1906 Florida football team

The 1906 Florida football team was the first team fielded by the new University of Florida, which was established in 1905 and opened its Gainesville campus for the 1906-1907 academic year.[1][2] Florida was a member of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) but was not yet affiliated with an athletic conference. The new university did not yet have on-campus sports facilities, so the school's football and baseball teams played most of their home games at a municipal park in Gainesville known simply as The Baseball Park for their first five years of existence.

1906 Florida football
ConferenceIndependent
1906 record5–3
Head coach
Offensive schemeMinnesota shift
CaptainThomas Guy Hancock
Home stadiumGainesville Baseball Park
1906 Southern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
The Citadel   –    3 –0 –0
Catholic University   –    1 –0 –0
Georgetown   –    6 –1 –0
Delaware   –    5 –1 –0
Navy   –    8 –2 –2
Southwestern Louisiana Industrial   –    1 –0 –1
Stetson   –    3 –1 –0
Virginia   –    7 –2 –2
Howard (AL)   –    6 –2 –1
Oklahoma   –    5 –2 –2
VPI   –    5 –2 –2
Kentucky State   –    4 –3 –0
Davidson   –    3 –2 –2
Florida   –    5 –3 –0
Maryland   –    5 –3 –0
North Carolina A&M   –    3 –1 –4
West Virginia   –    5 –5 –0
VMI   –    4 –4 –0
Grant   –    3 –3 –0
Arkansas   –    2 –4 –2
TCU   –    2 –5 –0
William & Mary   –    2 –6 –0
North Carolina   –    1 –4 –2
Oklahoma A&M   –    1 –4 –2

The University of Florida did not adopt the "Gators" nickname for its sports teams until 1911, so early Florida football teams were known simply as "Florida" or the "Orange and Blue." The 1906 squad was nicknamed "Pee Wee's Boys" in honor of their player-coach, Jack "Pee Wee" Forsythe,[3] a former Clemson Tigers lineman who played for coach John Heisman from 1901 to 1903 and played end for Florida.[4][5] Previously, Forsythe had been the head coach as Florida State College in Tallahassee, which had ended its football program when it became Florida Female College in 1905.

The 1906 squad played an eight game schedule - five contests against local athletic clubs and three against nearby private colleges, with two games played in Gainesville. Florida finished its inaugural season with a 5–3 record.[6]

Background
See also: History of the University of Florida
The 1899 FAC team, the first football team from any of UF's predecessor institutions.

The modern University of Florida was created in 1905 when the Buckman Act consolidated four smaller state-supported institutions to create a university for men in Gainesville. One of those four predecessor schools was Florida Agricultural College in Lake City, which had fielded a football team intermittently since 1899 and adoped the name "University of Florida" in 1903. The Lake City school's 1904 team scheduled attempted to jumpstart the program by scheduling an ambitious slate against southern powers such as Auburn and Georgia. The attempt was not successful, as the team went 0-5. The school ceased to exist after the 1904-05 school year.[7]

After the Buckman Act in 1905, the new University of Florida used the FAC campus in Lake City for one school year while its new campus in Gainesville was under construction. The school hired coach C. A. Holton and was ready to play its first season, but due to a variety of problems, the squad was only able to complete one half of football.[8] Several games were cancelled due to a large number of players being declared academically ineligible by university president Andrew Sledd, and a potential state championship with Stetson never materialized due to disputes over location.[9] Florida finally took the field for their last scheduled game, a contest against the Landon Institute of Jacksonville in which Florida held a 6-0 lead at halftime. However, it was discovered during the intermission that Landon's squad included professional players, and Florida's team refused to resume the game. The season was described by Tom McEwen as "lame duck, confusing, and troubled."[9]

The captain of the 1905 team was William M. Rowlett.[9] Of all the players from the earlier predecessor teams of the Florida Gators, only tackle William Gibbs of the 1905 Lake City team is known to have played for the new university's team in Gainesville in the fall of 1906.[9][n 1]

Rule changes

At the end of 1905, there was a national push to abolish college football due to reoccurring violence during games and the deaths of several players. Football was a sport that had degenerated into dangerous tactics such as: the flying wedge, punching, kicking, piling-on, and elbows to the face. Almost any violent behavior was allowed. Fatalities and injuries mounted during the 1905 season.[n 2]

As a result, the 1906 season was played under a new set of rules. The rules governing intercollegiate football were changed to promote a more open and less dangerous style of play. An intercollegiate conference, which would become the forerunner of the NCAA, approved radical changes including the legalization of the forward pass, allowing the punting team to recover an on-side kick as a live ball, abolishing the dangerous flying wedge, creating a neutral zone between offense and defense, and doubling the first-down distance to 10 yards, to be gained in three downs.[13]

Owing to the new rules, Coach Forsythe employed the Minnesota shift, an offensive system that attempted to confuse the defense through misdirection rather than simply attempting to push ahead with brute force.[8][14]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendance
October 13Gainesville Athletic Club
W 16–6
October 20at Mercer
L 12–0
October 263:15 p. m.Rollins
  • The Baseball Park
  • Gainesville
W 6–0150
November 2Riverside Athletic Club
  • The Baseball Park
  • Gainesville
W 19–0
November 4at Savannah Athletic ClubSavannah, GAL 27–2
November 11at RollinsWinter Park, FLL 5–0
November 18?at Athens Athletic ClubAthens, GAW 10–0
November 30?at Riverside Athletic ClubJacksonville, FLW 39–0

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.[6]

Season summary

Gainesville A. C.
Gainesville A. C. at Florida
1 2Total
Gainesville 0 6 6
• Florida 11 5 16

Sources:[15]

The University of Florida beat the Gainesville Athletic Club 16–6, the Gainesville team scoring on a fumble recovery in the second half.[15]

Mercer
Florida at Mercer
1 2Total
Florida 0 0 0
• Mercer 6 6 12
  • Date: October 20
  • Location: Central City Park • Macon, GA

Sources:[16]

In the second week of play, coach E. E. Tarr started Mercer's early winning streak over Florida with a 12–0 win.[17][18] Florida played its first game in Macon. A fumble changed the momentum of the second half.[19] Mercer's Dickey ran 40 yards around right end for the touchdown.[16]

Roy Corbett in uniform.

The starting lineup was Clarke (left end), Neilson (left tackle), Earman (left guard), Barrs (center), Wissen (right guard), Rodder (right tackle), Graham (right end), Thompson (quarterback), Forsyth (left halfback), Corbett (right halfback), Hancock (fullback).[16]

Rollins
Rollins at Florida
1 2Total
Rollins 0 0 0
• Florida 0 6 6
  • Date: October 26
  • Location: The Baseball Park • Gainesville, FL
  • Game start: 3:15 p. m.
  • Game attendance: 150

Sources:[17]

"Pee Wee's Boys" beat the Rollins Tars 6–0 in their first intercollegiate game played in Gainesville, Florida on October 26, 1906.[20] The game was played on a baseball field just north of where Florida Field is today.[21][22]

The game was scoreless in the first half,[23] Florida getting the win late.[24] Roy Corbett ran 25 yards around left end for the game's only touchdown. Shands kicked goal.[17]

Riverside A. C.
Riverside A. C. at Florida
1 2Total
Riverside 0 0 0
• Florida 13 6 19

Sources:[25]

Florida beat the Riverside Athletic Club of Jacksonville 19–0. Shands scored by catching a 15-yard forward pass.[25] The goal was kicked by Forsythe,[25] who was the star of the game.[26] Hancock also scored a touchdown, and Gibbs snuffed out a trick play.[25] Florida scored once more in the second half.[25][27]

Savannah A. C.

The Florida team suffered a defeat to the Savannah Athletic Club, 27–2.[28][29] Savannah outweighed Florida by some 30 pounds, and Florida was proud of giving Savannah a better game than Stetson.[19]

Rollins
Florida at Rollins
1 2Total
• Rollins 0 5 5
Florida 0 0 0

Sources:[30]

Rollins won the second game, 5–0.[30] Again neither team scored until the final few minutes.[31][32] Donald Cheney scored Rollins' touchdown.[33] Coach Forsythe resigned to accept a position as player-coach with the Riverside team, and the team disbanded only to later reunite under interim coach and ROTC Lieutenant L. R. Ball.[26]

Athens A. C.

Athens Athletic Club fell to Florida 10–0.[19]

Riverside A. C.

Florida again beat Riverside Athletic Club 39–0.[19]

Players
Player Position Games
started		 High school Height Weight Age
Albert Baarscenter
J. B. Earmanend
Pee Wee Forsytheend
William Gibbstackle
Pat Grahamend
Kent Johnsonend
Alf Neilsentackle
Ralph Radartackle
C. Thompkinsend
R. M. Whiddenguard
Roy Corbettright halfback
Thomas Guy Hancockfullback
Jim Shandsleft halfback
T. C. Thompsonquarterback
Arthur Albertson
A. C. Bennett
D. S. Bryan
H. B. Coe
James Kirk
Guy McCord
Charles Puleston
A. I. Roe

[19][28]

Notes
  1. Forsythe himself said 2 men returned from the team of 1905.[10]
  2. Union College halfback Harold Moore died of a cerebral hemorrhage after being kicked in the head while attempting to tackle an NYU runner. The Chicago Tribune referred to the 1905 football season as a "death harvest", as it resulted in 19 player deaths and 137 serious injuries.[11][12]

References
  1. Carlson 2007, pp. 7–11
  2. Horne 2012, p. 105
  3. McEwen 1974, p. 43
  4. Clemson Tigers Football, All-Time Starters, 1896–1905. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  5. 2008 Clemson Football Media Guide, Former Head Coaches, Clemson Athletic Department, Clemson, South Carolina, p. 170 (2008). Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  6. 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 107 (2015). Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  7. McEwen 1974, p. 34
  8. McEwen 1974, p. 39
  9. McEwen 1974, pp. 36–37
  10. J. H. Forsythe (November 9, 1906). "Foot Ball at the University". The University News. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Football Year's Death Harvest: Record Shows That Nineteen Football Players Have been Killed in 1905". November 26, 1905. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  12. McEwen 1974, p. 38
  13. "Football Rules Made At Last". Salt Lake Herald. April 2, 1906. p. 7.
  14. Davis, Parke H. (1914). "Tactics and Tacticians of the Gridiron". St. Nicholas a Monthly Magazine for Boys and Girls. 42 (1): 43. hdl:2027/mdp.39015081216759. OCLC 869746166.
  15. "Football". The University News. October 19, 1906. p. 4. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Mercer Wins From Florida". The Atlanta Constitution. October 21, 1906. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "The First Game With Rollins". The University News. November 9, 1906. Retrieved July 15, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Mercer Football Historical Notes".
  19. "University on the Gridiron". The University News. January 5, 1907. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "University Defeated Rollins". Gainesville Daily Sun. October 27, 1906. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. McCarthy 2000, p. 12
  22. Mike Bynum. The Greatest Moments of Florida Gators Football. p. 2.
  23. Carlson 2007, p. 10
  24. "No. 95 - FLORIDA 6, ROLLINS 0 1906". Gainesville.com.
  25. "Foot Ball Game". The University News. November 9, 1906. p. 2. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. Carlson 2007, p. 8
  27. "University Victorious". Gainesville Daily Sun. November 5, 1906. p. 7. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. McEwen 1974, p. 40
  29. Rajtar, Steve (1 January 2007). A Guide to Historic Gainesville. The History Press. ISBN 9781596292178 – via Google Books.
  30. "[No title]". The Ocala Evening Star. November 13, 1906. p. 2. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Cite uses generic title (help)
  31. McEwen 1974, p. 41
  32. Sandspur, Vol. 13 No. 01, 1907
  33. "Florida history: To travel forward with clarity, we must know where we've been".

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm (2007). University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators. Atlanta, Georgia: Whitman Publishing, LLC.
  • Horne, Larry E. (2012). Florida Gators IQ. ISBN 978-1-4499-8947-7.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M (2000). Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • McEwen, Tom (1974). The Gators: A Story of Florida Football. Huntsville, Alabama: The Strode Publishers. ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
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