The 1962 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the season of

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 ...

played by the six member schools of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) as part of the

1962 NCAA College Division football season The 1962 NCAA College Division football season was the seventh season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level. Conference standings Rankings Small c ...

. The

Kalamazoo Hornets Kalamazoo College, also known as Kalamazoo, K College, KC or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, Kalamazoo is the oldest private college in ...

, in their tenth season under head coach Rolla Anderson, won the MIAA championship with a perfect 8–0 record (5–0 against MIAA opponents). Quarterback Jim Harkema led Kalamazoo with 1,012 yards of total offense. The defending conference champion

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

had a 15-game winning streak broken on October 20 in a 19–12 loss to Kalamazoo. The conference's individual statistical leaders included Ed Lauerman of Kalamazoo (489 rushing yards), Mike Knowlton of Alma (732 passing yards), Jon Schoon of Hope (423 receiving yards) , and Tom Nesbitt of Olivet (42 points scored).

Conference overview

Teams

Kalamazoo

The 1962 Kalamazoo Hornets football team represented Kalamazoo College of

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

. In their second non-consecutive year under head coach Bob Nulf, the Hornets compiled a perfect 8–0 record (5–0 against MIAA opponents), tied for the MIAA championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 219 to 81. It was Kalamazoo's first MIAA championship in 25 years and the first perfect season since 1916. They also had the only unbeaten and untied record in Michigan during the 1962 season. Key players included quarterback Jim Harkema, defensive tackle Bob Woodruff, and halfbacks Ed Lauerman and Frank McGeath. Harkema finished the season with 1,012 yards of total offense, only the second player in school history with 1,000 yards.

Albion

The 1962 Albion Britons football team represented Albion College of Albion, Michigan. In their ninth year under head coach Morley Fraser, the Britons compiled a 6–2 record (3–2 against MIAA opponents), finished in a tie for second place in the MIAA, and outscored opponents by a total of 172 to 83. The Britons had a 15-game winning streak dating back to the 1960 season. It was the longest winning streak in Albion school history, eclipsing a 14-game streak during the 1939 and 1940 seasons. The streak was broken on October 20 in a loss to Kalamazoo. Key players included halfbacks Mike Hornus and Russ Wallis and quarterback Frank Gould.

Olivet

The 1962 Olivet Comets football team represented Olivet College of Olivet, Michigan. In their fourth year under head coach Stuart Parsell, the Comets compiled a 6–3 record (3–2 against MIAA opponents), finished in a tie for second place in the MIAA, and outscored opponents by a total of 187 to 142.

Adrian

The 1962 Adrian Bulldogs football team represented Adrian College of

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 7th congressional district. History Adrian was founded on June 18, 1826 by Addison Co ...

. In their first year under head coach Charles Marvin, the Bulldogs compiled a 3–4 record (3–2 against MIAA opponents), tied for second place in the MIAA, and were outscored by a total of 153 to 91.

Hope

The 1962 Hope Flying Dutchmen football team represented Hope College of

Hope, Michigan Hope Township is a civil township of Midland County, Michigan, Midland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,286 at the 2000 United States Census, 2000 census. Communities * Hope is an unincorporated community and post offi ...

. In their eighth year under head coach

Russ DeVette Russell Bernard DeVette (July 9, 1923 – November 23, 2009) was an American football, basketball and baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The g ...

, the Dutchmen compiled a 3–6 record (3–2 against MIAA opponents), finished in fifth place in the MIAA, and were outscored by a total of 215 to 155.

Alma

The 1962 Alma Scots football team represented Alma College of Alma, Michigan. In their seventh and final year under head coach Art Smith, the Scots compiled a 0–8 record (0–5 against MIAA opponents), finished in last place in the MIAA, and were outscored by a total of 271 to 64.

All-conference team

After the season, MIAA commissioner announced the All-MIAA football team for 1962. Nine players from Kalamazoo College were named to the first team. The first-team selections were: Offense * Backs - Jim Harkema, Kalamazoo; Bryce Fauble, Adrian; Ed Lauerman, Kalamazoo; Tom Nesbitt, Olivet * Ends - John persons, Kalamazoo; Rob Schoon,

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

* Tackles - Bob Phillips, Kalamazoo; Ron Mitchell, Olivet * Guards - Bob Peters, Kalamazoo; Jim Dumont, Adrian * Centers - Jim Wiegerink, Hope; Bill Cassidy, Olivet Defense * Ends - Ray Comeau, Kalamazoo; Dave Barrett,

* Tackles - Tom Smith, Adrian; George Pyne, Olivet * Middle guard - Jim Jahnke, Kalamazoo * Linebackers - Jim Nadill, Albion; Bob Powell, Olivet; Tim Hayward, Kalamazoo * Defensive backs - Dan Christiansen, Albion; Bob Porritt, Albion; Larry Melendy, Olivet

References

{{Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football navbox