Sigmund "Sig" Harris (July 2, 1883 – November 8, 1964) was an American college football player. He was
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
's
All-American quarterback in 1902–04, for powerful teams under Dr.
Henry L. Williams. He was also a plucky, blocking back, punter, punt returner, and defensive safety, and played a critical role in the
Little Brown Jug game between Minnesota and Michigan in 1903.
Early life
Born in
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...
, Harris and his family moved to
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 ...
when he was young, where:
I went to Cheder
A ''cheder'' ( he, חדר, lit. "room"; Yiddish pronunciation ''kheyder'') is a traditional primary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language.
History
''Cheders'' were widely found in Europe before the end of the 18th ...
. There was no other organization for Jewish education in those days. I lived some distance from the Jewish population in town. I always felt that I considerably missed Jewish life in not being in closer touch with our people.
He played football for the Minneapolis Central High School team.
College
Harris began his college career in 1901, when he was enrolled at the College of Engineering and Mechanical Arts at the University of Minnesota. He became the starting quarterback the following year. In the 1903 season, Harris was named first team
Fielding H. Yost All-American, third team
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...
All-American, and first team Camp All-Western. He was present at the game against the
Michigan Wolverines where the
Little Brown Jug rivalry began. Harris was named third team Camp All-American in the 1904 season.
Coaching
Harris was an assistant coach from graduation until 1920.
He served as a substitute head coach for a game in 1922 when Williams suddenly took ill. He would return to coaching for a brief time, but he was devoted full-time to the machinery business that he founded in 1903 and continued to head until his death in 1964.
Hall of Fame
Harris is a member of the
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame ( he, יד לאיש הספורט היהודי, translit=Yad Le'ish HaSport HaYehudi) was opened July 7, 1981 in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere arou ...
.
See also
*
List of select Jewish football players
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Sigmund
1883 births
1964 deaths
American football quarterbacks
Minnesota Golden Gophers football coaches
Minnesota Golden Gophers football players
Sportspeople from Dubuque, Iowa
Jewish American sportspeople
Players of American football from Iowa