Bo McMillin
Encyclopedia
Alvin Nugent "Bo" McMillin (January 12, 1895 – March 31, 1952) was an American football
player and coach, who served at both the collegiate and professional levels. He played college football
at Centre College
in Danville, Kentucky
, where was a three-time All-American
at quarterback
, and led the Centre Praying Colonels
to a historic upset victory
over Harvard
in 1921. After graduating from Centre, McMillin played professionally with the Milwaukee Badgers
and Cleveland Indians
, two early teams of the NFL
, in 1922 and 1923.
McMillin served as the head football coach at Centenary College of Louisiana
(1922–1924), Geneva College
(1925–1927), Kansas State University
(1928–1933), and Indiana University
(1934–1947), compiling a career college football coaching record of 140–77–13. He then returned to the NFL, coaching the Detroit Lions
from 1948 to 1950 and the Philadelphia Eagles
for the first two games of the 1951 season before he succumbed to a fatal illness. His career NFL coaching mark was 14–24. McMillin's legendary "poor mouthing", pronounced in his distinctive Texas drawl, was in sharp contrast to his teams' successes. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a player in 1951.
and Somerset High School in Somerset, Kentucky
, before beginning a Hall-of-Fame collegiate career at Centre College
in Kentucky
, under coaches Charley Moran
and Robert "Chief" Meyers. McMillin began playing football at Centre in 1917, making a major impact as a freshman when his 17-yard drop kick beat the University of Kentucky
. During his freshman year McMillin was also on the track team. On April 27, 1917 he won the 220 yard dash at a Center Interscholastic track meet.
The following year, McMillin missed the season, serving instead in the United States Navy
during the final year of World War I
, then returned to Centre for the first of three consecutive All-America
n seasons. McMillin failed all his courses at Centre during his senior year. He eventually received his A.B. from Centre in 1937 after taking courses post-Centre and with credit given for his military service and training.
In 1919, McMillin was selected to the Walter Camp
All-America first team at quarterback, after helping the Praying Colonels to a 9–0 record, including upsets over Indiana
and West Virginia
. In 1920, McMillin garnered second team honors as Centre posted another successful season, although it included a disappointing 31–14 loss to defending national champion Harvard
.
on October 29 cemented his legend. After the loss the year before, McMillin had promised that Centre would beat Harvard in 1921, despite the fact that the Crimson had not lost since 1918. Then, in front of 43,000 fans, McMillin dashed 32 yards for the lone score of a 6–0 Centre victory, breaking Harvard's 25-game winning streak. MIT students who attended the game to cheer against Harvard tore down the goalposts and hoisted McMillin on their shoulders. For decades afterward, this was called "football's upset of the century."
in 1922. Over a three-year period, McMillin lost only three of 28 games.
in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
, where he was the 13th head college football
coach. He held that position for three seasons, from 1925 until 1927. His coaching record at Geneva was 22 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie. As of completion of the 2007 season, this ranks him sixth at Geneva in total wins and second at Geneva in winning percentage (.776). Geneva College fans generally consider him among the best coaches in the history of the school. McMillin's Geneva team was renowned for playing some of the best teams in college football and sought to set up a challenging schedule.
McMillan coached Cal Hubbard
at Geneva, the only person to be in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame
and the Baseball Hall of Fame.
to replace Hall of Fame
coach Charlie Bachman
. McMillin coached at Kansas State for six successful years, including an 8–2 season in 1931 that vaulted Kansas State to the cusp of the Rose Bowl
. Elden Auker
, McMillin's all-conference quarterback at Kansas State, wrote in his book Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms: "McMillin was a great psychologist. He really knew how to give us talks that fired us up... The normal routine for McMillin was to bring us out onto the field to loosen up and then take us back into the locker room for a pep talk. By the time he was through talking, we believed we could take on the world."
, as well as the school's only outright conference title. He even enjoyed success at the annual College All-Star game, winning the 1938 and 1946 clashes against the defending NFL champions.
's Detroit Lions
on February 19, 1948.
However, the coaching success he had always enjoyed disappeared with the Lions, as the team dropped its first five games in 1948 and finished with a 2–10 mark. In addition to the many on-field changes he had implemented, McMillin also briefly changed the team's colors from the now-familiar Hawaiian blue to maroon, similar to the color of his teams at Indiana.
The team also struggled in 1949 at 4–8, but picked up the rights to future star Doak Walker
. The team then brought in quarterback Bobby Layne
and Heisman Trophy
winner Leon Hart
the following year. Continued conflict with players, though, led to McMillin's departure after the end of the 1950 NFL season
, which saw the Lions finish with a 6–6 record.
to their previous glory when he was hired on February 8, 1951. However, after just two games (both wins), McMillin underwent surgery for what was believed to be ulcer troubles. The verdict was far worse: stomach cancer
, which ended his coaching career.
On the final day of March 1952, McMillin suffered a fatal heart attack and was buried days later with many fellow coaches and former players in attendance.
for his noteworthy successes as a player. Two months later, McMillin was also awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
for his contributions to the sport by the American Football Coaches Association
.
In 1923 a horse named Bo McMillin (owned by J. Pendergast) ran in America’s most famous horse race; the Kentucky Derby
. Out of a field of 21 starters the horse finished 12th. The odds were 11.95 to $1. The jockey was D. Connelly.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach, who served at both the collegiate and professional levels. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Centre College
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
in Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
, where was a three-time All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, and led the Centre Praying Colonels
Centre Praying Colonels football
The Centre Praying Colonels football team represents Centre College in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III competition as a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference . Despite the school's small size , the football team has historically had success and possesses a...
to a historic upset victory
1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game
The 1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game, played October 29, 1921, was a college football game between Centre College and Harvard University. Centre beat Harvard 6–0 in the game, in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history.-The prequel:The teams first met...
over Harvard
Harvard Crimson football
The Harvard Crimson football program represents Harvard University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Harvard's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing in the sport in 1873...
in 1921. After graduating from Centre, McMillin played professionally with the Milwaukee Badgers
Milwaukee Badgers
The Milwaukee Badgers were a professional American football team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that played in the National Football League from 1922 to 1926. The team played its home games at Athletic Park, later known as Borchert Field, on Milwaukee's north side...
and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Bulldogs
The Cleveland Bulldogs was a team that played in Cleveland, Ohio in the National Football League. They were originally called the Indians in 1923, not to be confused with the Cleveland Indians NFL franchise in 1922...
, two early teams of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, in 1922 and 1923.
McMillin served as the head football coach at Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
(1922–1924), Geneva College
Geneva College
Geneva College is a Christian liberal arts college in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States, north of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1848, in Northwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880, where it continues to educate a student body of about 1400 traditional undergraduates in...
(1925–1927), Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
(1928–1933), and Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
(1934–1947), compiling a career college football coaching record of 140–77–13. He then returned to the NFL, coaching the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
from 1948 to 1950 and the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for the first two games of the 1951 season before he succumbed to a fatal illness. His career NFL coaching mark was 14–24. McMillin's legendary "poor mouthing", pronounced in his distinctive Texas drawl, was in sharp contrast to his teams' successes. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a player in 1951.
Early years
McMillin played high school football at North Side High School in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
and Somerset High School in Somerset, Kentucky
Somerset, Kentucky
The major demographic differences between the city and the micropolitan area relate to income, housing composition and age. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a significantly younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of...
, before beginning a Hall-of-Fame collegiate career at Centre College
Centre Praying Colonels football
The Centre Praying Colonels football team represents Centre College in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III competition as a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference . Despite the school's small size , the football team has historically had success and possesses a...
in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, under coaches Charley Moran
Charley Moran
Charles Barthell Moran , nicknamed "Uncle Charley," was an American sportsman who gained renown as both a catcher and umpire in Major League Baseball and as a collegiate and professional football coach.-Early life:...
and Robert "Chief" Meyers. McMillin began playing football at Centre in 1917, making a major impact as a freshman when his 17-yard drop kick beat the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. During his freshman year McMillin was also on the track team. On April 27, 1917 he won the 220 yard dash at a Center Interscholastic track meet.
The following year, McMillin missed the season, serving instead in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the final year of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, then returned to Centre for the first of three consecutive All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n seasons. McMillin failed all his courses at Centre during his senior year. He eventually received his A.B. from Centre in 1937 after taking courses post-Centre and with credit given for his military service and training.
1919 and 1920 seasons
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
All-America first team at quarterback, after helping the Praying Colonels to a 9–0 record, including upsets over Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
and West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
. In 1920, McMillin garnered second team honors as Centre posted another successful season, although it included a disappointing 31–14 loss to defending national champion Harvard
Harvard Crimson football
The Harvard Crimson football program represents Harvard University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Harvard's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing in the sport in 1873...
.
1921 season
1921 was a most remarkable season for McMillin and Centre College. McMillin was a consensus All-American, and his extraordinary effort against Harvard1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game
The 1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game, played October 29, 1921, was a college football game between Centre College and Harvard University. Centre beat Harvard 6–0 in the game, in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history.-The prequel:The teams first met...
on October 29 cemented his legend. After the loss the year before, McMillin had promised that Centre would beat Harvard in 1921, despite the fact that the Crimson had not lost since 1918. Then, in front of 43,000 fans, McMillin dashed 32 yards for the lone score of a 6–0 Centre victory, breaking Harvard's 25-game winning streak. MIT students who attended the game to cheer against Harvard tore down the goalposts and hoisted McMillin on their shoulders. For decades afterward, this was called "football's upset of the century."
Centenary College
Building upon his success as a player, McMillin entered the coaching arena, where he spent the next quarter century compiling a mark of 146–77–13. Using a combination of eloquence and determination, the teetotaling McMillin enjoyed nothing but success at the college level, beginning at Centenary College of LouisianaCentenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
in 1922. Over a three-year period, McMillin lost only three of 28 games.
Geneva College
McMillin's success in Louisiana allowed him to move on to Geneva CollegeGeneva College
Geneva College is a Christian liberal arts college in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States, north of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1848, in Northwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880, where it continues to educate a student body of about 1400 traditional undergraduates in...
in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
, where he was the 13th head college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach. He held that position for three seasons, from 1925 until 1927. His coaching record at Geneva was 22 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie. As of completion of the 2007 season, this ranks him sixth at Geneva in total wins and second at Geneva in winning percentage (.776). Geneva College fans generally consider him among the best coaches in the history of the school. McMillin's Geneva team was renowned for playing some of the best teams in college football and sought to set up a challenging schedule.
McMillan coached Cal Hubbard
Cal Hubbard
Robert Calvin Hubbard was a professional American football player and later an umpire in Major League Baseball, and is a member of three major sports halls of fame...
at Geneva, the only person to be in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
and the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Kansas State University
In 1928, McMillin was hired by Kansas State UniversityKansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
to replace Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
coach Charlie Bachman
Charlie Bachman
Charles William "Charlie" Bachman, Jr. 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...
. McMillin coached at Kansas State for six successful years, including an 8–2 season in 1931 that vaulted Kansas State to the cusp of the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
. Elden Auker
Elden Auker
Elden le Roy Auker was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball noted for his submarine pitching style....
, McMillin's all-conference quarterback at Kansas State, wrote in his book Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms: "McMillin was a great psychologist. He really knew how to give us talks that fired us up... The normal routine for McMillin was to bring us out onto the field to loosen up and then take us back into the locker room for a pep talk. By the time he was through talking, we believed we could take on the world."
Indiana University
McMillin's success at Kansas State propelled him into his most noteworthy achievements at Indiana University. For 14 years, beginning in 1934, McMillin helped elevate the nondescript program to new heights, topped by an undefeated season in 1945. That year marked the first time ever that the Hoosiers had captured the Big Nine ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
, as well as the school's only outright conference title. He even enjoyed success at the annual College All-Star game, winning the 1938 and 1946 clashes against the defending NFL champions.
Detroit Lions
Despite having become the school's athletic director and seemingly earning lifetime security with seven years remaining on his most recent contract, the 53-year-old McMillin sought new challenges following the 1947 campaign. He accepted a five-year contract to coach the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on February 19, 1948.
However, the coaching success he had always enjoyed disappeared with the Lions, as the team dropped its first five games in 1948 and finished with a 2–10 mark. In addition to the many on-field changes he had implemented, McMillin also briefly changed the team's colors from the now-familiar Hawaiian blue to maroon, similar to the color of his teams at Indiana.
The team also struggled in 1949 at 4–8, but picked up the rights to future star Doak Walker
Doak Walker
Ewell Doak Walker, Jr. was an American football player who is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a teammate of Bobby Layne in high school and the NFL.-Early life:...
. The team then brought in quarterback Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne
Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
and Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Leon Hart
Leon Hart
Leon Joseph Hart was an American football tight end and defensive end. He was raised in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh....
the following year. Continued conflict with players, though, led to McMillin's departure after the end of the 1950 NFL season
1950 NFL season
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
, which saw the Lions finish with a 6–6 record.
Philadelphia Eagles
McMillin then took on the challenge of returning the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to their previous glory when he was hired on February 8, 1951. However, after just two games (both wins), McMillin underwent surgery for what was believed to be ulcer troubles. The verdict was far worse: stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
, which ended his coaching career.
On the final day of March 1952, McMillin suffered a fatal heart attack and was buried days later with many fellow coaches and former players in attendance.
Awards and accolades
In November 1951, in the final months of his life, McMillin was selected for induction in the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
for his noteworthy successes as a player. Two months later, McMillin was also awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
The Amos Alonzo Stagg Award is presented annually by the American Football Coaches Association to the “individual, group or institution whose services have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football’’. Recipients receive a plaque which is a replica of the one given to...
for his contributions to the sport by the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
.
In 1923 a horse named Bo McMillin (owned by J. Pendergast) ran in America’s most famous horse race; the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. Out of a field of 21 starters the horse finished 12th. The odds were 11.95 to $1. The jockey was D. Connelly.
College
Additional sources
- Auker, Elden (2001). Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms (ISBN 1-892049-25-2)
- Goldstein, Richard (1996). Ivy League Autumns (ISBN 0-312-14629-9)
External links
- Bo McMillin Photos – A collection of photos of Bo McMillin and Centre College Football from the era