Knowlton Ames
Encyclopedia
Knowlton Lyman "Snake" Ames (May 27, 1868 – December 23, 1931) was an American football
player and coach. He scored 730 points for Princeton from 1886 to 1889, including 62 touchdown
s. The achievement of scoring 730 points is an unofficial college football career record, although only records set since the NCAA began keeping records in 1937 are considered official. Ames was named to the first-ever All-America team in 1889
.
After graduation, Ames became the head coach
for Purdue University
, where he led the Boilermakers
to a 12–0 record over two years. He later returned to playing football with the Chicago Athletic Association
in 1892. During an October 22 game in Cleveland, Ames and fellow player Pudge Heffelfinger were observed by the manager of the Pittsburgh Athletic Club
. A week later the Pittsburgh Press
printed a rumor that the P.A.C.'s were offering Heffelfinger and Ames $250 to play for the team on Saturday, November 12, against the Allegheny Athletic Association
. Another version of the story had Ames offered only $100. However the rumor either turned out to be false or Heffelfinger and Ames turned down Pittsburgh's offer. However, in a Chicago game against the New York Cresants, the Cresants refused to take field unless Chicago's Sport Donnelly was barred from the Chicago lineup because of some alleged rough tactics he used while playing for the Manhattan Athletic Club
, the year before. Chicago benched Donnelly, and his absence resulted in a tie. Donnelly then became enraged and refused to rejoin the team in Chicago. Heffelfinger and Ames joined Donnelly in the walk-out. Afterwards Donnelly and Heffelfinger signed an agreement with the Allegheny Athletic Association, becoming the first known professional football players. Meanwhile, Ames had decided to forgo the game rather than risk his amateur status. He returned to coaching at Princeton.
Ames's father, Miner Thomas Ames, was a Chicago
coal magnate. Ames's son, Knowlton Lyman Ames, Jr., also played for Princeton.
After retiring from football, Ames had a career in finance and publishing. He founded the Chicago Journal of Commerce and served as its publisher until shortly before his death. Ames also served as chairman of the board of the Booth Fisheries Company and had other business interests as well.
In 1931, Ames committed suicide, shooting himself with a .38 caliber revolver as he sat is his car. Ames was age 63 at the time of his death and had recently suffered business losses.
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 scored 730 points for Princeton from 1886 to 1889, including 62 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. The achievement of scoring 730 points is an unofficial college football career record, although only records set since the NCAA began keeping records in 1937 are considered official. Ames was named to the first-ever All-America team in 1889
1889 College Football All-America Team
The 1889 College Football All-America team was the first College Football All-America Team. The team was selected by Casper Whitney and published in This Week's Sports....
.
After graduation, Ames became the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, where he led the Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers
Boilermakers is the official nickname for the intercollegiate athletic teams of Purdue University. As is common with athletic nicknames, it is also used as colloquial designation of Purdue's students and alumni at large....
to a 12–0 record over two years. He later returned to playing football with the Chicago Athletic Association
Chicago Athletic Association Football team
The Chicago Athletic Association was an American football team, based in Chicago, Illinois. The club itself had been organized in 1890, and in 1892 it formed a football team...
in 1892. During an October 22 game in Cleveland, Ames and fellow player Pudge Heffelfinger were observed by the manager of the Pittsburgh Athletic Club
Pittsburgh Athletic Club (football)
The Pittsburgh Athletic Club football team, established in 1891, was based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1892 the intense competition between two Pittsburgh-area clubs, the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, led to William Heffelfinger becoming the first known...
. A week later the Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh Press
The Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
printed a rumor that the P.A.C.'s were offering Heffelfinger and Ames $250 to play for the team on Saturday, November 12, against the Allegheny Athletic Association
Allegheny Athletic Association
The Allegheny Athletic Association was an athletic club that fielded the first ever professional American football player and later the first fully professional football team. The organization was founded in 1890 as a regional athletic club in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, which is today the North...
. Another version of the story had Ames offered only $100. However the rumor either turned out to be false or Heffelfinger and Ames turned down Pittsburgh's offer. However, in a Chicago game against the New York Cresants, the Cresants refused to take field unless Chicago's Sport Donnelly was barred from the Chicago lineup because of some alleged rough tactics he used while playing for the Manhattan Athletic Club
Manhattan Athletic Club
The Manhattan Athletic Club was an athletic club in Manhattan, New York.The Manhattan Athletic Club was organized on November 7, 1877, and legally incorporated on April 1, 1878. Its emblem was a "cherry diamond"....
, the year before. Chicago benched Donnelly, and his absence resulted in a tie. Donnelly then became enraged and refused to rejoin the team in Chicago. Heffelfinger and Ames joined Donnelly in the walk-out. Afterwards Donnelly and Heffelfinger signed an agreement with the Allegheny Athletic Association, becoming the first known professional football players. Meanwhile, Ames had decided to forgo the game rather than risk his amateur status. He returned to coaching at Princeton.
Ames's father, Miner Thomas Ames, was a 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...
coal magnate. Ames's son, Knowlton Lyman Ames, Jr., also played for Princeton.
After retiring from football, Ames had a career in finance and publishing. He founded the Chicago Journal of Commerce and served as its publisher until shortly before his death. Ames also served as chairman of the board of the Booth Fisheries Company and had other business interests as well.
In 1931, Ames committed suicide, shooting himself with a .38 caliber revolver as he sat is his car. Ames was age 63 at the time of his death and had recently suffered business losses.