George Washington Colonials football
Encyclopedia
The George Washington Colonials football team represented The George Washington University in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) major college-level football
competition from 1881 to 1966. The Colonials
were most successful between the 1930s and 1950s when they regularly played top-level competition. George Washington made one postseason bowl game appearance: the 1957 Sun Bowl, where it defeated Texas Western
, now called UTEP. In 1966, the football program was discontinued due to a number of factors, including the team's lack of success, programs like Virginia and Maryland getting better, and less interest in driving into the city to see a game.
, 81–0, and , 101–7. H. Watson "Maud" Crum became the head football and basketball
coach in 1924. He was the first to remain in that position with the "Hatchetites" for more than four years.
In 1928, the school's athletic teams were renamed the "Colonials". That year they were routed by Penn State
, 50–0. Head coach James "Possum Jim" Pixlee took over the following season and led GW to a 0–8 record. Pixlee, however, later became George Washington's winningest coach in terms of number of wins (42). In 1930, GW routed the New York Aggies
, 86–0.
In the 1930s and 1940s, GW gained nationwide media attention and scheduled top competition, starting with Alabama
in 1932. The Colonials lost, 28–6, but that same year they beat Iowa
, 21–6, and tied Oklahoma
, 7–7. From 1933 to 1935, back Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans set school records with 1,054 single-season rushing yards, 2,382 career rushing yards, 207 single-season carries, and 490 career carries. After college, he became a two-time All-NFL
player for the New York Giants
and was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
. From 1938 to 1941, William Reinhart
, the Colonials' winningest baseball and basketball coach, also coached football. The football team, however, was mediocre under him, and, from 1943 to 1945, was discontinued due to World War II
. Andy Davis played as GW quarterback from 1948 to 1951, and recorded 3,587 passing yards and 1,416 passing yards. In 1952, the Colonials defeated , 21–7, with the help of a block punt, an interception, and a fumble recovery. The loss was Bucknell's second in their past 20 games.
George Washington joined the Southern Conference
in 1953. That season, head coach Eugene "Bo" Sherman was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year and center
Steve Korcheck was named Southern Conference Player of the Year. In 1956, GW ended the regular season 7–1–1. The lone defeat came against , when reserve quarterback Alex Szuch's passing led the Mountaineers to victory, 14–0. They held to a tie, 20–20. The season's performance resulted in the team being invitation to the 1957 Sun Bowl in order to face Texas Western
(now known as UTEP). Their opponents possessed a 9–1 record and were favored by a two-touchdown margin. The 17th-ranked Colonials, however, won, 13–0, to finish their most successful season with an 8–1 record.
Over the next three years, the Colonials compiled a 6–20 record. Bill Elias
served as head coach in 1961 and improved the Colonials to a 5–3 mark from 1–8 the year prior. After the season, however, he left to take over at Virginia
, a team that had a 28-game losing streak. From 1962 to 1966, James V. Camp served as head coach, and his teams posted a 22–35 record. Between 1961 and 1963, Dick Drummond rushed for 1,814 yards and was twice named All-Southern Conference. Garry Lyle
, one of the last GW players to go on to an NFL career, did not consider the last Colonial teams to have been terrible. He recalled, however, that, "When I was a freshman, we played Army
and I remember the varsity coming home and half of them wore casts
."
The final George Washington game came on Thanksgiving Day
, 1966, when the team lost to , 16–7. GW ended the season with a 4–6 record (conference: 4–3) and Jim Camp was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year. On January 19, 1967, the Board of Trustees voted to end the football program. Poor game attendance and the expense of the program contributed to the decision. A former GW player, Harry Ledford, believed that most people were unwilling to commute into Washington, D.C.
, which did not have a metro rail
at the time, on Friday nights to RFK Stadium, which was perceived as an unsafe area. Additionally, Maryland
and Virginia
were nationally competitive teams that drew potential spectators away from GW.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) major college-level 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...
competition from 1881 to 1966. The Colonials
George Washington Colonials
The George Washington Colonials are the athletic teams of George Washington University. The school sponsors 21 varsity sports , the majority of which compete in the Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. The men's and women's water polo teams compete in the Collegiate Water Polo Association and the...
were most successful between the 1930s and 1950s when they regularly played top-level competition. George Washington made one postseason bowl game appearance: the 1957 Sun Bowl, where it defeated Texas Western
UTEP Miners football
The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl...
, now called UTEP. In 1966, the football program was discontinued due to a number of factors, including the team's lack of success, programs like Virginia and Maryland getting better, and less interest in driving into the city to see a game.
History
The earliest recorded football games at Columbian University (as the school was known until 1904) were five contests against Gallaudet and Episcopal High School between 1881 and 1883. On November 8, 1890, football resumed when Columbian defeated a Washington-based club, Kalorama AC, 10–0. The team played off and on until 1920. That season was not a successful one for George Washington, which finished 1–6–1, including a defeat at the hands of West VirginiaWest Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
, 81–0, and , 101–7. H. Watson "Maud" Crum became the head football and basketball
George Washington Colonials men's basketball
The George Washington Colonials Basketball team represents The George Washington University in Washington, DC. It plays its home games in the Charles E. Smith Center, which is also shared with other George Washington Colonials athletic programs. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic...
coach in 1924. He was the first to remain in that position with the "Hatchetites" for more than four years.
In 1928, the school's athletic teams were renamed the "Colonials". That year they were routed by Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
, 50–0. Head coach James "Possum Jim" Pixlee took over the following season and led GW to a 0–8 record. Pixlee, however, later became George Washington's winningest coach in terms of number of wins (42). In 1930, GW routed the New York Aggies
State University of New York at Farmingdale
Farmingdale State College, formerly the State University of New York at Farmingdale or SUNY Farmingdale, is a college of the State University of New York that is located on Long Island in East Farmingdale, New York, with a small section in Old Bethpage.The college dates from 1912 as a school of...
, 86–0.
In the 1930s and 1940s, GW gained nationwide media attention and scheduled top competition, starting with Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
in 1932. The Colonials lost, 28–6, but that same year they beat 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...
, 21–6, and tied Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, 7–7. From 1933 to 1935, back Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans set school records with 1,054 single-season rushing yards, 2,382 career rushing yards, 207 single-season carries, and 490 career carries. After college, he became a two-time All-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...
player for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. From 1938 to 1941, William Reinhart
William Reinhart
William J. "Bill" Reinhart was an American college basketball, football, and baseball coach at the George Washington University, the University of Oregon, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. From 1923 to 1935, he served as the head basketball coach at Oregon. He is the school's second...
, the Colonials' winningest baseball and basketball coach, also coached football. The football team, however, was mediocre under him, and, from 1943 to 1945, was discontinued due to 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...
. Andy Davis played as GW quarterback from 1948 to 1951, and recorded 3,587 passing yards and 1,416 passing yards. In 1952, the Colonials defeated , 21–7, with the help of a block punt, an interception, and a fumble recovery. The loss was Bucknell's second in their past 20 games.
George Washington joined the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
in 1953. That season, head coach Eugene "Bo" Sherman was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year and center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
Steve Korcheck was named Southern Conference Player of the Year. In 1956, GW ended the regular season 7–1–1. The lone defeat came against , when reserve quarterback Alex Szuch's passing led the Mountaineers to victory, 14–0. They held to a tie, 20–20. The season's performance resulted in the team being invitation to the 1957 Sun Bowl in order to face Texas Western
UTEP Miners football
The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl...
(now known as UTEP). Their opponents possessed a 9–1 record and were favored by a two-touchdown margin. The 17th-ranked Colonials, however, won, 13–0, to finish their most successful season with an 8–1 record.
Over the next three years, the Colonials compiled a 6–20 record. Bill Elias
Bill Elias
William T. "Bill" Elias is an American former football coach. He served as the head coach at George Washington University, the University of Virginia, and the United States Naval Academy...
served as head coach in 1961 and improved the Colonials to a 5–3 mark from 1–8 the year prior. After the season, however, he left to take over at Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, a team that had a 28-game losing streak. From 1962 to 1966, James V. Camp served as head coach, and his teams posted a 22–35 record. Between 1961 and 1963, Dick Drummond rushed for 1,814 yards and was twice named All-Southern Conference. Garry Lyle
Garry Lyle
Garry Thomas Lyle is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1967 NFL Draft. He played college football at George Washington.Lyle's son, Keith, also played in the National Football League from to ....
, one of the last GW players to go on to an NFL career, did not consider the last Colonial teams to have been terrible. He recalled, however, that, "When I was a freshman, we played Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
and I remember the varsity coming home and half of them wore casts
Orthopedic cast
An orthopedic cast, body cast or surgical cast, is a shell, frequently made from plaster, encasing a limb to hold a broken bone in place until healing is confirmed...
."
The final George Washington game came on Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
, 1966, when the team lost to , 16–7. GW ended the season with a 4–6 record (conference: 4–3) and Jim Camp was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year. On January 19, 1967, the Board of Trustees voted to end the football program. Poor game attendance and the expense of the program contributed to the decision. A former GW player, Harry Ledford, believed that most people were unwilling to commute into Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, which did not have a metro rail
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
at the time, on Friday nights to RFK Stadium, which was perceived as an unsafe area. Additionally, Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
were nationally competitive teams that drew potential spectators away from GW.
Bowl games
| Season | Bowl Game | Opponent | W/L | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Sun Bowl Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl... |
Texas Western UTEP Miners football The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl... |
W | 13 | 0 |