The 1940 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in the 1940 Big Ten Conference football season. Under third-year head coach

Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler (; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and ...

, Michigan compiled a 7–1 record and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the final

AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...

. The team outscored opponents 196 to 34. The team's sole setback was a 7–6 loss on the road against a Minnesota team that finished the season No. 1 in the final AP Poll. The 1940 team featured one of the greatest backfields in Michigan football history with all four principal starters going on to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as either a player or coach. Left halfback

Tom Harmon Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), known as Tom Harmon, as well as by the nickname "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster. Harmon grew up in Gary, Indiana, and playe ...

was a consensus All-American and the winner of the Heisman Trophy as the best overall player in

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

. Harmon became the focus of nationwide media coverage, even appearing on the cover of ''Life'' magazine in November 1940. Quarterback

Forest Evashevski Forest "Evy" Evashevski (February 19, 1918 – October 30, 2009) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940 and with the Iowa Pre-Flight ...

won the Big Ten Medal as the school's best senior student-athlete and was later referred to by Coach Crisler as "the greatest quarterback I ever had." Fullback

Bob Westfall Robert Barton "Bullet Bob" Westfall (May 5, 1919 – October 23, 1980) was an American football fullback who played for the University of Michigan (1939–1941) and the Detroit Lions (1944–1947). He was a consensus first-team All-American in ...

, known as "Bullet Bob," was the country's fourth leading rusher in 1940, gaining 808 yards in eight games. (Harmon had 852 rushing yards.) Westfall went on to become a consensus All-American in 1941 and also won All-Pro honors for the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

in 1945. David M. Nelson, who started the most games at right halfback, went on to a 20-year career as a college football coach and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach. The line playing in front of Michigan's Hall of Fame backfield was also one of the best in school history with four of the seven starters going on to play in the NFL. Left tackle

Al Wistert Albert Alexander "Ox" Wistert (December 28, 1920 – March 5, 2016) was an American football offensive tackle, guard and defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played his entire nine-year NFL ca ...

had his jersey retired at Michigan, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and was an eight-time All-Pro selection for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

. Left guard Ralph Fritz was a first-team All-Big Ten player in 1940 and later played for the Philadelphia Eagles. Center Robert Ingalls played for the Green Bay Packers and later served for 12 years as the head football coach at

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

. End

Ed Frutig Edward C. Frutig (August 19, 1918 – February 26, 2011) was an American football end who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1938 to 1940. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1940 by William Randolph Hearst' ...

, who was Harmon's principal receiver, was selected as a first-team member of the 1940 College Football All-America Team and later played for the Green Bay Packers and

. A fifth starter on the 1940 line,

Milo Sukup Milo Frederick Sukup (July 9, 1917 – January 3, 1983) was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940, where he was the running guard and a key blocker for Heisman Troph ...

, was the running guard and one of the principal blockers for Harmon and Westfall. Harmon in 1940 publicly praised Sukup and Fritz as "two big reasons for Harmon." Sukup was reportedly on track for selection as an All-American until he suffered a career-ending injury late in the season. In a November 1940 game against Illinois, Sukup suffered a blow to the head while blocking for Harmon. He was knocked unconscious, suffered from temporary amnesia and was later hospitalized for several days after suffering recurring headaches. Sukup was propped up in a bed at University Hospital when the Wolverines left to play Minnesota and listened by radio from his hospital bed as the team suffered its only loss of the season. Sukup missed the last three games of the season due to the concussion and did not compete further as a football player.

Robert Kolesar Robert C. "Bob" Kolesar (April 5, 1921 – January 13, 2004) was an American football player and medical doctor. He played at the guard position for the University of Michigan from 1940 to 1942 and for the Cleveland Browns in 1946 after a sti ...

, who replaced Sukup at right guard for the last two games, went on to play for the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...

Schedule

Season summary

Week 1: at California

On September 28, 1940, Michigan opened its season on the road playing the California Golden Bears at

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

. The game was the first played between the two football programs. Michigan won the game by a score of 41 to 0. While celebrating his 21st birthday, Michigan halfback

scored four

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron 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. In Amer ...

s, kicked four points after touchdown (PAT), and threw a touchdown pass to David M. Nelson. Cliff Wise also scored a touchdown for Michigan, after coming into the game as a substitute for Harmon in the second half, and William Melzow kicked the PAT. Harmon's first touchdown came on the opening kickoff, which he returned 94 yards. His second touchdown came in the second quarter on a 72-yard punt return in which he reportedly dodged and swerved from one side of the field to the other, running about 100 yards before reaching the end zone. His third touchdown was on an 85-yard run in the second quarter. During the third touchdown run, a spectator jumped from the stands and ran onto the field trying, without success, to tackle Harmon. Michigan gained 295 rushing yards, held Cal to only eight rushing yards, and only allowed Cal to advance beyond midfield once, and then only in the fourth quarter when the Bears advanced to Michigan's 40-yard line. The margin of defeat was the worst for a Cal team since a 70–0 loss to USC in 1930. The

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

wrote that Harmon found California's defense "about as strong as a wet paper bag," noted that Harmon was "as hard to snare as a greased pig," and opined that the only reason Michigan's point total was not higher was that "Michigan's first-string players ran themselves into a complete state of exhaustion." Michigan's starting lineup against California was

(left end), Albert Wistert (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

Reuben Kelto Reuben W. Kelto (September 10, 1919 – March 19, 1998) was an American football player. He played at the tackle position for the University of Michigan from 1939 to 1941. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1941 Michigan Wolv ...

(right tackle), Joe Rogers (right end),

(quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), Norman Call (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 2: Michigan State

On October 5, 1940, Michigan defeated

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

by a 21 to 14 score. The game was the 35th played between the two programs.

scored all 21 points for Michigan on three touchdowns and three kicks for extra point. Michigan gained 312 rushing yards compared to 49 rushing yards for Michigan State. Both Michigan State touchdowns were scored by right halfback Walt Pawlowski. Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was Joe Rogers (left end), Albert Wistert (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle),

(right end),

(quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), David M. Nelson (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 3: at Harvard

On October 12, 1940, Michigan defeated Harvard at

Harvard Stadium Harvard Stadium is a U-shaped college football stadium in the northeast United States, located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium is owned and operated by Harvard University and is home to the Harvard Crimson footb ...

by a score of 26–0. The game was the seventh played between the two programs, with Harvard having won four of the prior six games.

scored three touchdowns and passed for a fourth to Paul Kromer. Harmon also kicked for two extra points. Michigan rushed for 204 yards as compared to 61 yards for Harvard. Michigan's starters played only two minutes of the second half and were then replaced by substitutes. Michigan's starting lineup against Harvard was Joe Rogers (left end), Albert Wistert (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle),

(right end),

(quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), David M. Nelson (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 4: Illinois

On October 19, 1940, Michigan defeated

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

by a 28–0 score. The game was the 26th meeting between the two programs with the Illini having upset the Wolverines in 1939. Michigan's scoring came on touchdowns by David M. Nelson,

and

. Harmon also threw a touchdown pass to Frutig and kicked both a field goal and a PAT. Michigan rushed for 240 yards, while Illinois was limited to 24 rushing yards. The game was attended by Michigan's Governor-elect

Murray Van Wagoner Murray Delos Van Wagoner (March 18, 1898June 12, 1986) was an American politician. He served as the 38th governor of Michigan from 1941 to 1943. Early life Van Wagoner was born near Kingston, Michigan in Tuscola County. In 1921, he received ...

and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr., the President's son.1941 Michiganensian, page 197. Michigan's starting lineup against Illinois was Joe Rogers (left end), Albert Wistert (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle), Frutig (right end),

(quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), Nelson (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Week 5: Penn

On October 26, 1940, Michigan defeated Penn by a 14 to 0 score. The game was the 17th meeting between the two programs. It was a match between highly touted, undefeated teams. It matched two of the game's top coaches (

and George Munger) and featured the nation's top two scorers in

of Michigan and

Frank Reagan Francis Xavier Reagan (July 28, 1919 – November 20, 1972) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played professionally for the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles during a seven-season Nation ...

of Penn. The game drew noted broadcasters

Ted Husing Edward Britt Husing (November 27, 1901 – August 10, 1962) was an American sportscaster. He was among the first to lay the groundwork for the structure and pace of modern sports reporting on television and radio. Overview Early life and caree ...

and

Bill Stern Bill Stern (July 1, 1907 – November 19, 1971) was an American actor and sportscaster who announced the nation's first remote sports broadcast and the first telecast of a baseball game. In 1984, Stern was part of the American Sportscaster ...

in an event that was reportedly relayed by short wave "clear into war-torn Europe." Harmon carried the ball 28 times for 142 net rushing yards and also handled the passing (8 of 12 for 51 yards) and punting for Michigan. He scored early in the game on a 19-yard run around the right end after a Penn fumble gave Michigan good field position. Harmon was responsible for Michigan's second touchdown in the third quarter, as he threw a touchdown pass to

, and also kicked for both extra points. Harmon reportedly played the second half with his shirt "half ripped off his back", and "gave the dogged Quaker defense a going over that will never be forgotten." Michigan senior guard

sustained a concussion in the game and, on medical advice, did not appear in another game. Michigan's starting lineup against Penn was Joe Rogers (left end), Albert Wistert (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle), Frutig (right end),

(quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), David M. Nelson (right halfback), and

(fullback).

George Ceithaml George Frank Ceithaml ( ; February 10, 1921 – May 24, 2012) was an American football quarterback and coach. He was the starting quarterback for Fritz Crisler's University of Michigan football teams in 1941 and 1942. Crisler later called C ...

replaced Evashevski at quarterback after the latter left the game with an injury.

Week 6: at Minnesota

On November 9, 1940, Michigan played its annual rivalry game with

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. The game was the 31st between the programs, with Minnesota having won the previous six games under head coach

Bernie Bierman Bernard W. Bierman (March 11, 1894 – March 7, 1977) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He coached from 1919 to 1950 except for a span during World War II when he served in the U.S. armed forces. Bierman was t ...

. The 1940 game was played "in the mud and rain" at Memorial Stadium in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. Both teams came into the game undefeated with Minnesota ranked #2 and Michigan ranked #3 in the

. The game was played before a crowd of 63,894 spectators, the largest crowd at a Minnesota home game to that point. In the first quarter, Michigan drove to the Minnesota one-yard line, but

slipped on fourth down, and the ball went to Minnesota on downs. In the second quarter, Michigan took a 6–0 lead on a touchdown pass from Harmon to

. Harmon missed "by inches" the kick for extra point. Later in the second quarter, Michigan's

blocked a Minnesota punt that was recovered by Michigan's

at the Minnesota three-yard line. However, Harmon's pass into the end zone was intercepted, and Minnesota took over at the 20-yard line. On the next play from scrimmage, Minnesota scored on an 80-yard run by

Bruce Smith Bruce Bernard Smith (born June 18, 1963) is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Virginia Tech, where he was ...

. Joe Mernik kicked the extra point which was the difference in the game, Minnesota winning by a 7–6 score. Michigan outgained Minnesota with 210 yards from scrimmage to 199 for Minnesota and also led with 15 first downs to five for the Gophers. The 1941 ''Michiganensian'' opined: "The Wolverines completely outplayed the Bierman charges with fifteen first downs to five . . . but it was to no avail, as Harmon, trying to dive forward with his famous cutback, was continually pulled down by old man mud. . . . Minnesota went on to win the National Championship, while Michigan finished third, but here in Ann Arbor, we'll always believe it was rain and not the Gophers which pushed Michigan out of what would have been its first national championship since 1932." Michigan's starting lineup against Minnesota was

(left end), Albert Wistert (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle), Joe Rogers (right end), Evashevski (quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), Harold Lockard (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 7: Northwestern

On November 16, 1940, Michigan defeated Northwestern by a 20–13 score. The game was the 15th between the two programs, with the previous four games resulting in three Northwestern victories and one tie. Michigan's first touchdown was set up when end

blocked a punt out of bounds inside the Northwestern one-yard line.

then ran for the touchdown and kicked the PAT. On the ensuing drive, Northwestern was penalized 15 yards and forced to punt from its own end zone; Harold Lockard took the punt at the Northwestern 30-yard line and returned it 25 yards to the five-yard line. Harmon ran for five yards, and fullback

then ran for the touchdown. Harmon kicked the PAT, and Michigan led 14–0 at the end of the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, DeCorrrevont threw a touchdown pass to Motl for a 49-yard gain and a touchdown to narrow Michigan's lead to 14–7. As with Michigan's first two touchdowns, its third touchdown was set up by a muffed punt. On this occasion, a high punt was caught in a strong wind and went out of bounds at the Northwestern 26-yard line. Westfall scored his second touchdown, but Harmon missed the kick for PAT. Michigan's starting lineup against Northwestern was

(left end), Albert Wistert (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle), Joe Rogers (right end),

(quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), Harold Lockard (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 8: at Ohio State

On November 23, 1940, in the final game of the 1940 season, Michigan defeated Ohio State 40 to 0 in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

. The game was the 37th installment in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry. Ohio State had won four consecutive games under its head coach,

Francis Schmidt Francis Albert Schmidt (December 3, 1885 – September 19, 1944) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Tulsa (1919–1921), the University of Arka ...

, from 1934 to 1937, but Michigan had won the 1938 and 1939 matches. Michigan's first touchdown came in the first quarter on a run by

and was followed a minute and 14 seconds later by a second Michigan touchdown as senior Paul Kromer, hobbled most of the season by leg injuries, returned a punt 80 yards. Playing in his final game for Michigan, Harmon ran for three touchdowns, threw two touchdown passes (one to

and the other to

), and kicked four PATs. He also averaged 50 yards per punt on three punts. When Harmon left the field with 38 seconds remaining, the crowd game him a standing ovation. Harmon concluded his three years at Michigan with 33 touchdowns, surpassing the conference record set by

Red Grange Harold Edward "Red" Grange (June 13, 1903 – January 28, 1991), nicknamed "the Galloping Ghost" and "the Wheaton Iceman", was an American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and the short-lived New York Yankees ...

. Harmon gained 2,134 rushing yards on 398 carries for an average of 5.4 yards per carry. He also completed 101 of 233 passes for 1,399 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Michigan gained 447 yards of total offense against Ohio State, 299 rushing and 148 passing. On defense, Michigan limited Ohio State to 82 rushing yards and 33 passing yards. The margin of defeat was the worst suffered by an Ohio State team since 1902 when Michigan had defeated Ohio State by an 86 to 0 score. Despite having led the Buckeyes to a conference championship in 1939, the humiliating defeat to Michigan marked the end of

's reign as Ohio State's head coach. After the season ended, Ohio State appointed a special committee "to investigate the 'football situation'", and, in the end, Schmidt and five of four assistant coaches were given a choice to "resign or be fired." They chose to resign. Michigan's starting lineup against California was Frutig (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Fritz (left guard), Ingalls (center), Kolesar (right guard), Kelto (right tackle), Rogers (right end), Evashevski (quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), Call (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Players

Varsity letter winners

Twenty-five players from the 1940 Michigan team were awarded

varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. Description ...

s, as listed below. Players who started at least half of the team's games are listed in bold. * Jack W. Butler, Port Huron, Michigan - tackle * Norman D. Call,

Norwalk, Ohio Norwalk is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Huron County. The population was 17,012 at the 2010 census. The city is the center of the Norwalk Micropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Cleveland-Akron-Canton Combined ...

- started 1 game at right halfback *

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

- quarterback * Edward W. Czak,

Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River (Ohio), Black River in Northeast Ohio 23 miles sou ...

- end *

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

- started 8 games at

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

* Robert L. Flora,

Muskegon, Michigan Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expa ...

- tackle * Harlin Fraumann, Pontiac, Michigan - end * Ralph Fritz,

New Kensington, Pennsylvania New Kensington, known locally as New Ken, is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is situated along the Allegheny River, northeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 12,170 at the 2010 census. History Like much of Westmoreland Cou ...

- started 6 games at

left guard In gridiron football, a guard (G), otherwise known as an offensive guard (OG), is a player who lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team on the line of scrimmage used primarily for blocking. Right g ...

, 2 games at right guard *

River Rouge, Michigan River Rouge (, french: link=no, Rivière Rouge, translation=red river) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,224 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the River Rouge, which flows along the city's ...

- started 5 games at right end, 3 games at left end *

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...

- started 7 games at left halfback, 1 game at right halfback * Robert Ingalls,

Marblehead, Massachusetts Marblehead is a coastal New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, along the North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsula that extends into the northern part of Massachusetts Bay. Attache ...

- started 7 games at

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

Bessemer, Michigan Bessemer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,805. It is the county seat of Gogebic County. The city is surrounded by Bessemer Township, but the two are administered autonomously. It is on U. ...

- started 7 games at

right guard Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gi ...

* Theodore Kennedy, Jr.,

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

- center * Harry Kohl,

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

- halfback *

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

- started 2 games at right guard, 1 game at left guard * Bob Krejsa,

Shaker Heights, Ohio Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city population was 29,439. Shaker Heights is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland, abutting the eastern edge of the city's limits. In July 1911, a ...

- halfback * Paul Kromer, Lorain, Ohio - started 1 game at left halfback, 1 game at right halfback * Harold Lockard, Canton, Ohio - 2 games at right halfback * William Melzow, Flint, Michigan - guard * David M. Nelson,

- started 3 games at right halfback * Joe Rogers,

Royal Oak, Michigan Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Royal Oak is about north of Detroit's city limits. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 57,236. Royal Oak is located along t ...

- started 5 games at left end, 3 games at right end *

Muskegon Heights, Michigan Muskegon Heights is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,856 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The city is surrounded o ...

- started 4 games at right guard, 1 game at left guard *

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

- started 8 games at fullback * Clifford Wise - halfback * Albert Wistert,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

- started 7 games at

left tackle Tackle is a playing position in gridiron football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, o ...

Non-varsity letter winners

*Harry F. Anderson, center,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

*Leo P. Cunningham, guard, Revere, MA *Frank S. Day, halfback,

*Paul H. Gannatal, halfback, Detroit *James Grissen, fullback, Holland, MI *Clarence S. Hall, end, Raynham, MA *George H. Hildebrandt, guard, Hamburg, NY * Archie Kodros,

Alton, Illinois Alton ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is a p ...

- started 1 game at center *John T. Laine, guard, Puritan, MI * Elmer Madar, halfback, Detroit, MI *George S. Manalakas, halfback, Detroit< MI *Michael Megregian, quarterback, Detroit * Roland Savilla,

Gallagher, West Virginia Gallagher is an unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Gallagher is south-southwest of Pratt. Gallagher has a post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, s ...

- started 1 game at left tackle *Rudolph J. Sengel, tackle,

Louisville, KY Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

*Phillip E. Sharpe, end, Lakewood, OH * Rudy Smeja, end, Chicago * William Smith - started 1 game at right tackle *Robert B. Smith, tackle, Riverside, CA *Marshall C. Strenger,

Lake Forest, IL Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Fores ...

*Louis K. Woytek, center,

Johnson City, NY Johnson City is a village in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 15,174 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village of Johnson City is in the town of Union and is a part of t ...

*Robert Zimmerman, fullback, Chicago

Scoring leaders

Awards and honors

Tom Harmon awards and honors

At the end of the 1940 season, Michigan's

won numerous awards, including the following: *On November 25, 1940, the Maxwell Memorial Club announced that Harmon had been chosen as the winner of the

Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best al ...

as "the nation's No. 1 football player for 1940." *On November 28, 1940, Harmon was announced as the winner of the Heisman Trophy as the country's outstanding college football player with a record count of 1,303 votes. *On December 10, 1940, Harmon was named the male athlete of the year across all sports in annual polling of sports experts conducted by the Associated Press. Harmon received 147 points in the poll, nearly tripling the points received by runner-up

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

. *Harmon was also a unanimous All-American, receiving first-team honors from the All-America Board, the

, ''

Collier's Weekly ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Colli ...

'', the

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

, ''Liberty'' magazine, the

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, ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...

'', the '' Sporting News'', and the

United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20t ...

.ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, p 1181. *In mid-December 1940, Harmon was unanimously selected as the most valuable player in the Big Ten Conference. *Harmon and backfield teammate

, described as Michigan's "two-man gang," were both selected by conference coaches for the third consecutive year as first-team players on the Associated Press All-Big Ten Conference team.

All-American and All-Big 10 honors

In addition to Harmon, two other Michigan players received first- or second-team All-America honors. They are

, who was selected as a first-team end by the

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

and ''

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'' magazine, and

, who was selected as a second-team quarterback by ''

Football Digest ''Football Digest'' was a sports magazine for fans interested in professional American football, with in-depth coverage of the National Football League (NFL). The magazine modeled the ''Reader's Digest'' idea, to bring the best in football journali ...

''. Several Michigan players were also selected to the 1940 All-Big Ten Conference football team. They are: Forest Evashevski (AP-1; UP-2), Ed Frutig (AP-1; UP-1), Ralph Fritz (AP-1; UP-1), Tom Harmon (AP-1; UP-1),

(AP-2), and

(UP-2)

Post-season all-star and team honors

Several Michigan players were also selected to play in post-season all-star game. Tom Harmon, Ed Frutig and Forest Evashevski were selected to play in the East–West Shrine Game on New Year's Day in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, while Ralph Fritz was a starter at guard for the north team in the Blue–Gray Football Classic in Montgomery, Alabama. The Michigan players accounted for both of the East's touchdowns in the Shrine Game, as Harmon threw touchdown passes to Evashevski and Frutig, the latter coming on a fake punt by Harmon. Team awards went to Tom Harmon as the team's Most Valuable Player, and to

as the recipient of the Meyer Morton Award.

NFL Draft

The following players were claimed in the 1941 NFL Draft.

Coaching and training staff

*Head coach:

*Assistant coaches: Archie Kodros, Earl Martineau, Ernie McCoy (athletic director), Ernest McCoy, Biggie Munn, Bennie Oosterbaan, Hercules Renda, Wally Weber *Trainer: Ray Roberts *Manager: Howarth

References

External links

1940 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{Michigan Wolverines football navbox 1940 Big Ten Conference football season, Michigan Michigan Wolverines football seasons 1940 in sports in Michigan, Michigan Wolverines football