1941 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
The 1941 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan
in the 1941 college football season
. The 1941 team compiled a record of 6–1–1 and was ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press
poll.
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 1941 college football season
1941 college football season
The 1941 college football regular season ended with the Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota repeating as the AP Poll national champion. This was Minnesota's fifth national championship in eight years...
. The 1941 team compiled a record of 6–1–1 and was ranked No. 5 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.
Schedule
Starters
- George CeithamlGeorge CeithamlGeorge F. Ceithaml is a former American football quarterback and coach. He was the starting quarterback for Fritz Crisler's University of Michigan football teams in 1941 and 1942...
- 8 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... - Harlin E. Fraumann - 8 games at left end
- Robert Ingalls - 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...
- Reuben KeltoReuben KeltoReuben W. Kelto was an American football player. He played at the tackle position for the University of Michigan from 1939 to 1941. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1941 Michigan Wolverines football team.Kelto was born in 1919 in Bessemer, Michigan, the son of Emil and Lilly...
- 8 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 KolesarRobert KolesarRobert C. "Bob" Kolesar was an American football player and medical doctor. He played at the guard position for the University of Michigan from 1940 to 1942 and for the Cleveland Browns in 1946...
- 8 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.... - Tom KuzmaTom KuzmaTom George Kuzma was an American football player for the University of Michigan. He was the starting left halfback for Fritz Crisler's Michigan teams in 1941 and 1942....
- 7 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... - Harold Lockard - 5 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...
- William Melzow - 2 games at right guard
- David M. NelsonDavid M. NelsonDavid Moir Nelson was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, author, and authority on college football playing rules...
- 1 game at left halfback - 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 ....
- 6 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.... - Joe Rogers - 5 games at right end
- Philip E. Sharpe - 2 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...
- 1 game at right end - Bob WestfallBob WestfallRobert Barton "Bullet Bob" Westfall was an American football fullback who played for the University of Michigan and the Detroit Lions . He was a consensus first-team All-American in 1941 and a first-team All-Pro player in 1945...
- 8 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... - 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...
- 3 games at right halfback - Albert Wistert - 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....
Non-starters
- John G. Allerdice, halfback, Indianapolis, IN
- Ralph H. Amstutz, guard, Oak Park, IL
- Harry F. Anderson, guard, Chicago, IL
- Donald P. Boor, fullback, Dearborn, MI
- James J. Brown, halfback, St. Ignace, MI
- Norman D. Call, halfack, Norwalk, OH
- Harrison H. Caswell, tackle, Ann Arbor, MI
- Otto E. Chady, end, Highland Park, Mich.
- Leo P. Cunningham, tackle, Revere, MA
- Fred M. Dawley, quarterback, Detroit, MI
- Theodore E. Denise, tackle, Lansing, MI
- Robert L. Flora, tackle, Muskegon, MI
- Julius FranksJulius FranksDr. Julius Franks, Jr. was a civil rights leader and an All-American guard who played football at the University of Michigan from 1941 to 1942. Franks wore #62 as a varsity letterman in 1941 and #63 in 1942...
, guard, Hamtramck, MI - Walter B. Freihofer, end, Indianapolis, IN
- John J. Greene, quarterback, Pittsburgh, PA
- James Grissen, fullback, Holland, MI
- John F. Harrigan, quarterback, Detroit MI
- Charles J. Haslam, quarterback, Duluth, MN
- George H. Hildebrandt, tackle, Hamburg, NY
- Joseph Joseph, fullback, Highland Park, MI
- Jack KarwalesJack KarwalesJohn Joseph "Jack" Karwales was a U.S. American football player. He played at the end and tackle positions for the University of Michigan in 1941 and 1942...
, end, Chicago, IL - Charles F. Kennedy, halfback, Van Wert, OH
- Theodore Kennedy, center, Saginaw, MI
- William E. Kuyper, tackle, Newtonville, MA
- John T. Laine, guard, Puritan, MI
- William M. MacConnachie, end, Upper Mt. Clair, NJ
- William J. MacDougall, tackle, Highland Park, MI
- Elmer MadarElmer MadarElmer F. Madar was an All American football player at the University of Michigan in 1942 and 1946. Born in Sykesville, Pennsylvania, Madar played football at Northeastern High School in Detroit...
, quarterback, Detroit - Robert L. McFaddin, center, Detroit
- Austin S. Miller, fullback, Mt. Pleasant, MI
- Robert L. Morrison, halfback, Minocqua, WI
- 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...
, end, Dearborn, MI - William Pritula, center, Detroit
- Don W. Robinson, halfback, Detroit
- Reino J. Romo, halfback, Bessemer, MI
- Vincent C. Secontine, tackle, Detroit
- Robert W. Shemky, end, Crystal Falls, MI
- Ray B. Sowers, halfback, Bay City, MI
- Robert P. Stenberg, fullback, Chicago
- Alfred S. Thomas, halfback, Detroit
- Angelo E. Trogan, guard, Saginaw, MI
- Clifford C. Wise, halfback, Grand Haven, MI
- Louis K. Woytek, center
Awards and honors
- All-American1941 College Football All-America TeamThe 1941 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers...
s: Bob WestfallBob WestfallRobert Barton "Bullet Bob" Westfall was an American football fullback who played for the University of Michigan and the Detroit Lions . He was a consensus first-team All-American in 1941 and a first-team All-Pro player in 1945... - All-Conference: Robert Ingalls, Bob Westfall
- Most Valuable Player: Reuben KeltoReuben KeltoReuben W. Kelto was an American football player. He played at the tackle position for the University of Michigan from 1939 to 1941. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1941 Michigan Wolverines football team.Kelto was born in 1919 in Bessemer, Michigan, the son of Emil and Lilly...
- Meyer Morton Award: 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 ....
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: Cliff KeenCliff KeenClifford Patrick Keen was an American coach who served as the head coach of the University of Michigan collegiate wrestling team from 1925 to 1970. He led the Michigan Wolverines to 13 Big Ten Conference championships, and coached 68 All-American wrestlers...
, Archie KodrosArchie Kodros-External links:...
, Earl MartineauEarl Martineau-External links:...
, Ernest McCoyErnie McCoy (athletic director)Ernest B. "Ernie" McCoy was an All-American basketball player at the University of Michigan from 1927 to 1929. After graduating, he spent his entire professional career in college athletics, serving as the athletic director at Penn State , the athletic director at the University of Miami , and a...
, 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...
, Hercules RendaHercules RendaHercules Gennaro Renda was an American football player and coach. He played for the University of Michigan football team from 1937 to 1939. He was an assistant football coach at Michigan under Fritz Crisler from 1940 to 1941...
, 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... - Manager: William L. Hurley, Edward K. Aldworth (assistant), James D. Kline (assistant), Howard F. DeYoung (assistant), Albert L. Gruenewald (assistant)