Bruce Shorts
Encyclopedia
Bruce Carman Shorts was an American football
player and coach. He played as a tackle
for the University of Michigan
from 1900 to 1901. He later served as the head football coach at the University of Nevada, Reno
in 1904 and at the University of Oregon
in 1905.
. Shorts played for Fielding H. Yost's first Michigan Wolverines football team. The 1901 team
compiled a record of 11–0 and outscored its opponents 550–0. He was regarded as one of the best tackles in the Western Conference
. He was six feet one inch tall and weighed close to 190 pounds while playing at Michigan. He played in 1901 despite being sick. Coach Yost later recalled Shorts' efforts in playing through sickness as follows:
Prior to the 1902 Rose Bowl
, the Los Angeles Times
wrote a profile about the stars of the Michigan football team. About Shorts, the Times wrote: "Bruce Shorts, who is the newly chosen team captain of 1902 is 6 feet in height and weighs 190 pounds. For his two years he has played right tackle, and his weight makes him one of the strongest men on the team. He is the best ground gainer of the line men."
In addition to football, Shorts also competed in the "weight" events for the Michigan track and field team. He won the Western intercollegiate championship in the hammer throw
, and was "also recognized as a very good shot-putter."
. After practicing law for several months, Shorts was hired in September 1904 as the head football coach at the University of Nevada, Reno
. He replaced another former Michigan football player, Allen Steckle
, as Nevada's coach. A Reno newspaper reported on Shorts' hiring as follows:
The Nevada Sagebrush compiled a 3–3 record in Shorts' one year as head coach.
In 1905, Shorts was hired by the University of Oregon
. The Oakland Tribune reported on Shorts' hiring at Oregon as follows: "This year the Oregonians are coached by Bruce Shorts, the great Michigan captain of 1902. Shorts coached Nevada last season and has a record for turning out fast players. Fred Staiwer is manager of the Oregon eleven."
Shorts later became a successful corporate lawyer in Seattle.
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 and coach. He played as a tackle
Tackle (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....
for the University of Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
from 1900 to 1901. He later served as the head football coach at the University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
in 1904 and at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 1905.
Athlete
Shorts attended high school at Mt. Pleasant, Michigan before enrolling at the University of MichiganUniversity 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...
. Shorts played for Fielding H. Yost's first Michigan Wolverines football team. The 1901 team
1901 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1901 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1901 college football season. In their first year under new head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan finished the season undefeated with an 11–0 record, outscored their opponents by the unprecedented total of 550...
compiled a record of 11–0 and outscored its opponents 550–0. He was regarded as one of the best tackles in the Western Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. He was six feet one inch tall and weighed close to 190 pounds while playing at Michigan. He played in 1901 despite being sick. Coach Yost later recalled Shorts' efforts in playing through sickness as follows:
"Well do I remember how dangerously near Bruce Shorts, star right tackle, came to being lost to the 1901 Michigan football team. He was very sick all season with an attack of appendicitis. His enforced withdrawal from the team would have greatly weakened it. In an evenly matched game one can visualize what his absence from the lineup would have meant. Shorts plaved through the season, but his courage and loyalty nearly cost him his life, for he was a short time later so sick that it was reported he had died. Fortunately, however, he pulled through."
Prior to the 1902 Rose Bowl
1902 Rose Bowl
Originally titled the "Tournament East-West football game," what is now known as the Rose Bowl Game was first played on January 1, 1902 in Pasadena, California, starting the tradition of New Year's Day bowl games.The inaugural game featured Fielding H...
, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote a profile about the stars of the Michigan football team. About Shorts, the Times wrote: "Bruce Shorts, who is the newly chosen team captain of 1902 is 6 feet in height and weighs 190 pounds. For his two years he has played right tackle, and his weight makes him one of the strongest men on the team. He is the best ground gainer of the line men."
In addition to football, Shorts also competed in the "weight" events for the Michigan track and field team. He won the Western intercollegiate championship in the hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
, and was "also recognized as a very good shot-putter."
Coach and lawyer
Shorts graduated from the University of Michigan Law SchoolUniversity of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
. After practicing law for several months, Shorts was hired in September 1904 as the head football coach at the University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
. He replaced another former Michigan football player, Allen Steckle
Allen Steckle
Allen Chubb "A. C." Steckle was an American football player and coach. He played tackle for the University of Michigan from 1897–1899 and later served as the head football coach at the University of Nevada and Oregon State University, then known as Oregon Agricultural College...
, as Nevada's coach. A Reno newspaper reported on Shorts' hiring as follows:
"Bruce Shorts, captain of the famous Michigan football team of 1901, arrived in Reno yesterday to enter upon his duties as coach of the University of Nevada team. Mr. Shorts is undoubtedly one of the best posted as well as one of the best football players in the country. ... He is looked upon as the best coach west of the Mississippi River, and his work this year will undoubtedly result in maintaining, if not surpassing, the record made by Coach Steckle last year."
The Nevada Sagebrush compiled a 3–3 record in Shorts' one year as head coach.
In 1905, Shorts was hired by the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. The Oakland Tribune reported on Shorts' hiring at Oregon as follows: "This year the Oregonians are coached by Bruce Shorts, the great Michigan captain of 1902. Shorts coached Nevada last season and has a record for turning out fast players. Fred Staiwer is manager of the Oregon eleven."
Shorts later became a successful corporate lawyer in Seattle.