watch Football''

Family and later life

Metzger married Miss Mae Oakley of New York City and the couple had three children: John, Robert. and Joy. After retiring from coaching, Metzger moved to

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

, where he resided the rest of his life. A resident of

Ventnor City, New Jersey Ventnor City is a city situated on the Jersey Shore on Absecon Island, within Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,210, a decrease of 1,440 ( ...

, he died there on January 18, 1932, of

erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright- red rash, ...

developed after surgery.via

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 ...

"Sol Metzger, Sports Critic, Seriously Ill"
''

Milwaukee Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the ...

'', January 15, 1932. Accessed September 9, 2012. "Sol Metzger, veteran sports writer and former football coach, is in a serious condition Wednesday night at his home in Ventnor, a suburb."

Head coaching record

Football

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Metzger, Sol 1880 births 1932 deaths American football ends American football quarterbacks Baylor Bears football coaches Oregon State Beavers football coaches Penn Quakers football coaches Penn Quakers football players South Carolina Gamecocks athletic directors South Carolina Gamecocks football coaches South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball coaches Union Garnet Chargers football coaches Washington & Jefferson Presidents football coaches West Virginia Mountaineers football coaches Sportspeople from Atlantic City, New Jersey People from Bedford, Pennsylvania People from Ventnor City, New Jersey Players of American football from Pennsylvania Sportswriters from Pennsylvania Players of American football from Atlantic County, New Jersey