Allison Hubert
Encyclopedia
Allison T. "Pooley" Hubert (April 6, 1901 – February 26, 1978) was an All American American football
player who played at the University of Alabama
from 1922 to 1925. He later became the head football and basketball coach at Southern Mississippi University and the Virginia Military Institute
. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1964.
Pooley dropped out of high school to fight in World War I
. He earned a scholarship to play football at Princeton University
but arrived too late for the entrance exams. He tried a few other schools before ultimately enrolling at the University of Alabama as a 20-year-old freshman. By the time he was a 24-year-old senior, his teammates had begun calling him "Papa Pooley" because he was so much older than them.
Pooley initially played tackle in college, but was eventually put in the backfield where he excelled at fullback
and quarterback
. He has been called the "greatest defensive back of all time." The climax of his college career was the final game in which he played a key role helping the Alabama win the 1925 national championship by defeating the Washington, 20–19, in the 1926 Rose Bowl
.
He was a college football coach at Southern Miss
, and VMI
. From 1931 to 1936, he coached at Southern Miss, where he compiled a 26–24–5 record. From 1937 to 1946, he coached at VMI, where he compiled a 43–45–8 record. His 1938 squad set a school record with four ties. His best season came in 1940, when he went 7–2–1.
Hubert was the 18th head college football
coach for the Virginia Military Institute Keydets
located in Lexington, Virginia
and he held that position for ten seasons, from 1937 until 1946. His career coaching record at VMI was 43 wins, 45 losses, and 8 ties. This ranks him fourth at VMI in total wins and 17th at VMI in winning percentage.
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...
player who played at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
from 1922 to 1925. He later became the head football and basketball coach at Southern Mississippi University and the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
. 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 1964.
Pooley dropped out of high school to fight in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He earned a scholarship to play football at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
but arrived too late for the entrance exams. He tried a few other schools before ultimately enrolling at the University of Alabama as a 20-year-old freshman. By the time he was a 24-year-old senior, his teammates had begun calling him "Papa Pooley" because he was so much older than them.
Pooley initially played tackle in college, but was eventually put in the backfield where he excelled at fullback
Fullback (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...
and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He has been called the "greatest defensive back of all time." The climax of his college career was the final game in which he played a key role helping the Alabama win the 1925 national championship by defeating the Washington, 20–19, in the 1926 Rose Bowl
1926 Rose Bowl
The 1926 Rose Bowl Game was held on January 1, 1926 in Pasadena, California. The game is commonly referred to as "the game that changed the south." The game featured the Alabama Crimson Tide, making their first bowl appearance, and the Washington Huskies....
.
He was a college football coach at Southern Miss
The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated north of Gulfport, Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana...
, and VMI
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
. From 1931 to 1936, he coached at Southern Miss, where he compiled a 26–24–5 record. From 1937 to 1946, he coached at VMI, where he compiled a 43–45–8 record. His 1938 squad set a school record with four ties. His best season came in 1940, when he went 7–2–1.
Hubert was the 18th head college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach for the Virginia Military Institute Keydets
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
located in Lexington, Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
and he held that position for ten seasons, from 1937 until 1946. His career coaching record at VMI was 43 wins, 45 losses, and 8 ties. This ranks him fourth at VMI in total wins and 17th at VMI in winning percentage.