Big Bill Edwards
Encyclopedia
William Hanford "Big Bill" Edwards (February 23, 1877 – January 4, 1943) was an American football
player who played guard
at the Princeton University
from 1896 to 1899. After graduation he became an official, and in 1916 wrote a book entitled Football Days, which is perhaps the most extensive first-hand account of American college football in the 19th century.
In 1906, Edwards was the referee for the first game of the "Ohio League
" championship between the Canton Bulldogs
and the Massillon Tigers
. The events surrounding the two clubs during this two game series later resulted in the first major scandal in professional football in the United States, and more notably the first known case of professional gamblers attempting to fix a professional sport. During the scandal, members of the Bulldogs were accused of throwing the championship to the Tigers. While Edwards officiated the first game of the series, he was be unavailable to referee the second game because he'd be officiating that year's Harvard–Yale game.
In 1910, he averted an attempt on the life of New York
mayor William Gaynor by tackling the assailant and incurring a flesh wound in the arm in the process. For his heroism, Edwards was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism
.
Later that decade, US President
Woodrow Wilson
appointed Edwards as Collector of Internal Revenue
for New York's Second District.
Edwards was deputy of street cleaning in New York before becoming chief of waste disposal at nearby Newark, New Jersey
. In 1926, Edwards became the first president of the first American Football League
, which disbanded at the end of the season. Fourteen years later, his name was mentioned as a possible president of the third AFL
at the press conference announcing the formation of the league, but he did not serve in that position.
He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1971.
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 guard
Guard (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....
at the 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....
from 1896 to 1899. After graduation he became an official, and in 1916 wrote a book entitled Football Days, which is perhaps the most extensive first-hand account of American college football in the 19th century.
In 1906, Edwards was the referee for the first game of the "Ohio League
Ohio League
The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1903 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship . As the name implied, its teams were based in Ohio...
" championship between the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
and the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
. The events surrounding the two clubs during this two game series later resulted in the first major scandal in professional football in the United States, and more notably the first known case of professional gamblers attempting to fix a professional sport. During the scandal, members of the Bulldogs were accused of throwing the championship to the Tigers. While Edwards officiated the first game of the series, he was be unavailable to referee the second game because he'd be officiating that year's Harvard–Yale game.
In 1910, he averted an attempt on the life of New York
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...
mayor William Gaynor by tackling the assailant and incurring a flesh wound in the arm in the process. For his heroism, Edwards was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism
Carnegie Hero Fund
The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, also known as Carnegie Hero Fund, was established to recognize persons who perform extraordinary acts of heroism in civilian life in the United States and Canada, and to provide financial assistance for those disabled and the dependents of those killed saving or...
.
Later that decade, US President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
appointed Edwards as Collector of Internal Revenue
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
for New York's Second District.
Edwards was deputy of street cleaning in New York before becoming chief of waste disposal at nearby Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. In 1926, Edwards became the first president of the first American Football League
American 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...
, which disbanded at the end of the season. Fourteen years later, his name was mentioned as a possible president of the third AFL
American Football League (1940)
American Football League, also known as the AFL III to distinguish it from earlier organizations of that name, was a major professional American football league that operated from 1940-1941...
at the press conference announcing the formation of the league, but he did not serve in that position.
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 1971.