1933 Michigan Wolverines football team
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The 1933 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
1933 Big Ten Conference football season The 1933 Big Ten Conference football season was the 38th 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 1933 college football season. Michigan compile ...
. Under fifth-year head coach
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...
, Michigan compiled an undefeated 7–0–1 record, outscored opponents 131 to 18, extended the team's unbeaten streak to 22 games, and won both the
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 ...
and national football championships. The defense shut out five of its eight opponents and gave up an average of only 2.2 points per game. In December 1933, Michigan was awarded the Knute K. Rockne Trophy as the No. 1 team in the country under the
Dickinson System The Dickinson System was a mathematical point formula that awarded national championships in college football. Devised by University of Illinois economics professor Frank G. Dickinson, the system crowned national champions from 1925 to 1940. Dicki ...
. By winning a share of its fourth consecutive Big Ten football championships, the 1933 Wolverines also tied a record set by
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 ...
's "Point-a-Minute" teams from 1901 to 1904. In the first half of the season, Michigan outscored its opponents, 101 to 6, including a 13–0 shutout of
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 ...
. In the second half, Michigan outscored its opponents 30 to 12 and defeated
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 ...
, 7–6, with the difference being Willis Ward's block of an extra point kick. In the annual Little Brown Jug game, Michigan and
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 ...
played to scoreless tie, breaking Michigan's 16-game winning streak (but still preserving the unbeaten streak). Two of Michigan's adversaries also finished among the top five teams in the post-season Dickinson ratings: Minnesota at No. 3 and Ohio State at No. 5. Left halfback
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player. He was also the leading scorer in the Big Ten Conference with 64 points. Center
Chuck Bernard Joseph Charles Bernard (August 29, 1911 – March 1962) was an American football player. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1931 to 1933 teams and was the starting center on the 1932 and 1933 teams that compiled a co ...
and tackle Francis Wistert were consensus first-team picks for the
1933 College Football All-America Team The 1933 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1933. The eight selectors recognized by th ...
. Left end
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
was also selected as a first-team All-American by several selectors. Michigan players also won four of the eleven spots on the All-Big Ten teams selected by the Associated Press and United Press. Michigan's first-team All-Big Ten honorees were Bernard, Everhardus, Petoskey, and Wistert.


Schedule


Pre-season

Michigan went into its 1933 season with an intact unbeaten streak of 14 games dating back to October 17, 1931. During that span, Michigan had won 13 games and tied one. The 1932 team finished its season with a perfect 8–0 record. The most valuable player on the 1932 team, All-American quarterback
Harry Newman Harry Lawrence Newman (September 5, 1909 – May 2, 2000) was an All-Pro American football quarterback. He played for the University of Michigan Wolverines (1930–32), for whom in 1932 he was a unanimous first-team All-American, and the reci ...
, had been lost to graduation. Newman led the 1933 New York Giants to the NFL championship and was selected as the All-Pro quarterback for 1933. Also departed was 1932 team captain
Ivy Williamson Ivan B. "Ivy" Williamson (February 4, 1911 – February 19, 1969) was a player and coach of American football and basketball, and a college athletics administrator. He played college football and basketball at the University of Michigan from 193 ...
, who went on to a long career as a coach and athletic director at the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
. However, most of the starters from the unbeaten 1932 team returned for the 1933 season. Key players returning from the 1932 team included halfbacks
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
and Stanley Fay, center
Chuck Bernard Joseph Charles Bernard (August 29, 1911 – March 1962) was an American football player. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1931 to 1933 teams and was the starting center on the 1932 and 1933 teams that compiled a co ...
, tackle
Whitey Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothe ...
, ends
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
and Willis Ward, and fullback
John Regeczi John M. Regeczi (July 19, 1912 – July 16, 2003) was an American football player. He played at the fullback, halfback positions for the University of Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934, including the undefeated national championship teams of ...
.
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
, who had been a reserve in 1931 but did not play football in 1932, was expected to take over for Newman at quarterback. In early September 1933,
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...
said that Renner was "just as good a passer as Newman – if he can do the other things." Kipke also announced plans to implement a new "rump wheel" formation in which the guards would back away from the line simultaneous with the snap to block for the backs. As Michigan's signal-caller for the 1933 season, Renner was responsible for mastering over 100 plays in the team's playbook – more than triple the 25 to 30 plays used by most teams. The 1933 pre-season also saw the return of the Little Brown Jug, which had been awarded to the winner of the Michigan-Minnesota game for more than 20 years. The jug had disappeared in 1931. In late August 1933, Al Thomas, the brother of the groundskeeper at
Ferry Field Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the opening of Michigan Stadium in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000. It is currently used as a ta ...
, found it in bushes along East University Avenue in Ann Arbor. Michigan's pre-season training camp began in mid-September. In a letter to a friend, backup center Gerald Ford, who later became President of the United States, wrote about Coach Kipke's pre-season training camp: "You should thank your lucky stars you're not a would be athlete. Between the weather, the coaches and my own wretched condition, the afternoons are long the hours for sleep way too short."


Season summary


Week 1: Michigan State

On October 7, 1933, Michigan opened its season against
Michigan State College 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 ...
. Michigan won the game, 20–6, on "a misty, soggy field, with occasional misty rain" at
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
. Michigan scored all of its points in the first quarter. Early in the game,
Whitey Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothe ...
downed the ball at the Spartans' two-yard line after a long punt by
John Regeczi John M. Regeczi (July 19, 1912 – July 16, 2003) was an American football player. He played at the fullback, halfback positions for the University of Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934, including the undefeated national championship teams of ...
. The Spartans punted the ball back to Michigan, and Michigan got the ball at Michigan State's 18-yard line.
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
ran for a touchdown, and
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
's extra point kick was unsuccessful. Eight minutes into the game, Michigan scored again. A 37-yard punt return by Everhardus gave Michigan the ball at the Spartans' 19-yard line. On second down, Jack Heston ran for the touchdown, and Everhardus kicked the extra point. Later in the quarter,
John Kowalik John F. Kowalik, Sr. (May 10, 1910 – January 7, 1978) was an American football player. Kowalik was born in 1910. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1931 to 1933. During Kowalik's three seasons as a starter, th ...
recovered a Michigan State fumble at the Spartans' 23-yard line. Everhardus ran for his second touchdown of the quarter and followed with his second extra point kick.1934 Michiganensian, Michigan State game summary, page 108. Neither team scored in the second or third quarters. Early in the final period, with Michigan leading 20–0, Michigan State completed an 86-yard drive with a touchdown on a short pass from Muth to Kurt Warmbein. The touchdown was the first scored by Michigan State against Michigan in 15 years.
Charlie Bachman Charles William Bachman Jr. (December 1, 1892 – December 14, 1985) was an American college football player and head coach. Bachman was an Illinois native and an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, where he played college football. He ser ...
, in his first game as Michigan State's head coach, used a passing game to attempt a comeback. The Spartans completed five of 18 passes for 74 yards. The Wolverines completed one of four passes. After the game, Bachman told reporters: "I am pleased with the outcome of the game, despite the loss, because we got rid of that inferiority complex with Michigan. My two sophomore backs . . . played as if they never heard of Michigan. To them, Michigan was just another football team." Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Borgmann (left guard), Bernard (center), Kowalik (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Heston (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback). Players appearing in the game as substitutes for Michigan were Savage, Beard, Viergever, Westover, Oliver, Renner, Hildebrand, Singer, Jacobson, Tessmer, Chapman, and Fuog.


Week 2: Cornell

On October 14, 1933, Michigan played
Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach a ...
, renewing one of its oldest rivalries. The programs had played 15 games, with Cornell winning the first seven games from 1889 to 1894. The teams had not played since 1917. Cornell's head coach "Gloomy Gil" Dobie led the Big Red to three consecutive undefeated seasons and two national championships in the 1920s. Before the game, Dobie said that his small squad of 27 players "stood absolutely no chance of winning" against Michigan, and Kipke replied that "Michigan hasn't a chance to win from Cornell." The Associated Press referred to the coaches' comments as a battle of the "gloom men." Michigan extended its unbeaten streak to 16 games by defeating Cornell, 40–0, the Wolverines' largest point total and largest margin of victory in seven years. The Wolverines gained 421 yards of total offense, including 319 rushing yards, 96 passing yards, and six yards on laterals. Left halfback
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
led the offense with 21 points on three touchdowns and three extra points. On defense, Michigan held Cornell to 55 yards of total offense. The Wolverines stopped Cornell's highly regarded running game by playing six men at the line of scrimmage throughout the game. Cornell did not complete a pass in the game, and four attempts were intercepted by Michigan. Michigan scored its first touchdown on a fake punt in the first quarter. Fullback
John Regeczi John M. Regeczi (July 19, 1912 – July 16, 2003) was an American football player. He played at the fullback, halfback positions for the University of Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934, including the undefeated national championship teams of ...
dropped back in punt formation, but instead ran 75 yards around Cornell's right end for the score. Everhardus kicked the extra point. In the second quarter, Everhardus ran 52 yards for Michigan's second touchdown. The extra point attempt failed when Louis Westover fumbled the snap from center. Michigan drove to Cornell's three-yard line shortly before halftime, but the drive ended on a fumble by left end
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
.1934 Michiganensian, Cornell Game summary, page 109. On the kick-off to start the second half, Everhardus returned the ball 85 yards for a touchdown and kicked the extra point. A short time later, Cornell's left halfback Ferraro fumbled at the Cornell 19-yard line, and Michigan recovered. Everhardus scored from the three-yard line on a lateral pass from Stanley Fay. Everhardus again kicked the extra point. Michigan played its reserves through the balance of the game. A total of 31 players appeared in the game for Michigan. Late in the third quarter, Fay scored a touchdown on a lateral pass from
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
, and Carl Savage kicked the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Michael Malashevich scored the final touchdown on a 52-yard pass play from Renner. Harvey Chapman's attempt at the extra point was unsuccessful. Michigan's backup quarterback Estel Tessmer broke his collar bone in the fourth quarter and was unable to play for the remainder of the season. Michigan's starting lineup against Cornell was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Savage (left guard), Bernard (center), Borgmann (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Heston (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback). Michigan substitutes appearing in the game were Chapman, Malashevich, Johnson, Hildebrant, Viergever, McGuire, Jacobson, Kowalik, Beard, Singer, Wells, Ponto, Ford, Fuog, Tessmer, Westover, Renner, Triplehorn, Dauksza, Oliver, and Remias.


Week 3: Ohio State

On October 21, 1933, Michigan played Ohio State in Ann Arbor. Michigan's last defeat before the 1933 season had been against Ohio State in 1931, and the 1933 Ohio State team was reputed to be "the most powerful Ohio team since the days of aylordStinchcomb and hicHarley." With both teams contending for the
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 ...
championship, it was the most anticipated meeting in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry since 1922. An Associated Press report noted: "Feverish excitement, unequaled since that week 11 years ago when Michigan was getting ready to dedicate Ohio State's new stadium, has taken hold of Maize and Blue followers." Another report noted: "The 'rah-rah' spirit is rampant once more in Ann Arbor to the extent that gang fights between Freshmen and Sophomores are being revived after a lapse of several years." In a departure from his practice of allowing the press to attend Michigan's workouts, Michigan coach
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...
prepared for the game behind locked gates at
Ferry Field Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the opening of Michigan Stadium in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000. It is currently used as a ta ...
. The Associated Press reported that "an air of deepest mystery" surrounded the Michigan camp, with expectations that Kipke intended to "shoot the works" against Ohio State. Michigan athletic director
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 ...
predicted the matchup would be "some game" and added, "It won't be a parade of chocolate soldiers." A pep rally was set for
Hill Auditorium Hill Auditorium is the largest performance venue on the University of Michigan campus, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The auditorium was named in honor of Arthur Hill (1847-1909), who served as a regent of the university from 1901 to 1909. He bequeath ...
the night before the game. The Michigan team spent the night at Barton Hills Country Club while the Ohio State team stayed overnight in Dearborn, Michigan. Though
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
's official capacity was 75,000, the demand for tickets prompted Michigan's athletic department to build temporary seating around the edge of the bowl. Newspapers and the University of Michigan yearbook reported that the game ultimately drew a crowd of more than 93,000, including 11,000 Ohio State fans. Up to that time, it was "the largest crowd that ever saw a Maize and Blue team perform." Michigan defeated the Buckeyes in the game, 13–0. The Wolverines gained 231 yards of total offense, 192 on the ground and 39 in the air. They held the Buckeyes to 60 rushing yards, 46 passing yards, and three first downs. Ohio State completed two of ten passes, with five passes being intercepted by Michigan.
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
was reported to be the outstanding player on defense: "Petoskey halted Ohio's rushes at his end, eluded his blockers, pulled down runners at the line of scrimmage and tossed them for losses, coming from behind to make smothering tackles."
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
scored Michigan's first touchdown on a long drive in the second quarter that featured a 19-yard gain on a pass from Renner to
John Regeczi John M. Regeczi (July 19, 1912 – July 16, 2003) was an American football player. He played at the fullback, halfback positions for the University of Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934, including the undefeated national championship teams of ...
and a run by Jack Heston (
Willie Heston William Martin Heston (September 9, 1878 – September 9, 1963) was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University ...
's son) on
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 ...
's "old 83" play. Renner ran for the touchdown from the three-yard line. The extra point kick by
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
was wide, and Michigan led, 6–0. In the third quarter, Willis Ward returned an interception 50 yards. The Associated Press wrote:
"Willis Ward, the one-man track team, gave his best exhibition of end play. His 50-yard dash with an intercepted forward pass was the longest and by far the fastest run of the game. Ward sprinted past the last Buckeye, who barely touched his foot and tripped him on the Ohio 25-yard line."
Michigan was unable to capitalize on Ward's long return, as a field goal attempt by Everhardus went wide. In the fourth quarter, Michigan's second touchdown was set up by
Chuck Bernard Joseph Charles Bernard (August 29, 1911 – March 1962) was an American football player. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1931 to 1933 teams and was the starting center on the 1932 and 1933 teams that compiled a co ...
. Bernard intercepted a pass at midfield and returned it to the 23-yard line. Michigan drove to the two-yard line, and Everhardus scored on a two-yard off-tackle run. Carl Savage kicked the extra point to extend the lead to 13–0. In '' The News-Bee'' of Toledo, Frank Buckley described Michigan as the "Big Bad Wolf" of the Western Conference and wrote: "Michigan humbled, outclassed, outfought and completely outplayed Ohio State."
Steve Farrell Stephen J. Farrell (December 26, 1863 – October 17, 1933) was professional track athlete, circus performer and track coach. Farrell was a professional foot-racer in the 1880s and 1890s, beginning as a competitor in the hook, hose and ladder ...
, who had served for many years as Michigan's track coach and the trainer of the football team, died four days before the Ohio State game. In a tribute to Farrell, the Michigan band formed the word "Steve" and "marched slowly down the field as taps were sounded."1934 Michiganensian, Ohio State game summary, page 110. Michigan's starting lineup against Ohio State was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Savage (left guard), Bernard (center), Kowalik (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Heston (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback). Michigan substitutes appearing in the game were Renner, Westover, Oliver, Chapman, Viergever, Hildebrand, Borgmann, Beard, and Ford.


Week 4: at Chicago

Michigan played its first road game on October 28, 1933, against the
Chicago Maroons The Chicago Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon. Team colors are maroon and gray, and the Phoenix is their mascot. They now compete in the NCAA Division III, mostly as ...
. The game attracted many Michigan fans, drawn by the lure of the game as well as the 1933 World's Fair (called the
Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositi ...
) being held in Chicago. Even Michigan's backup center, Gerald Ford, expressed a desire to attend the fair while in Chicago. Days before the Chicago trip, the future U.S. President wrote to a friend:
"Leave for Chicago Friday and stay there until Sunday afternoon. Maybe I'll get a chance to see the 'fair,' but already some of the boys are planning a celebration party and I'm sure I'll have to partake so '
Sally Rand Sally Rand (born Helen Gould Beck; April 3, 1904 – August 31, 1979) was an American burlesque dancer, vedette, and actress, famous for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name Billie Beck. ...
' _famous_fan_dancer_performing_at_the_fair.html" ;"title="fan_dance.html" ;"title=" famous fan dance"> famous fan dancer performing at the fair">fan_dance.html" ;"title=" famous fan dance"> famous fan dancer performing at the fairwill have to wait."
After returning from Chicago, Ford wrote to the same friend: "Had a swell time in Chicago and didn't see Sally Rand either. Saw all of the fair in 25 minutes, at least all I wanted to see." Chicago's 1933 football team was led by a new head coach, Clark Shaughnessy, and by Jay Berwanger, who won the first Heisman Trophy two years later. Although the 1933 Maroons were reputed to be "the best Chicago team in years", Michigan won, 28–0, the largest margin of victory recorded by Michigan against a Chicago team. Stanley Fay and
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
scored touchdowns in the first quarter, and
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
and Louis Westover scored in the fourth quarter. Fay scored the first touchdown on the seventh play of the game. Westover's touchdown came on a 33-yard pass from Renner in the fourth quarter. Extra points were kicked by Everhardus (2),
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
, and Harvey Chapman. On defense, Michigan allowed Chicago to cross the 50-yard line only twice, and one of those instances resulted from a Michigan fumble at its own 39-yard line. In the fourth quarter, Chicago halfback Zimmer ran the ball 32 yards to Michigan's 48-yard line, but the drive stalled there. Through the first four games of the season, Michigan had outscored its opponents, 101 to 6. Michigan's starting lineup against Chicago was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Savage (left guard), Bernard (center), Kowalik (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Westover (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Fay (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback). Players appearing in the game as substitutes for Michigan were Chapman, Malashevich, Viergever, Hildebrand, Stone, Jacobson, McGuire, Borgmann, Ponto, Beard, Singer, Ford, Fuog, Renner, Bolas, Triplehorn, Oliver, and Remias.


Week 5: at Illinois

Michigan played its second consecutive road game on November 4, 1933, against
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 ...
. Before the game, a member of the Michigan coaching staff expressed concern that Illinois head coach
Robert Zuppke Robert Carl Zuppke (July 2, 1879 – December 22, 1957) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1913 until 1941, compiling a career college football record of 131–81â ...
, with two weeks to prepare due to a bye week, would have a variety of tricks ready for Michigan. Michigan won by the margin of a missed extra point kick, 7–6. Illinois scored first on a drive fueled by the passing of Illinois quarterback Jack Beynon. Fullback Cook scored from the three-yard line, but Barton Cummings' kick for the extra point was blocked by Michigan's right end Willis Ward. In the second quarter, a poor punt by Beynon gave Michigan possession at the Illinois 28-yard line. After moving the ball to the 15-yard line,
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
passed to
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
at the seven-yard line. The ball was moved to the one-yard line after a penalty against Illinois, and
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
ran around right end for a touchdown. Everhardus kicked the extra point to give the Wolverines a 7–6 lead. Neither team scored in the third quarter. With 15 seconds remaining in the game,
John Regeczi John M. Regeczi (July 19, 1912 – July 16, 2003) was an American football player. He played at the fullback, halfback positions for the University of Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934, including the undefeated national championship teams of ...
punted from Michigan's end zone. Illinois quarterback Beynon made a fair catch at Michigan's 31-yard line. Illinois elected to attempt a field goal without interference, an option available to team receiving a punt under 1933 rules. The crowd stood as Barton Cummings lined up to attempt the kick. The kick was a foot wide of the upright, and Michigan's 7–6 lead held. After Michigan's domination of its first four opponents, the Wolverines had been "hailed afar as the 'perfect team.'" The performance of Illinois reportedly "rekindled hope in the hearts of Michigan's rivals." Illinois coach Zuppke was credited for his "magnificent" strategy in nearly upsetting the Wolverines. Michigan left guard, Carl Savage, suffered a ligament injury in the game, and his leg was placed in a cast. Savage's injury proved to involve a fractured bone in his foot, and he was unable to return to the Michigan lineup. Michigan's starting lineup against Illinois was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Savage (left guard), Bernard (center), Kowalik (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Heston (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback).


Week 6: Iowa

On November 11, 1933, Michigan played
Ossie Solem Oscar Martin "Ossie" Solem (December 13, 1891 – October 26, 1970) was an American football player, coach of football and basketball, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa (1 ...
's Iowa Hawkeyes. Michigan won the game, 10–6. The game was played on a wet field with occasional snow flurries before a crowd of 26,000 at
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
. Michigan's first points came on a field goal by
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
from the 24-yard line. In the second quarter, Everhardus ran 47 yards to the Iowa 16-yard line. On fourth down,
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
threw a touchdown pass to Stanley Fay. Everhardus kicked the extra point to give Michigan a 10–0 lead. In the third quarter, Iowa scored on a drive that featured a long pass from George Teyro to Dick Crayne and a touchdown pass from Teyro to Bernard Page.
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
and Willis Ward blocked Russ Fisher's kick for the extra point. Michigan gained 216 yards on rushing and 27 yards on passes. The Associated Press opened its account of the game: "Herman Everhardus, the Flying Dutchman of Kalamazoo, unleashed a toe as true as a navy siege gun and Bill Renner displayed uncanny passing aim today as Michigan's powerful football team, playing in snow and ice, swept toward a fourth consecutive Big Ten championship . . ." Iowa was held to 39 yards rushing, but gained 113 yards on passes. After giving up 113 passing yards, some in the media questioned the strength of Michigan's pass defense. Michigan athletic director
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 ...
dismissed the criticism. Yost showed his to reporters and explained that Iowa had completed five of 19 passes for 120 yards. He pointed out that nine passes were incomplete, and five others were intercepted, two by Ward and one each by Everhardus, Louis Westover and Tom Austin. Yost pointed out that Michigan had returned the five interceptions for 169 yards, giving Michigan a net gain of 49 yards on Iowa's 19 passes. Michigan's starting lineup against Iowa was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Hildebrand (left guard), Bernard (center), Kowalik (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Heston (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback). Players appearing in the game as substitutes for Michigan were Jacobson, Singer, Borgmann, Renner, Westover, Oliver and Ford.


Week 7: Minnesota

On November 18, 1933, Michigan played
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 ...
's
Minnesota Golden Gophers The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...
. Like the Illini two weeks earlier, Minnesota had two weeks to prepare for the Wolverines following a bye week. The game ended in a scoreless tie. Each team attempted three passes, and neither team completed any. Two of Michigan's three pass attempts were intercepted by Minnesota. Bierman's Golden Gophers also held Michigan to 58 rushing yards. Michigan's best scoring opportunity was set up by a Statue of Liberty play in which
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
dropped back to pass and cocked his arm to throw. Stanley Fay ran behind Renner and took the ball from Renner's extended hand. Fay ran around the end and eluded one tackler before being tackled by Vernal Levoir and
Pug Lund Francis "Pug" Lund (April 18, 1913 – May 26, 1994) was an American football player. Lund was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and attended Rice Lake High School. As a Minnesota Gopher halfback, Lund was named All-Conference in both 1933 and ...
at the Gophers' 30-yard line. Michigan was unable to penetrate further. Minnesota gained 132 yards on the ground, mostly by left halfback Pug Lund. In the third quarter, Lund ran for a 42-yard gain, and in the fourth quarter, he ran from kick formation, taking the ball to Michigan's 38-yard line. Two plays later, Minnesota fullback Vernal Levoir took the ball to Michigan's 16-yard line. When Michigan held Minnesota on three plays, Bill Bevan attempted a field goal from the 25-yard line. The kick went wide, and Minnesota's best scoring chance was lost. After the game, Coach Kipke told reporters: "We got off easy. . . . Minnesota has a great football team, and it is only fair to say we were lucky to hold them scoreless. . . . Our offense probably would have looked better on a dry field. Everhadus is our only hard driving back, while Minnesota has three, . . . Our other ball carriers depend on sidestepping to go places and they couldn't do much of that with the footing so slippery." Kipke also praised his defense for their play after Minnesota drove to the 15-yard line: "Fourth down and 12 yards to go didn't look bad at all. Renner certainly meant business when he threw Alfonse for that six-yard loss." The Wolverines played a defensive oriented game and relied heavily on Regeczi's punting. One sports columnist wrote: "No game I have seen this season more clearly brought out the inestimable value of consistent punting as did this bruise and batter struggle . . . No matter where Michigan was located when Johnny Regeczi went back to kick, the boot almost always was good enough to place Minnesota on the defensive." The tie snapped a 16-game winning streak for
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...
's Wolverines dating back to November 14, 1931. Bierman's Golden Gophers went on to undefeated national championship seasons in
1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...
and 1935. Michigan's starting lineup against Minnesota was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Hildebrand (left guard), Bernard (center), Kowalik (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Renner (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback). Players appearing in the game as substitutes for Michigan were Borgmann and Heston.


Week 8: at Northwestern

Michigan concluded its undefeated season with a 10–0 victory over the
Northwestern Wildcats The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern ...
at
Dyche Stadium Ryan Field is a stadium in the central United States, located in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago. Near the campus of Northwestern University, it is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Northwestern Wi ...
in Evanston. Through most of the first half, the game was scoreless. With less than 30 seconds remaining in the half,
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
kicked a field goal from the 25-yard line to give Michigan a 3–0 lead. Early in the third quarter,
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
threw a 37-yard pass that hit Willis Ward over his right shoulder at full speed. Ward crossed the goal line, and Everhardus kicked the extra point.
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
added a field goal from the 35-yard line near the end of the third quarter. Michigan gained only 122 yards of total offense in the game, 37 on the ground and 85 in the air. The Wildcats were held to 110 yards of total offense, 83 on the ground and 27 in the air. Two interceptions helped to prevent Northwestern from scoring. The game was played with strong winds impairing the kicking game. Wisconsin coach Clarence Spears wrote that Regeczi, with his strong kicking against Northwestern, was "50 percent of the team." Spears wrote: "Regeczi's kicking kept Michigan continually in front of the goal posts, where it could throw a long pass or try for a field goal." Michigan's starting lineup against Northwestern was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Hildebrand (left guard), Bernard (center), Kowalik (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Heston (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback).


Post-season


Team championships

For the second year in a row, Michigan received the Knute K. Rockne Trophy as the top-ranked team in the country under the
Dickinson System The Dickinson System was a mathematical point formula that awarded national championships in college football. Devised by University of Illinois economics professor Frank G. Dickinson, the system crowned national champions from 1925 to 1940. Dicki ...
, a rating model developed by Frank G. Dickinson, an economics professor at the
University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univer ...
. Having played what was considered an "extremely difficult schedule", Michigan was awarded 28.52 points, well ahead of the runners up: Nebraska (24.61), Minnesota (23.87), Pittsburgh (23.01), and Ohio State (23.01). In addition to winning the Rockne Trophy, the 1933 Michigan team has been recognized as
national champions National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...
by the Billingsley Report, the National Championship Foundation, the College Football Researchers Association, the Boand System, the Helms Athletic Foundation, the Houlgate System, Parke H. Davis, the
Poling System The Poling System was a mathematical rating system used to select college football national championship teams on a current basis from 1935 to 1984. Its selections were published in the ''Football Review Supplement'' and several newspapers.
and the Sagarin Ratings. The 1933 season was also the fourth straight year in which Michigan had won at least a share of the
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 ...
football championship. The last school to accomplish that feat was Michigan from 1901 to 1904 –
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 ...
's "Point-a-Minute" teams. In mid-December 1933, rumors circulated that Kipke had been offered the job as the new head football coach at
Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
. Kipke denied having been officially offered the job, but said he would consider it if offered. Three days later, Kipke announced that he would remain at Michigan and had been given "a slight increase in salary" and would be seeking salary increases for his assistant coaches as well. With his status settled, Kipke traveled to California where he helped Columbia prepare for its game against Stanford in the
1934 Rose Bowl The 1934 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1934, was an American football bowl game. It was the 20th Rose Bowl Game. The Columbia Lions defeated the Stanford Indians (now Cardinal) 7-0. Cliff Montgomery, the Columbia quarterback, was named the Rose ...
.


Individual honors

Several Michigan players received significant honors for their role in leading the 1933 team to a national championship. Left halfback
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
was the Big Ten scoring leader in 1933 with 64 points on eight touchdowns, 10 extra points, and two field goals. He was also named the Most Valuable Player on Michigan's 1933 team. At the end of the season, Coach Kipke said, "Everhardus stepped out and became a really great ballplayer this fall." Center
Chuck Bernard Joseph Charles Bernard (August 29, 1911 – March 1962) was an American football player. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1931 to 1933 teams and was the starting center on the 1932 and 1933 teams that compiled a co ...
and tackle Francis Wistert were consensus first-team picks for the
1933 College Football All-America Team The 1933 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1933. The eight selectors recognized by th ...
. End
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
was selected as a first-team All-American 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.
(the Hearst newspapers' wire service), the Central Press Association, and ''Midweek Pictorial'', and received second-team honors from the Associated Press, United Press, and ''
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 ...
'' (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 ...
). Everhardus received second-team All-American honors from the International News Service and 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 ...
(selected by NEA's All-America Committee of coaches), and third-team honors from ''Collier's Weekly''. Bernard, Wistert, Petoskey, and Everhardus were also first-team members of the All-Big Ten Conference teams selected by the United Press and Associated Press. Based on his contributions to both the track and football teams, right end Willis Ward finished second in balloting for the Associated Press Big Ten Athlete of the Year award. The voting was by Big Ten coaches with 55 votes being cast.
Duane Purvis Duane Purvis (November 13, 1912 – March 18, 1989) was an All-American football player and track and field performer. A native of Mattoon, Illinois, Purvis played halfback and fullback for the Purdue Boilermakers from 1932 to 1934. He w ...
of Purdue won the award with 17 votes; Ward received 15 votes. (Ted Petoskey, Wards's counterpart at the left end of the Michigan line, finished in third place with five votes.) Ward was the first African-American to play football at Michigan in more than 40 years. At the Butler Relays in April 1933, he ran the 60-yard dash in 6.2 seconds, tying the world record. He was the starting right end in every game for the 1933 football team. In late November, Coach Kipke noted "Ward and Petoskey were near perfection" in their play at the end positions. ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine wrote: "Michigan came perilously close to slipping from the top of the Big Ten, where it has been for three years. That it did not slip was largely due to a crack halfback named Herman Everhardus and to Willis Ward, a rangy Negro end. It was Ward who, after hard-fighting Illinois had marched to a touchdown in the first period, shot through and blocked the place kick which would have given Illinois a seventh point." In early December 1933, the team elected Tom Austin as the captain of the 1934 team. Austin was raised in Columbus, Ohio. He was the fifth Ohio native and the first lineman to be selected as Michigan's team captain in nine years.


Legalized beer

In a letter dated September 17, 1933, Gerald Ford wrote: "Herm Everhardus and myself just had a couple bottles of beer a piece, and did they ever taste good after drinking milk (and that's all) at the training table. After abstaining for a couple of days, it was really very refreshing." Only months earlier, the consumption of beer would have been illegal. An amendment to the
Volstead Act The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was an act of the 66th United States Congress, designed to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919), which established the prohibition of alcoholic d ...
allowing the sale of beer went into effect in April 1933. The availability of beer had a noticeable impact in Ann Arbor on football Saturdays. On October 8, 1933, the day after the Michigan-Michigan State football game, Ford noted that his fraternity was planning a big party with a barrel of beer. He added, "You should have seen the campus this week-end, more drunks than ever and they all claim that the year is just beginning. I'm afraid to imagine what it will be by the Ohio State game." Ford's concern proved prescient. After the Ohio State game, the university attracted unwanted national publicity when its board in control of athletics mailed notices to ticket holders warning that they would be ejected if complaints were received about their drinking. The notices stated that the board was not concerned with "the personal habits and tastes" of ticket-holders, but felt a deep concern "when indulgence in such habits and tastes results in conduct disgusting or offensive to other patrons."


Players


Varsity letter winners

*Thomas D. Austin, Columbus, Ohio – 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, ...
*Chester C. Beard,
Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, whi ...
– guard *
Chuck Bernard Joseph Charles Bernard (August 29, 1911 – March 1962) was an American football player. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1931 to 1933 teams and was the starting center on the 1932 and 1933 teams that compiled a co ...
,
Benton Harbor, Michigan Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,103. It is the smaller, by population, o ...
– started 8 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 ...
* William Borgmann,
Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
– started 1 game at left guard, 1 game at right guard *Harvey E. Chapman, Detroit – end *
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
, Kalamazoo, Michigan – started 8 games at left halfback * Stanley Fay, Detroit – started 6 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 ...
, 2 games at right halfback * Gerald Ford,
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...
– center *Russell J. Fuog, Chicago – center, guard *John P. "Jack" Heston, Detroit – started 6 games at right halfback *Willard Hildebrand,
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 ...
– started 3 games at left guard *Tage Jacobson, Detroit – tackle *
John Kowalik John F. Kowalik, Sr. (May 10, 1910 – January 7, 1978) was an American football player. Kowalik was born in 1910. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1931 to 1933. During Kowalik's three seasons as a starter, th ...
– 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 ...
*Michael Malashevich, Dearborn, Michigan – end * Russell D. Oliver, Pontiac, Michigan – fullback * Fred Petoskey,
St. Charles, Michigan St. Charles is a village in Saginaw County, Michigan, Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is located in the northwest corner of St. Charles Township, Michigan, St. Charles Township with portions of the village located within B ...
– started 8 games at left end *
John Regeczi John M. Regeczi (July 19, 1912 – July 16, 2003) was an American football player. He played at the fullback, halfback positions for the University of Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934, including the undefeated national championship teams of ...
,
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 8 games at fullback *
Bill Renner William Arthur Renner, Jr. (born May 23, 1959) is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Ins ...
, Youngstown, Ohio – started 1 game at quarterback *Carl Savage, Flint, Michigan – started 4 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 ...
*Oscar Arthur Singer,
Jackson Heights, New York Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, Woodside to the west, northern Astoria ( Ditmars-Steinw ...
– guard * Estel Tessmer, Ann Arbor, Michigan – quarterback *John D. Viergever,
Algonac, Michigan Algonac is a city in St. Clair County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,110 at the 2010 census. Algonac is located at the southern end of the St. Clair River, just before it splits into a large delta region known as the St. C ...
– tackle * Willis Ward, Detroit – started 8 games at right end *Louis Westover,
Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metrop ...
– started 1 game at quarterback * Francis Wistert, Chicago – 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 ...
File:Louis Westover.jpg, Louis Westover File:Tage Jacobson.jpg, Tage Jacobson File:Carl Munro Savage.jpg, Carl Savage File:Oscar Arthur Singer.jpg, Oscar Singer File:John P. Heston.jpg, Jack Heston File:Russell Fuog.jpg, Russell Fuog


Varsity reserves

*George A. Bolas, Chicago – quarterback * Tony Dauksza, Grand Rapids, Michigan – quarterback *Ernest C. Johnson, Grand Rapids, Michigan – end *James A. Kidston,
LaGrange, Illinois ''(the barn)'' , nickname = , motto = ''Tradition & Pride – Moving Forward'' , anthem = ''My La Grange'' by Jimmy Dunne , image_map = File:Cook County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas La Grange Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 26 ...
– fullback *Donald T. McGuire,
South Haven, Michigan South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, Michigan, Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan County. The population was 4,403 at the 2010 United ...
– tackle *Hilton A. Ponto, Ann Arbor, Michigan – guard *Steve Remias, Chicago – fullback *Howard Triplehorn,Howard Triplehorn, born May 26, 1913. Served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Died April 28, 1971.
Bluffton, Ohio Bluffton, originally known as Shannon, is a village in Allen and Hancock counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 4,125 at the 2010 census. Bluffton is home to Bluffton University, a four-year educational institution affiliated w ...
– halfback *Robert L. Wells, Grand Rapids, Michigan – guard


Scoring leaders


Awards and honors

* Captain: Stanley Fay * All-Americans:
Chuck Bernard Joseph Charles Bernard (August 29, 1911 – March 1962) was an American football player. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1931 to 1933 teams and was the starting center on the 1932 and 1933 teams that compiled a co ...
,
Whitey Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothe ...
,
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
* All-Conference:
Whitey Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothe ...
,
Chuck Bernard Joseph Charles Bernard (August 29, 1911 – March 1962) was an American football player. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1931 to 1933 teams and was the starting center on the 1932 and 1933 teams that compiled a co ...
,
Ted Petoskey Frederick Lee "Ted" Petoskey (January 5, 1911 – November 30, 1996) was a three-sport athlete at the University of Michigan, a Major League Baseball player, a collegiate coach in three sports and an athletic director. At the University of Michi ...
,
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
* Most Valuable Player:
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
* Meyer Morton Award: Mike Savage


Coaching staff

*Head coach:
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...
*Assistant coaches: Jack Blott,
Franklin Cappon Franklin C. "Cappy" Cappon (October 17, 1900 – November 29, 1961) was an American college football and college basketball player and coach. He played football and basketball at Phillips University and the University of Michigan and coached at Lu ...
, Ray Courtright,
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 ...
,
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 ...
, Walter Weber *Trainer: Ray Roberts *Manager: Raymond Fiske, George Duffy (assistant), Gale Sterling (assistant), Jack Dudley (assistant), Val R. Saph (assistant)


References


External links


1933 Football Team – Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{Big Ten Conference football champions
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 College football national champions Big Ten Conference football champion seasons College football undefeated seasons Michigan Wolverines football