The 1941 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

1941 Big Ten Conference football season The 1941 Big Ten Conference football season was the 46th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference (also known as the Western Conference) and was a part of the 1941 college football season. The 1941 Minne ...

. Under fourth-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 record of 6–1–1 (3–1–1

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

), outscored opponents 147 to 41 and was ranked No. 5 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 played three ranked opponents, defeating No. 5 Northwestern (14–7), playing to a tie with No. 14

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

(20–20), and losing by a 7–0 score to the 1941 Minnesota team that won the 1941 national championship. With a strong, veteran line, the Wolverines also shut out four of their eight opponents:

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

(40–0); Columbia (28–0);

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

(20–0); and

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

(6–0). 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 ...

was selected as a consensus first-team player on both the 1941 College Football All-America Team and the All-Big Ten Conference team. Halfback

Tom Kuzma Tom George Kuzma (April 3, 1922 – May 19, 1996) was an American football player for the University of Michigan. He was the starting left halfback for Fritz Crisler's Michigan teams in 1941 and 1942. Kuzma was a native of Gary, Indiana. He at ...

was the team's leading scorer with 48 points, and tackle

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 ...

received the team's Most Valuable Player award. 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 ...

received second-team All-America honors, and

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 ...

Robert Ingalls was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Schedule

Rankings

Season summary

Pre-season

The

1940 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1940 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1940 Big Ten Conference football season. Under third-year head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan compiled a 7–1 record and finished the season ranked No. 3 in ...

had compiled a 7–1 and was ranked No. 3 in the final

. Michigan's coaching staff remained largely intact in 1941, with head coach

returning for his fourth season and taking on an added role as athletic director following the retirement of

Fielding H. Yost Fielding Harris Yost (; April 30, 1871 – August 20, 1946) was an American football player, coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at: Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Nebraska, the University ...

. From the 1940 team, the Wolverines lost five key starters to graduation: 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 ...

, 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 ...

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

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' ...

and

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

s Ralph Fritz and

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 ...

. In addition, halfback Cliff Wise was lost to the

military draft Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day und ...

, and several other players from the 1940 team were lost when they voluntarily enlisted in the military. Michigan's enlistees included halfback Bob Krejsa, fullback Bob Zimmerman, and tackle Jack Butler. Key veterans returning from the 1940 team included fullback and senior team captain,

, who was the nation's fourth leading rusher during the

1940 college football season The 1940 college football season was the 72nd season of intercollegiate football in the United States. Competition included schools from the Big Ten Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Six Co ...

with 807 net rushing yards. Michigan also returned several veteran linemen, including starting center Robert Ingalls and tackles

and

. In an article published in mid-September, coach Crisler predicted that Michigan's outlook for another superior team was dim. Michigan's biggest task in the pre-season was to find a player to take on the tailback position that had been filled by Tom Harmon from 1938 to 1940. As fall practice got underway, the leading prospects to take over Harmon's position included the following individuals:

, a sophomore and a native of Harmon's home town of

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 ...

; David M. Nelson, who was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach; Paul White, who later played for the Pittsburgh Steelers; Don Robinson, who served as a heavy bomber pilot in World War II; and Harold "Tippy" Lockard, a junior from Canton, Ohio, who enlisted in the Army Air Corps after the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

. Despite receiving an invitation from coach Crisler, sophomore track star Bob Ufer, who had played halfback in high school, did not report to the football team, opting instead to focus on track.

Week 1: Michigan State

On September 27, 1941, 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 19 to 7 score. The game was Michigan's first without

, who had led the Wolverines from 1938 to 1940. Sophomore tailback

, from Harmon's home town of

, took over Harmon's spot and scored two touchdowns in his first game for the Wolverines. Michigan State took the lead on the third play from scrimmage with a 74-yard sweep around left end by halfback Jack Fenton. Michigan came back with a touchdown in the second quarter and two more in the third quarter. In addition to Kuzma's two touchdowns, fullback

also scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter. Robert Ingalls kicked for one point after touchdown for Michigan. Michigan out-gained Michigan State on the ground with 235 rushing yards to 104 for the Spartans. Wilfrid Smith of the ''Chicago Tribune'' wrote that the key to Michigan's victory was its veteran line that "completely outplayed" the Spartans' line. Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was Harlin Fraumann (left end),

(left tackle),

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 ...

(left guard), Ingalls (center), Bill Melzow (right guard),

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

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 ...

(quarterback), David M. Nelson (left halfback), Harold "Tippy" Lockard (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Week 2: Iowa

On October 4, 1941, Michigan defeated

by a 6 to 0 score. The game's only points were scored in the first quarter after sophomore halfback

returned a punt 22 yards, supported by a key block from quarterback

, to Iowa's 18-yard line. Kuzma thereafter scored the touchdown on a three-yard run, and Bill Melzow missed the kick for point after touchdown. Michigan's starting lineup against Iowa was Harlin Fraumann (left end),

(left tackle),

(left guard), Robert Ingalls (center), Melzow (right guard),

(right tackle), Joe Rogers (right end), Ceithaml (quarterback), Kuzma (left halfback), Harold "Tippy" Lockard (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 3: Pittsburgh

On October 11, 1941, Michigan defeated Pitt by a 40 to 0 score. The game was the first played between the two programs. Michigan's six touchdowns, five of them in the second half, were scored by Harold "Tippy" Lockard,

(two touchdowns, including a 48-yard punt return), Donald Boor, Don Robinson, and David M. Nelson. Points after touchdown were kicked by Robert Ingalls (2) and William Melzow (2). Pitt never advanced beyond Michigan's 35-yard line in the game. Michigan outgained Pitt on the ground 274 yards to 27 yards. ''The New York Times'' wrote: "A powerhouse line, impregnable on the defense and a juggernaut on the offense; an abundance of ball-carriers who possessed speed, force and deception, plus the knowledge of how and when to employ these weapons, stamped Michigan's superiority throughout." Michigan's starting lineup against Pitt was Harlin Fraumann (left end),

(left tackle),

(left guard), Ingalls (center),

Merv Pregulman Mervin Pregulman (October 10, 1922 – November 30, 2012) was an All-American football player, businessman, and philanthropist. He played football as a tackle and center for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1941 to 1943 and was se ...

(right guard),

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

(quarterback), Kuzma (left halfback), Lockard (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 4: at Northwestern

On October 18, 1941, Michigan defeated Northwestern by a 14 to 7 score. Both Michigan touchdowns came on passes from halfback

. The first touchdown pass, in the first quarter, came on a 78-yard drive led by the running of fullback

. The touchdown was scored on a trick play as Westfall faked a run from Northwestern's 10-yard line, handed the ball to quarterback

who then lateraled the ball to halfback

who threw to end Harlin Fraumann in the end zone. The second touchdown pass, in the fourth quarter, covered 47 yards, with end Joe Rogers running the final 32 yards after making the reception. Bill Melzow kicked both points after touchdown for the Wolverines. Northwestern's touchdown was scored on a three-yard run by

Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). Graha ...

in the second quarter. Michigan was out-gained both on the ground (169 to 128) and in the air (197 to 73), but held Northwestern to a single touchdown. Michigan's starting lineup against Northwestern was Fraumann (left end),

(left tackle),

(left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle), Rogers (right end), Ceithaml (quarterback), Kuzma (left halfback), Harold "Tippy" Lockard (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Week 5: Minnesota

On October 25, 1941, Michigan, ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll, played

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 ...

, ranked No. 1 in the country. Minnesota won the game by a 7 to 0 score on a five-yard touchdown run by halfback Herman Frickey in the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 78-yard punt and a 43-yard pass, both by 1941 Heisman Trophy winner

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 ...

. Minnesota gained 179 rushing yards in the game, while Michigan tallied 135 rushing yards. In the fourth quarter, Michigan twice drove deep into Minnesota territory, but both drives ended with pass interceptions by Minnesota's quarterback

Bill Garnaas Wilford Benjamin Garnaas (October 8, 1921 – May 9, 2002) was an American football player who played three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Marshall High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota and ...

. The loss was the eighth in a row for the Wolverines against the Golden Gophers. The crowd of 85,753 at Michigan Stadium was the largest to that date to see a football game between two

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

teams. Michigan's starting lineup against Minnesota was Harlin Fraumann (left end),

(left tackle),

(left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

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

(quarterback),

(left halfback), Harold "Tippy" Lockard (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 6: at Illinois

On November 1, 1941, Michigan played on the road and defeated

by a 20 to 0 score. The game, played in cold, windy weather, featured 13 fumbles, seven by Michigan and six by Illinois. Two of Michigan's touchdowns were scored by fullback

, and the third was scored by halfback

. William Melzow kicked two points after touchdown and missed on a third attempt. Kuzma rushed for 121 yards on 21 carries, and Westfall carried 26 times for 126 rushing yards. In all, the Wolverines out-gained the Illini on the ground 327 yards to 91 yards. Michigan's starting lineup against Illinois was Harlin Fraumann (left end),

(left tackle),

(left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle), Rudy Smeja (right end),

(quarterback), Kuzma (left halfback), Paul White (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Week 7: at Columbia

On November 15, 1941, Michigan traveled to New York City and defeated Columbia by a 28 to 0 score. Three of Michigan's four touchdowns were scored by fullback

, and the fourth was scored by halfback

. All four points after touchdown were kicked by William Melzow. Michigan outgained Columbia on the ground 359 yards to 33 yards.

Allison Danzig Allison "Al" Danzig (February 27, 1898 – January, 27 1987) was an American sportswriter who specialized in writing about tennis, but also covered college football, squash, many Olympic Games, and rowing. Danzig was the only American sportswrite ...

of ''The New York Times'' described Michigan's performance as "butchery" and "a horrendous outpouring of volcanic power" featuring bewildering trickery, "explosive running" and "obliterating blocking", and praised the Wolverines as "one of the greatest football teams ever turned loose" on Columbia's field. Michigan's starting lineup against Columbia was Harlin Fraumann (left end),

(left tackle),

(left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle), Philip Sharpe (right end),

(quarterback), Kuzma (left halfback), Paul White (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Week 8: Ohio State

On November 22, 1941, Michigan finished its season playing to a 20 to 20 tie with

. Michigan's touchdowns were scored by halfback

(on a one-yard run), end Harlin Fraumann (on a lateral from

to Kuzma, who then passed to Fraumann), and fullback

(on a five-yard run). Westfall gained 162 rushing yards in his final game for Michigan. The Wolverines out-gained the Buckeyes in rushing, 271 yards to 179 yards. Michigan's Bill Melzow kicked two points after touchdown but, in the fourth quarter, kicked wide on the third attempt that would have given Michigan a victory. Michigan's starting lineup against Minnesota was Fraumann (left end),

(left tackle),

(left guard), Robert Ingalls (center),

(right guard),

(right tackle), Philip Sharpe (right end),

(quarterback), Kuzma (left halfback), Paul White (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Scoring summary

Post-season

On December 1, 1941, 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. ne ...

released the results of its final football ranking poll of the 1941 season. With 945-1/2 points and 84 of 96 first place votes, the national championship was awarded to Minnesota, the only team to defeat Michigan during the 1941 season. Michigan ranked No. 5 in the final

with 455 points. With respect to individual awards, fullback

was the only Wolverine to receive first-team All-America honors. Westfall was a consensus All-American, receiving first-team honors from the All-America Board, ''

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 ...

'' (selected by

Grantland Rice Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (November 1, 1880July 13, 1954) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio. Early years Rice wa ...

), 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 Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

'' magazine, the

Newspaper Enterprise Association The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary news ...

, ''

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'', 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 ...

, the Central Press Association and the

Walter Camp Football Foundation The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The organization also presents various awards. It is named in honor of foo ...

. Westfall also received All-Big Ten honors from both the

and the United Press. (In 1987, Westfall was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.) Other Wolverines receiving post-season honors included: * Right tackle

received second-team All-America honors from the United Press, Central Press, and ''Life'' magazine. He was also selected as the fullback on the national champion Minnesota team's "all-opponent" team. * Left tackle

received the team's Most Valuable Player award. After Kelto played 56 of 60 minutes against Illinois in 1941, a writer in the ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

'' wrote: "If ever there was an under-rated football player, it is this 198-pound tackle." * Center Robert Ingalls was selected by the United Press and the Associated Press as a first-team All-Big Ten player. He was also selected as the center on Minnesota's "all-opponent" team. * Halfback

, Michigan's leading scorer, received second-team All-Big Ten honors from the United Press. Kuzma ranked eighth among halfbacks in the United Press' All-America voting, earning "honorable mention" with 144 points. He was also selected as a halfback on Minnesota's "all-opponent" team. * Guard

was selected by the United Press as a second-team All-Big Ten player. Pregulman also received the team's Meyer Morton Award, as the player who showed "the greatest development and most promise as a result of the annual spring practice." He was also selected as a guard on Minnesota's "all-opponent" team. * End Joe Rogers was selected by the Associated Press as a second-team All-Big Ten player.

Players

Varsity letter winners

Twenty-five players received

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 for their participation on the 1941 Michigan team. The letter winners were: * Donald P. Boor, Dearborn, Michigan – fullback *

– 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 ...

* Leo P. Cunningham, Revere, Massachusetts – tackle * Robert L. Flora, Muskegon, Michigan – tackle *

Julius Franks Julius Franks, Jr. (September 5, 1922 – November 26, 2008) was a civil rights leader and an All-American guard who played football at the University of Michigan from 1941 to 1942. Franks wore #62 as a varsity letterman in 1941 and #63 in 1942 ...

, Hamtramck, Michigan – guard * Harlin E. Fraumann – started 8 games at left end * Robert Ingalls – started 8 games at

Jack Karwales John Joseph Karwales (June 22, 1920 – December 31, 2004) was an American football player. He played at the end and tackle positions for the University of Michigan in 1941 and 1942. Following four years of service in the United States Army Air ...

, Chicago – end *

– started 8 games at

right 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, ...

* 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 *

– started 8 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 ...

– started 7 games at left halfback * John T. Laine, Puritan, Michigan – guard * Harold "Tippy" Lockard – started 5 games at right halfback * Elmer Madar, Detroit – quarterback * William "Bill" Melzow – started 2 games at right guard * David M. Nelson – started 1 game at left halfback *

– started 6 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 ...

* Don Robinson, Detroit – halfback * Joe Rogers – started 5 games at right end * Philip E. Sharpe – started 2 games at right end * Rudy Smeja – started 1 game at right end *

– started 8 games at fullback * Paul White – started 3 games at right halfback * Albert Wistert – started 8 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 ...

Other players

Other players included on Michigan's 1941 roster include the following: * John G. Allerdice, halfback, Indianapolis * Ralph H. Amstutz, guard, Oak Park, Illinois * Harry F. Anderson, guard, Chicago * James J. Brown, halfback, St. Ignace, Michigan * Norman D. Call, halfback, Norwalk, Ohio *Harrison H. Caswell, tackle, Ann Arbor, Michigan *Otto E. Chady, end, Highland Park, Mich. * Fred Dawley, quarterback, Detroit, Michigan *Theodore E. Denise, tackle, Lansing, Michigan *Walter B. Freihofer, end, Indianapolis *John J. Greene, quarterback, Pittsburgh *James Grissen, fullback, Holland, Michigan *John F. Harrigan, quarterback, Detroit MI *Charles J. Haslam, quarterback, Duluth, Minnesota *George H. Hildebrandt, tackle, Hamburg, New York *Joseph Joseph, fullback, Highland Park, Michigan *Charles F. Kennedy, halfback, Van Wert, Ohio *William E. Kuyper, tackle, Newtonville, Massachusetts *William M. MacConnachie, end, Upper Mt. Clair, New Jersey *William J. MacDougall, tackle, Highland Park, Michigan *Robert L. McFaddin, center, Detroit *Austin S. Miller, fullback, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan *Robert L. Morrison, halfback, Minocqua, Wisconsin * Jack Petoskey, end, Dearborn, Michigan *

Bill Pritula William Pritula (March 10, 1922 – January 24, 2006) was an American football player. He played college football as the starting right tackle for Fritz Crisler's Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1942, 1946, and 1947. He was one of Mi ...

, center, Detroit *Reino J. Romo, halfback, Bessemer, Michigan *Vincent C. Secontine, tackle, Detroit *Robert W. Shemky, end, Crystal Falls, Michigan *Ray B. Sowers, halfback, Bay City, Michigan *Robert P. Stenberg, fullback, Chicago *Alfred S. Thomas, halfback, Detroit *Angelo E. Trogan, guard, Saginaw, Michigan *Clifford C. Wise, halfback, Grand Haven, Michigan *Louis K. Woytek, center

Awards and honors

* All-Americans:

*All-Conference: Robert Ingalls, Bob Westfall *Most Valuable Player:

*Meyer Morton Award:

Coaching and training staff

*Head coach:

* Assistant coaches: **''Backfield'':

Earl Martineau Earl Thomas Martineau (August 30, 1896 – January 20, 1966) was an American college football player and coach. He played halfback at the University of Minnesota and was selected as an All-American in 1922 and 1923 and served as the captain of th ...

,(identifying Martineau as Michigan's backfield coach) assisted by

Hercules Renda Hercules Gennaro Renda (September 5, 1917 – October 12, 2005) was an American football player and coach. He played for the University of Michigan football team from 1937 to 1939. He was an assistant football coach at Michigan under Fritz C ...

**''Linemen'':

Biggie Munn Clarence Lester "Biggie" Munn (September 11, 1908 – March 18, 1975) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach at Albright College (1935–1936), Syracuse University (1946), and mo ...

, assisted by Archie Kodros **''Freshmen'':

Wally Weber Walter J. Weber (February 27, 1903 – April 14, 1984) was an American football player and coach at the University of Michigan. He played Halfback (American football), halfback and Fullback (American football), fullback for the Michigan Wolverines ...

, assisted by former Michigan fullback Howard "Jeep" Mehaffey **''Other assistant coaches'':

Cliff Keen Clifford Patrick Keen (June 13, 1901 – November 4, 1991) was an American coach who served as the head coach of the University of Michigan collegiate wrestling team from 1925 to 1970. He led the Michigan Wolverines to 13 Big Ten Conference cha ...

(head wrestling coach and asst. football coach), Ernest McCoy (head basketball coach and asst. football coach), and

Bennie Oosterbaan Benjamin Oosterbaan ( ; February 24, 1906 – October 25, 1990) was a three-time first team College Football All-America Team, All-American American football, football End (gridiron football), end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-tim ...

(head basketball coach and asst. football coach) *Manager: William L. Hurley, assisted by Edward K. Aldworth, James D. Kline, Howard F. DeYoung, and Albert L. Gruenewald

References

External links

1941 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{Michigan Wolverines football navbox

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

Michigan Wolverines football seasons Michigan Wolverines football