Fritz Shiverick
Encyclopedia
Francis T. "Fritz" Shiverick (c. 1896 – 1936) was an American football
quarterback
and halfback
. He played for Cornell University
in 1915, 1916 and 1919, and was selected as a first-team All-American in 1916. He was posthumously inducted into Cornell's Hall of Fame in 1987.
for three years. Shiverick then enrolled at Cornell, where he played for the school's varsity football team from 1915–1916 and 1919.
's 1915 Harvard team—the first loss suffered by Harvard since 1911. Replacing Charley Barrett
, Shiverick came into the game with a 7–0 lead. Backed up to their own goal line, Cornell was forced to punt into a strong wind. Shiverick was called on to punt for Cornell and kicked the ball 86 yards for what proved to be the longest punt of the year in college football. Later in the same game, Shiverick drop-kicked the ball for a field goal from the 40-yard line. Shiverick's teammate Ray Van Orman
later described Shiverick's long punt against Harvard as the headiest play he ever saw. Van Orman wrote that Shiverick called a couple of signals and then stalled for time. Shiverick was punting into the open end of the stadium with the wind pouring in. Shiverick tossed grass into the air and noted that, after the wind blew the grass back, it was picked up by "a reverse current that would carry it up the field as though it were flying against the wind." Concluding that the wind was circling through the stadium like a whirlpool, Shivercik delayed the snap from center until he felt a reverse current. He then drove a low, hard kick that was carried by the reverse current over the head of Harvard's safety man, Eddie Mahan
.
After the 1915 season, Shiverick was selected for Outing magazine's Football Roll of Honor.
, and a second-team All-American by the International News Service
and Michigan Coach Fielding H. Yost. Shiverick was also selected for membership in the Quill and Dagger
society and elected captain of the 1917 Cornell football team. The press reported:
, and he joined the U.S. Army. During the fall of 1917, Shiverick starred for the Camp Grant football team that included Shiverick, Harry Costello
Jerry DePrado, Gene Schobinger and Nelson Norgren
. In the biggest game of the 1917 football season, a game between college football stars serving in the military held at Chicago's Stagg Field
on December 1, 1917, Shiverick was the star, scoring eight of Camp Grant's fourteen points on a touchdown and two extra points.
In 1918, Shiverick served in France as a captain in the Provost Marshal General's department.
:
He also kicked a field goal that provided all of the scoring in a 3–0 victory over Williams College
. In a 20–0 victory over Carnegie Tech, Shiverick scored all of Cornell's points on two touchdowns, including a 45-yard run through a broken field in the third period, and two field goals, including a drop-kick from the 41-yard line. He became known as "a scoring machine," "the strongest punter" in the country and "the greatest individual star since Eddie Mahan
." In addition to serving as Cornell's quarterback, Shiverick also served as the punter, drop kicker, kickoff returner and play-caller on both offense and defense.
Shiverick was posthumously inducted into the Cornell Hall of Fame in 1987.
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...
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...
and halfback
Halfback (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...
. He played for Cornell University
Cornell Big Red football
The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation...
in 1915, 1916 and 1919, and was selected as a first-team All-American in 1916. He was posthumously inducted into Cornell's Hall of Fame in 1987.
Biography
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Shiverick graduated in 1914 from the University School of Chicago where he had played 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...
for three years. Shiverick then enrolled at Cornell, where he played for the school's varsity football team from 1915–1916 and 1919.
1915 season
As a sophomore in 1915, Shiverick began the season as a substitute back for the Cornell varsity. He made a name for himself in Cornell's 1915 victory over Percy HaughtonPercy Haughton
Percy Duncan Haughton was an American football and baseball player and coach in the United States. He served as head football coach at Cornell University from 1899 to 1900, at Harvard University from 1908 to 1916, and at Columbia University from 1923 to 1924, compiling a career college football...
's 1915 Harvard team—the first loss suffered by Harvard since 1911. Replacing Charley Barrett
Charley Barrett
Charley "Chuck" Barrett was an American football player. He was the consensus All-American quarterback in 1914 and 1915 while playing for Cornell University and led Cornell to an undefeated season and national championship in 1915...
, Shiverick came into the game with a 7–0 lead. Backed up to their own goal line, Cornell was forced to punt into a strong wind. Shiverick was called on to punt for Cornell and kicked the ball 86 yards for what proved to be the longest punt of the year in college football. Later in the same game, Shiverick drop-kicked the ball for a field goal from the 40-yard line. Shiverick's teammate Ray Van Orman
Ray Van Orman
Ray Van Orman, D.V.M., was an American veterinarian and college football and lacrosse coach. He served as the head lacrosse and football coach at Johns Hopkins University, from 1920 to 1935 and 1926 to 1935 respectively, and the head lacrosse coach at Cornell University from 1940 to 1949...
later described Shiverick's long punt against Harvard as the headiest play he ever saw. Van Orman wrote that Shiverick called a couple of signals and then stalled for time. Shiverick was punting into the open end of the stadium with the wind pouring in. Shiverick tossed grass into the air and noted that, after the wind blew the grass back, it was picked up by "a reverse current that would carry it up the field as though it were flying against the wind." Concluding that the wind was circling through the stadium like a whirlpool, Shivercik delayed the snap from center until he felt a reverse current. He then drove a low, hard kick that was carried by the reverse current over the head of Harvard's safety man, Eddie Mahan
Eddie Mahan
Edward William "Eddie" Mahan was an American football player. While playing halfback for Harvard, Mahan was selected as a first-team All-American three consecutive years from 1913–1915...
.
After the 1915 season, Shiverick was selected for Outing magazine's Football Roll of Honor.
1916 season
In 1916, Shiverick returned as Cornell's starting quarterback and led the Big Red to wins over Michigan and Penn. In Cornell's 23-20 win over Michigan, he drop-kicked two field goals, including one from the 45-yard line. After the 1916 season, Shiverick was selected as a first-team All-American by the United Press and sports writer Paul PurmanPaul Purman
Paul R. Purman was an American sportswriter. Purman had a lengthy career in journalism, but he is best known for his work in the years from 1916 to 1918 when his sports column was syndicated in hundreds of newspapers and he selected an annual All-America football team for the Newspaper Enterprise...
, and a second-team All-American by the International News Service
International News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
and Michigan Coach Fielding H. Yost. Shiverick was also selected for membership in the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society and elected captain of the 1917 Cornell football team. The press reported:
"The famous general of the Big Red eleven, who last year beat Harvard with his punting and was the main factor in the defeat this season of Michigan, is to be elected unanimously, it was announced last night. Shiverick is playing his second year on the 'varsity. He is a junior and a member of the Alpha Delta PhiAlpha Delta PhiAlpha Delta Phi is a Greek-letter social college fraternity and the fourth-oldest continuous Greek-letter fraternity in the United States and Canada. Alpha Delta Phi was founded on October 29, 1832 by Samuel Eells at Hamilton College and includes former U.S. Presidents, Chief Justices of the U.S....
fraternity."
World War I
Before the 1917 football season began, the United States entered World War IWorld 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...
, and he joined the U.S. Army. During the fall of 1917, Shiverick starred for the Camp Grant football team that included Shiverick, Harry Costello
Harry Costello
-Coaching career:Costello was the head college football coach for the Detroit Titans located in Detroit, Michigan. He held that position for the 1915 and 1916 seasons. His coaching record at Detroit was 4 wins, 7 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 1964 season, this ranks him #15 at...
Jerry DePrado, Gene Schobinger and Nelson Norgren
Nelson Norgren
Nelson H. Norgren was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. As a coach, he led the University of Utah to a national AAU basketball championship in 1916...
. In the biggest game of the 1917 football season, a game between college football stars serving in the military held at Chicago's Stagg Field
Stagg Field
Amos Alonzo Stagg Field is the name of two different football fields for the University of Chicago. The earliest Stagg Field is probably best remembered for its role in a landmark scientific achievement by Enrico Fermi during the Manhattan Project. The site of the first nuclear reaction received...
on December 1, 1917, Shiverick was the star, scoring eight of Camp Grant's fourteen points on a touchdown and two extra points.
In 1918, Shiverick served in France as a captain in the Provost Marshal General's department.
1919 season
After being discharged from the military at the end of World War I, Shiverick returned to Cornell. In his first game back after the war, Shiverick led Cornell to a 9–0 win over Oberlin CollegeOberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
:
"Captain Fritz Shiverick, Cornell quarterback, playing lor the first time since 1917, was the star of the game. He kicked a difficult field goal from the 20-yard line in the first quarter. In the second quarter be broke through on a play off right tackle, shook off all tacklers and ran 67 yards for a touchdown."
He also kicked a field goal that provided all of the scoring in a 3–0 victory over Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
. In a 20–0 victory over Carnegie Tech, Shiverick scored all of Cornell's points on two touchdowns, including a 45-yard run through a broken field in the third period, and two field goals, including a drop-kick from the 41-yard line. He became known as "a scoring machine," "the strongest punter" in the country and "the greatest individual star since Eddie Mahan
Eddie Mahan
Edward William "Eddie" Mahan was an American football player. While playing halfback for Harvard, Mahan was selected as a first-team All-American three consecutive years from 1913–1915...
." In addition to serving as Cornell's quarterback, Shiverick also served as the punter, drop kicker, kickoff returner and play-caller on both offense and defense.
Later years and honors
After graduating from Cornell, Shiverick returned to Chicago where he became the co-owner of the Tobey Furniture Company. He died in Chicago in 1936.Shiverick was posthumously inducted into the Cornell Hall of Fame in 1987.