1959 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
The 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan
in the 1959 college football season
. The team's head coach was Bump Elliott
. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium
.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in the 1959 college football season
1959 college football season
The 1959 college football season saw Syracuse University crowned as the national champion by both the AP and the UPI wire services. Mississippi , which had outscored its opponents 350-21, finished #2 in both polls, and its only loss during the regular season had been to LSU, which ultimately...
. The team's head coach was Bump Elliott
Bump Elliott
Chalmers W. "Bump" Elliott is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University and the University of Michigan...
. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
.
Schedule
Rushing
| Player | Attempts | Net yards | Yards per attempt | Touchdowns |
| Fred Julian | 72 | 289 | 4.0 | 2 |
| Bennie McRae Bennie McRae Benjamin Prince McRae is a former American football cornerback who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. He played college football at the Michigan as a running back, kickoff returner and punt returner and was drafted in the second... |
76 | 242 | 3.2 | 1 |
| Darrell Harper Darrell Harper Darrell L. Harper was an American football player. He played at the halfback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959 and for the Buffalo Bills in the 1960 AFL season. On September 11, 1960, Harper scored the first official points in the history of the Bills... |
67 | 224 | 3.3 | 2 |
Passing
| Player | Attempts | Completions | Interceptions | Comp % | Yards | Yds/Comp | TD | Long |
| Stan Noskin Stan Noskin Stanton Charles "Stan" Noskin is a former American football player. He played at the quarterback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959. He was the starting quarterback for the 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team. He later became a dentist in Skokie, Illinois.-Early... |
115 | 61 | 15 | 53.0 | 697 | 11.4 | 5 | 46 |
Receiving
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Yds/Recp | TD | Long |
| Robert Johnson | 20 | 264 | 13.2 | 0 | 20 |
| Bennie McRae Bennie McRae Benjamin Prince McRae is a former American football cornerback who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. He played college football at the Michigan as a running back, kickoff returner and punt returner and was drafted in the second... |
4 | 102 | 25.5 | 1 | 46 |
| Tony Rio Tony Rio Tony Rio was an American football player. He played at the fullback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team.... |
8 | 90 | 11.3 | 2 | 26 |
Kickoff returns
| Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
| Bennie McRae Bennie McRae Benjamin Prince McRae is a former American football cornerback who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. He played college football at the Michigan as a running back, kickoff returner and punt returner and was drafted in the second... |
7 | 148 | 21.1 | 0 | 30 |
| Fred Julian | 5 | 90 | 18.0 | 0 | 21 |
| Darrell Harper Darrell Harper Darrell L. Harper was an American football player. He played at the halfback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959 and for the Buffalo Bills in the 1960 AFL season. On September 11, 1960, Harper scored the first official points in the history of the Bills... |
4 | 62 | 15.5 | 0 | 22 |
Punt returns
| Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
| Darrell Harper Darrell Harper Darrell L. Harper was an American football player. He played at the halfback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959 and for the Buffalo Bills in the 1960 AFL season. On September 11, 1960, Harper scored the first official points in the history of the Bills... |
3 | 101 | 33.7 | 1 | 83 |
| Reid Bushong | 4 | 62 | 15.5 | 0 | 21 |
| Jim Raeder | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 0 | 25 |
Players
- Jared Bushong - started 5 games at right tackle
- Alex Callahan - started 8 games at right guard
- Donald R. DeskinsDonald R. DeskinsDonald Richard Deskins is an American professor of urban geography and sociology and a former American football player. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1932 and attended Westbury High School. He served in the United States Marine Corps before enrolling at the University of Michigan in 1957...
- started 2 games at right tackle - Mike Fillichio - started 1 game at left guard, 1 games at right guard
- George Genyk - started 8 games at left guard
- John Halstead - started 9 games at left end
- Darrell HarperDarrell HarperDarrell L. Harper was an American football player. He played at the halfback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959 and for the Buffalo Bills in the 1960 AFL season. On September 11, 1960, Harper scored the first official points in the history of the Bills...
- started 9 games at left halfback - Willard Hildebrand - started 1 game at right tackle
- Thomas Jobson - started 9 games at left tackle
- Robert Johnson - started 9 games at right end
- Fred Julian - started 7 games at right halfback
- Brad Myers - started 2 games at right halfback
- Stan NoskinStan NoskinStanton Charles "Stan" Noskin is a former American football player. He played at the quarterback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959. He was the starting quarterback for the 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team. He later became a dentist in Skokie, Illinois.-Early...
- started 9 games at quarterback - Tony RioTony RioTony Rio was an American football player. He played at the fullback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team....
- started 9 games at fullback - Jon Schopf - started 2 games at right tackle
- Jerry Smith - started 9 games at center
Awards and honors
- Captain: George Genyk
- Most Valuable Player: Tony RioTony RioTony Rio was an American football player. He played at the fullback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team....
- Meyer Morton Award: Willard Hildebrand
- John Maulbetsch Award: Bob Brown
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Bump ElliottBump ElliottChalmers W. "Bump" Elliott is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University and the University of Michigan...
- Assistant coaches: Don DufekDon DufekDonald Patrick "Don" Dufek, Jr. is a former American football player who played safety and special teams for eight seasons with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League . He had previously played for the Michigan Wolverines football team in Ann Arbor from 1973–1975...
, Henry FondeHenry FondeHenry Fonde was an American football player and coach. He played for the University of Michigan from 1945 to 1947 under head coach Fritz Crisler. In ten years as the head football coach at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School , he compiled a record of 69–6–4...
, Jack FoutsJack FoutsJack Fouts is former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Ohio Wesleyan University from 1964 to 1983 and at Cornell University in 1989, compiling a career college football record of 80–100–9.-External links:...
, Robert Holloway, Jack Nelson - Trainer: Jim Hunt
- Manager: John Jabe Jr.