1917 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

1917 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1917 record 5–2–1 (3–1–1 SIAA)
Head coach Thomas Kelly
Captain Jack Hovater
Home stadium University Field
Rickwood Field
Soldiers Field
1917 SIAA football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Georgia Tech $ 4 0 0     9 0 0
Auburn 5 1 0     6 2 1
Clemson 5 1 0     6 2 0
Mississippi A&M 3 1 0     6 1 0
Sewanee 3 1 1     4 2 2
Alabama 2 1 1     5 2 1
Tulane 2 1 0     5 3 0
Vanderbilt 3 2 0     5 3 0
LSU 2 3 0     3 5 0
Wofford 1 2 0     5 4 0
South Carolina 1 3 0     3 5 0
Furman 1 3 0     3 5 0
Florida 1 3 0     2 4 0
Ole Miss 1 4 0     1 4 1
Howard 0 2 1     0 2 1
The Citadel 0 2 0     3 3 0
Mississippi College 0 4 0     0 4 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • There were several SIAA schools that did not field a team due to World War I.

The 1917 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1917 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 25th overall and 22nd season as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The team was led by head coach Thomas Kelly, in his third year, and played their home games at University Field in Tuscaloosa, at Rickwood Field in Birmingham and at Soldiers Field in Montgomery, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of five wins, two losses and one tie (5–2–1 overall, 3–1–1 in the SIAA).

Game notes

Alabama's 1917 season opener against the "Second Ambulance Company of Ohio" at Soldiers Field in Montgomery was the only game the Crimson Tide ever played at that location. The 2nd, which was part of the 37th Division training in Montgomery, only got two first downs.

Alabama opened the season with four consecutive, shutout victories over the Second Ambulance Company, Marion Military Institute, Mississippi College and Ole Miss.[1] In those four games, Alabama outscored their opponents by a margin of 130 to 0.[2] After a tie against Sewanee and a loss to Vanderbilt at Rickwood Field, Alabama won their only road game at Kentucky.[2]

In the season finale, Camp Gordon, the second military opponent Alabama faced as the country mobilized for World War I, beat the Tide 19–6. Camp Gordon had several players with college experience, including Adrian Van de Graaff, formerly of Alabama.[3]

Joe Sewell, who went on to a Hall of Fame baseball career with the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees, lettered in football for Alabama in 1917, 1918 and 1919.[4]

Schedule

Date Opponent Site Result
October 3 Second Ambulance Company of Ohio* Soldiers FieldMontgomery, AL W 7–0  
October 12 Marion Military Institute* University FieldTuscaloosa, AL W 13–0  
October 20 Mississippi College University Field • Tuscaloosa, AL W 46–0  
October 26 Ole Miss University Field • Tuscaloosa, AL (Rivalry) W 64–0  
November 3 Sewanee Rickwood FieldBirmingham, AL T 3–3  
November 10 Vanderbilt Rickwood Field • Birmingham, AL L 2–7  
November 17 at Kentucky Stoll FieldLexington, KY W 27–0  
November 29 Camp Gordon* Rickwood Field • Birmingham, AL L 6–19  
*Non-conference game.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Player Hometown Position
Robert C. Brown Ensley, Alabama Back
Elmer Blair Birmingham, Alabama Back
Alfred Morgan "Dan" Boone Samantha, Alabama End
James H. “Dink” Hagan Quarterback
Walter E. Hovater Russellville, Alabama Back
Ralph Lee Jones Jones Mills, Alabama Guard
E. B. Lenoir Marlin, Texas Halfback
Joseph Allen Lowman Birmingham, Alabama End
John Phillip Noland Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Ike Rogers Vina, Alabama Tackle
Tram Sessions Birmingham, Alabama Center
Joe Sewell Titus, Alabama Halfback
Riggs Stephenson Akron, Alabama Fullback
Max Frederick Stowers Attalla, Alabama Quarterback
C. S. Whittlesley Opelika, Alabama Guard
Reference:[5]

Coaching staff

Name Position Seasons at
Alabama
Alma Mater
Thomas Kelly Head coach 3
Reference:[6]

References

General

  • "1917 Season Recap" (PDF). RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 29, 2012. 

Specific

  1. 1917 Season Recap
  2. 1 2 3 "1917 Alabama football schedule". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  3. 1917 game recaps
  4. Entry at the Paul W. Bryant Museum
  5. "All-Time Tide Football Lettermen". 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office. 2011. pp. 127–141.
  6. "All-Time Assistant Coaches". 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office. 2011. pp. 142–143.
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