Eddie Anderson (football)
Encyclopedia
Dr. Edward Nicholas Anderson (November 11, 1900 – April 24, 1974) was an American football
player and coach of football and basketball
. He served as the head football coach at Columbia College in Dubuque, Iowa
, now known as Loras College
(1922–1924), DePaul University
(1925–1931), the College of the Holy Cross
(1933–1938, 1950–1964), and the University of Iowa
(1939–1942, 1946–1949), compiling a career college football
record of 201–128–15. Anderson was also the head basketball coach at DePaul from 1925 to 1929, tallying a mark of 25–21. Anderson played professional football in the NFL
for the Rochester Jeffersons
in 1922 and the Chicago Cardinals
from 1922 to 1925. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1971.
, before enrolling at the University of Notre Dame
. He played for Knute Rockne
from 1918 to 1921 and was a teammate of George Gipp
. As a senior, he was named a consensus first team All-American
and was the team captain of the 1921 Notre Dame football team. In his final three years at Notre Dame, the Irish had a record of 28–1. Anderson's only loss in his final three seasons was to Anderson's home state school, when Notre Dame lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes
in 1921, 10–7.
Anderson coached at Columbia College
in Dubuque, Iowa
, from 1922–1924, compiling a 16–6–1 record with one undefeated season. During that time, he was considered for an assistant coaching position at Iowa, but Iowa coach Howard Jones rejected the idea. Anderson served as a player/coach for the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals
) professional football team in the early 1920s as well. He played on the Cardinals' controversial championship team in 1925
.
That same year, Anderson enrolled at Rush Medical College
in Chicago
. While in Chicago, Anderson coached football at DePaul University
, compiling a 21–22–3 record from 1925 to 1931. He also coached basketball at DePaul from 1925 to 1929, guiding them to a 25–21 record. After graduating from Rush, Anderson took a job as head football coach at the College of the Holy Cross
in Massachusetts
. He had a record of 47–7–4 in six years at Holy Cross from 1933–1938, including undefeated seasons in 1935 and 1937. During that time, Anderson also served as the head of eye, ear, nose, and throat clinic at Boston's Veterans Hospital.
before the 1939 season.
Iowa
had a record of just 2–13–1 in 1937 and 1938 under Irl Tubbs
, and the Hawkeyes had finished among the worst three teams in the Big Ten Conference
standings every year in the 1930s except 1933. Iowa had won just one conference game in the last three years, and the team they beat, Chicago
, announced that they would be dropping their football program following the 1939 season.
Anderson sought to change Iowa's fortunes immediately. He put the 85 football players who showed up for spring practice through an intense workout. Only 37 players would earn football letters in 1939 for Iowa. Anderson felt the 1939 team could be a good one if the starters played significant minutes. Before the first game, The Des Moines Register had a small note stating that "a set of iron men may be developed to play football for Iowa."
The 1939 Hawkeyes
, nicknamed the "Ironmen", would become one of the greatest teams in school history and certainly the most romanticized. Led by Nile Kinnick
, the 1939 Heisman Trophy
winner, the Hawkeyes put together an 6–1–1 record, the best overall record in the Big Ten, though Ohio State
edged out Iowa for the conference title. Many of Anderson's players played complete games during that season for the Hawkeyes. Anderson was named national coach of the year by several organizations. Jim Gallager of the Chicago Herald-American
wrote, "It's doubtful if any coach in football history ever accomplished such an amazing renaissance as Eddie Anderson has worked at Iowa."
Anderson was given a Cadillac
by Iowa fans and a bonus by the university after his performance during the 1939 season. He was also given a significant share of stock in Amana Refrigeration
by the founder and CEO of the company, George Foersner, as a reward for his coaching that season. When Anderson retired from football in the late 1960s, he cashed in his stock for over a million dollars.
After two more average seasons, Iowa started the 1942 season with a 6–2 record and was in contention for the Big Ten title, but consecutive road conference losses at Minnesota and Michigan
to end the season doomed Iowa's chances. After that season, Anderson took a leave of absence to serve in the U.S Army Medical Corps
during World War II
. Iowa left the football program in the hands of interim coaches Slip Madigan
and Clem Crowe
while Anderson was gone from 1943 to 1945.
Anderson was a gifted doctor who performed at the University of Iowa Hospital
in the morning before coaching in the afternoon. He had been studying urology under the Head of Urology, at the Iowa hospital. When Anderson returned in 1946, he was told that if he retired from coaching, he would be named the successor to Dr. Alcock. Anderson turned down the request and continued practicing medicine on a part-time basis.
won for him?"
In 1947, a 2–2–1 start was followed by three straight losses. One day before Iowa's final game at Minnesota, Anderson submitted his resignation at Iowa, citing "considerable loose talk" among Iowa fans as one reason. The Hawkeye football team responded with a powerful effort against Minnesota, defeating the Gophers, 13–7. Fans begged Anderson to reconsider, and the Iowa athletic board denied his resignation, promising him a larger coaching staff and other football improvement s. Anderson decided to stay, saying, "I'm glad we got things straightened out." Anderson used his larger coaching staff to hire Leonard Raffensperger
as the head of the freshman team.
After two more average seasons in 1948 and 1949, Anderson was approached again by Holy Cross, which now had a coaching vacancy. Ohio State made a rare concession and offered their football coach faculty tenure, so Anderson made the same request to Iowa athletic director Paul Brechler
. Brechler could not promise Anderson anything, so Anderson resigned and took the head coaching position at Holy Cross. He had a 35–33–2 record in eight years at Iowa.
After resigning at Holy Cross in 1964, Anderson was named the chief of outpatient services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Rutland, Massachusetts
. He also served a school for retarded children. Anderson later moved to Clearwater, Florida
before passing away of a heart attack in 1974.
Anderson was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame
in 1962 and the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1971. Anderson gave the acceptance speech for that year's class at the College Football Hall of Fame. He summarized his coaching philosophy when he said, "The victory most savored and cherished is the one that didn't come about by beating the rules, but by playing within them, where defeat is only a condition of the moment."
In 1999, Sports Illustrated
selected Eddie Anderson as the 45th greatest sports figure in the history of the state of Iowa.
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 of football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. He served as the head football coach at Columbia College in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, now known as Loras College
Loras College
Loras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
(1922–1924), DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
(1925–1931), the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
(1933–1938, 1950–1964), and the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
(1939–1942, 1946–1949), compiling a career 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...
record of 201–128–15. Anderson was also the head basketball coach at DePaul from 1925 to 1929, tallying a mark of 25–21. Anderson played professional football in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Rochester Jeffersons
Rochester Jeffersons
The Rochester Jeffersons from Rochester, New York played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1925.Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of the century , the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing...
in 1922 and the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1922 to 1925. He was inducted into 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...
as a coach in 1971.
Playing and early coaching career
Anderson attended Mason City High School in Mason City, IowaMason City, Iowa
Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties....
, before enrolling at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. He played for Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
from 1918 to 1921 and was a teammate of George Gipp
George Gipp
George "The Gipper" Gipp was a college football player who played for the University of Notre Dame. Gipp was selected as Notre Dame's first All-American and is Notre Dame's second consensus All-American , after Gus Dorais. Gipp played multiple positions, most notably halfback, quarterback, and...
. As a senior, he was named a consensus first team All-American
1921 College Football All-America Team
The 1921 College Football All-America team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-America Teams selected by various organizations in 1921...
and was the team captain of the 1921 Notre Dame football team. In his final three years at Notre Dame, the Irish had a record of 28–1. Anderson's only loss in his final three seasons was to Anderson's home state school, when Notre Dame lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in 1921, 10–7.
Anderson coached at Columbia College
Loras College
Loras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, from 1922–1924, compiling a 16–6–1 record with one undefeated season. During that time, he was considered for an assistant coaching position at Iowa, but Iowa coach Howard Jones rejected the idea. Anderson served as a player/coach for the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
) professional football team in the early 1920s as well. He played on the Cardinals' controversial championship team in 1925
1925 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1925 Chicago Cardinals season resulted in the Cardinals winning their first NFL Championship.The end of the Cardinals season was centered around two historic, but controversial, situations. The first was a team scandal with the Milwaukee Badgers...
.
That same year, Anderson enrolled at Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Rush Medical College was one of the first medical colleges in the state of Illinois and was chartered in 1837, two days before the city of Chicago was chartered, and opened with 22 students on...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. While in Chicago, Anderson coached football at DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
, compiling a 21–22–3 record from 1925 to 1931. He also coached basketball at DePaul from 1925 to 1929, guiding them to a 25–21 record. After graduating from Rush, Anderson took a job as head football coach at the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He had a record of 47–7–4 in six years at Holy Cross from 1933–1938, including undefeated seasons in 1935 and 1937. During that time, Anderson also served as the head of eye, ear, nose, and throat clinic at Boston's Veterans Hospital.
First stint
Anderson was hired as the 15th head football coach at the University of IowaUniversity of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
before the 1939 season.
Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
had a record of just 2–13–1 in 1937 and 1938 under Irl Tubbs
Irl Tubbs
Ira "Irl" Tubbs was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin–Superior , the University of Miami , and the University of Iowa .-Playing and coaching career:Tubbs played college football at William Jewell College in...
, and the Hawkeyes had finished among the worst three teams in the Big Ten 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...
standings every year in the 1930s except 1933. Iowa had won just one conference game in the last three years, and the team they beat, Chicago
Chicago Maroons football
The Chicago Maroons are the college football team representing the University of Chicago. The Maroons play in NCAA Division III as a member of the University Athletic Association. From 1892 to 1939, the Maroons were a major college football power...
, announced that they would be dropping their football program following the 1939 season.
Anderson sought to change Iowa's fortunes immediately. He put the 85 football players who showed up for spring practice through an intense workout. Only 37 players would earn football letters in 1939 for Iowa. Anderson felt the 1939 team could be a good one if the starters played significant minutes. Before the first game, The Des Moines Register had a small note stating that "a set of iron men may be developed to play football for Iowa."
The 1939 Hawkeyes
1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the college football season of 1939. The team, nicknamed the Ironmen, was coached by Dr. Eddie Anderson and was led on the field by halfback Nile Kinnick.-Preseason:...
, nicknamed the "Ironmen", would become one of the greatest teams in school history and certainly the most romanticized. Led by Nile Kinnick
Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. was a student and a college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a U.S Navy aviator in World War II...
, the 1939 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, the Hawkeyes put together an 6–1–1 record, the best overall record in the Big Ten, though Ohio State
1939 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1939 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1939-1940. The Buckeyes compiled a 6–2 record and outscored foes 189-64. Coach Francis Schmidt fell to hated Michigan for a second straight time, but won a Big Ten title for the...
edged out Iowa for the conference title. Many of Anderson's players played complete games during that season for the Hawkeyes. Anderson was named national coach of the year by several organizations. Jim Gallager of the Chicago Herald-American
Chicago's American
Chicago American, an afternoon newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, was the last flowering of the aggressive journalistic tradition depicted in the play and movie The Front Page....
wrote, "It's doubtful if any coach in football history ever accomplished such an amazing renaissance as Eddie Anderson has worked at Iowa."
Anderson was given a Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
by Iowa fans and a bonus by the university after his performance during the 1939 season. He was also given a significant share of stock in Amana Refrigeration
Amana Corporation
The Amana Corporation is an American brand of household appliances. It was founded in 1934 by George Foerstner as The Electrical Equipment Co. in Middle Amana, Iowa to manufacture commercial walk-in coolers. The business was later owned by the Amana Society and became known as Amana Refrigeration,...
by the founder and CEO of the company, George Foersner, as a reward for his coaching that season. When Anderson retired from football in the late 1960s, he cashed in his stock for over a million dollars.
After two more average seasons, Iowa started the 1942 season with a 6–2 record and was in contention for the Big Ten title, but consecutive road conference losses at Minnesota and Michigan
1942 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1942 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1942 college football season. The 1942 team compiled a record of 7–3 and was ranked No. 9 in the final Associated Press poll...
to end the season doomed Iowa's chances. After that season, Anderson took a leave of absence to serve in the U.S Army Medical Corps
Medical Corps (United States Army)
The Medical Corps of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an MD or a DO degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.The MC traces its earliest origins...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Iowa left the football program in the hands of interim coaches Slip Madigan
Slip Madigan
Edward Patrick "Slip" Madigan was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head coach at Saint Mary's College of California from 1921 to 1939 and at the University of Iowa from 1943 to 1944, compiling a career college football record of...
and Clem Crowe
Clem Crowe
Clem F. Crowe was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Saint Vincent College , Xavier University , and the University of Iowa , compiling a career college football record of 71–66–5...
while Anderson was gone from 1943 to 1945.
Anderson was a gifted doctor who performed at the University of Iowa Hospital
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is a 762-bed public teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center affiliated with the University of Iowa. UIHC is part of University of Iowa Health Care, a partnership that includes the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A...
in the morning before coaching in the afternoon. He had been studying urology under the Head of Urology, at the Iowa hospital. When Anderson returned in 1946, he was told that if he retired from coaching, he would be named the successor to Dr. Alcock. Anderson turned down the request and continued practicing medicine on a part-time basis.
Second stint
By the time Anderson had returned from the service, Iowa football was again in the cellar of the Big Ten. Before the 1946 season, Anderson was hospitalized for 19 days with a parasite infection. He returned to lead Iowa to four wins in their first five games, which was as many wins as Iowa had during his three year absence. Still, Iowa slumped to a 5–4 final record, leading two former players to write a scathing editorial about Anderson. The editorial asked, "How long will Dr. Anderson ride on the laurels that Nile KinnickNile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. was a student and a college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a U.S Navy aviator in World War II...
won for him?"
In 1947, a 2–2–1 start was followed by three straight losses. One day before Iowa's final game at Minnesota, Anderson submitted his resignation at Iowa, citing "considerable loose talk" among Iowa fans as one reason. The Hawkeye football team responded with a powerful effort against Minnesota, defeating the Gophers, 13–7. Fans begged Anderson to reconsider, and the Iowa athletic board denied his resignation, promising him a larger coaching staff and other football improvement s. Anderson decided to stay, saying, "I'm glad we got things straightened out." Anderson used his larger coaching staff to hire Leonard Raffensperger
Leonard Raffensperger
-External links:...
as the head of the freshman team.
After two more average seasons in 1948 and 1949, Anderson was approached again by Holy Cross, which now had a coaching vacancy. Ohio State made a rare concession and offered their football coach faculty tenure, so Anderson made the same request to Iowa athletic director Paul Brechler
Paul Brechler
Paul W. Brechler was an athletic director for the University of Iowa for 13 years and the first commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference.-Playing career:...
. Brechler could not promise Anderson anything, so Anderson resigned and took the head coaching position at Holy Cross. He had a 35–33–2 record in eight years at Iowa.
Later life, death, and honors
Anderson returned to Holy Cross, where he coached 15 more years from 1950 to 1964. He posted a record of 82–60–4 in his second stay at Holy Cross. For his career, he coached 39 seasons at four schools and compiled a record of 201–128–15. He was the fourth coach in college football history to reach 200 wins.After resigning at Holy Cross in 1964, Anderson was named the chief of outpatient services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Rutland, Massachusetts
Rutland, Massachusetts
Rutland is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,973 at the 2010 census. Worcester County's only buffalo herd is located in Rutland, at Alta Vista Farm...
. He also served a school for retarded children. Anderson later moved to Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
before passing away of a heart attack in 1974.
Anderson was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame
Iowa Sports Hall of Fame
The Iowa Sports Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Des Moines Register, honors outstanding athletes and sports contributors. To be eligible, members must have either been born in Iowa or gained prominence while competing for a college or university in Iowa....
in 1962 and 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. Anderson gave the acceptance speech for that year's class at the College Football Hall of Fame. He summarized his coaching philosophy when he said, "The victory most savored and cherished is the one that didn't come about by beating the rules, but by playing within them, where defeat is only a condition of the moment."
In 1999, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
selected Eddie Anderson as the 45th greatest sports figure in the history of the state of Iowa.
Football
External links
- Eddie Anderson at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com