Freeman Fitzgerald
Encyclopedia
Freeman Charles Fitzgerald (born August 21, 1891) was an All-American football player for Notre Dame
. He was six feet in height and weighed 195 pounds. He played football for Notre Dame from 1913–1915 and was selected as an All-American at the guard
position in 1915. He later played professional football for the Massillon Tigers
(1916), Youngstown Patricians
(1917), and Rock Island Independents
(1920–1921).
, and raised in Aberdeen, Washington
. He attended the Columbia University school, a Roman Catholic school that was part of what later became the University of Portland
in Portland, Oregon
. He was a three-sport star at Columbia. As a pitcher for Columbia's baseball team, he once struck out 19 batters from Vancouver High School, setting a Portland Interscholastic League single-game record. In 1911, he signed a professional baseball contract with a team in Spokane, but he refused to report, opting to attend Notre Dame instead. In football, Fitzgerald was the starting fullback for the 1911 Columbia football team that played in the Portland Interscholastic League. Four players from the 1911 Columbia team went on to become starters for the Notre Dame football team; they were Fitzgerald, Bill Kelleher, Bill Cook, and Charles Finnegan. Fitzgerald also played left forward for the 1910 Columbia basketball team that won the Portland Interscholastic League championship. In September 1912, Fitzgerald announced his intention to enroll at Notre Dame, and the Morning Oregonian reported the news as follows:
s in football, baseball, and basketball. Fitzgerald was among the first players in Notre Dame history to receive varsity letters in the three sports.
As a pitcher for the Notre Dame baseball team, Fitzgerald drew the attention of big league scouts. His pitching performance suffered in 1913, and his setback was blamed on the overdevelopment of his shoulder muscles after a summer of "pulling 'lead line' on a seining skiff at the Sand Island seining grounds. His pitching arm recovered in 1914, and he was offered "a fat contract" by the New York Yankees
. However, Fitzgerald opted to continue with his education at Notre Dame.
For the summer of 1914, Fitzgerald did not return to the Pacific fishing grounds, instead accepting a job as a lifeguard at Cedar Point
on Lake Erie
: "What Sand Island at the mouth of Columbia River
is to athletes of the Oregon, Cedar Point has long been to the athletes of Notre Dame. Every year between 15 and 20 go there, where working short hours they keep in good condition by swimming and boating, and are in splendid shape to hit into hard football practice in the early Fall."
In football, Fitzgerald played guard
for Notre Dame from 1913–1915 and was a teammate of Knute Rockne
on the 1913 football team. He was selected as the captain of Notre Dame's 1915 football team that compiled a 7-1 record – the sole loss a 20-19 defeat to Nebraska. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1915 by Eastern sports authority Parke H. Davis
and as a second-team All-American by International News Service
sports editor Frank G. Menke
.
Fitzgerald also excelled academically. He was also one of two Notre Dame athletes to receive the school's jewel in 1915 for highest scholastic standing. In the Notre Dame yearbook for the Class of 1916, the following tribute was paid to Fitzgerald:
in 1916, where he rejoined his Notre Dame teammate Knute Rockne. The 1916 Massillon Tigers finished in second place behind Jim Thorpe
's Canton Bulldogs
. In 1917, the Youngstown Patricians
(a team affiliated with the Patrician Club at Youngstown's St. Patrick's Parish) sought to win the professional football championship and signed five All-Americans, including Fitzgerald, Tommy Hughitt
, Tom Gormley
, Bart Macomber
, Bill Kelleher, and Gil Ward.
In 1918, Fitzgerald's professional football career was interrupted by military service after the United States entered World War I
. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned as an aviation instructor at Brooks Field in San Antonio, Texas
.
After the war, Fitzgerald signed with the Rock Island Independents
of the American Professional Football Association (predecessor to the NFL). He played Rock Island in the 1920 and 1921 seasons. From 1922 through 1927, Fitzgerald was the line coach at Marquette University
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. He was one of twelve teammates of Rockne from the 1914 football team who were selected for the honor guard at Rockne's funeral in 1931.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. He was six feet in height and weighed 195 pounds. He played football for Notre Dame from 1913–1915 and was selected as an All-American at the guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
position in 1915. He later played professional football for the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
(1916), Youngstown Patricians
Youngstown Patricians
The Youngstown Patricians were a semi-professional football team based in Youngstown, Ohio. In the 1910s, the team briefly held the professional football championship and established itself as a fierce rival of more experienced clubs around the country, some of which later formed the core of the...
(1917), and Rock Island Independents
Rock Island Independents
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team based in Rock Island, Illinois. One of the first professional football teams, they were founded in 1907 as an independent club. They later played in what is now the National Football League from 1920 to 1925. They joined the...
(1920–1921).
Early years
Fitzgerald was born in Gervais, OregonGervais, Oregon
Gervais is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,009 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 2,250 residents. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, and raised in Aberdeen, Washington
Aberdeen, Washington
Aberdeen is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884. Aberdeen was incorporated on May 12, 1890. The city is the economic center of Grays Harbor County, bordering the cities of Hoquiam and Cosmopolis...
. He attended the Columbia University school, a Roman Catholic school that was part of what later became the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He was a three-sport star at Columbia. As a pitcher for Columbia's baseball team, he once struck out 19 batters from Vancouver High School, setting a Portland Interscholastic League single-game record. In 1911, he signed a professional baseball contract with a team in Spokane, but he refused to report, opting to attend Notre Dame instead. In football, Fitzgerald was the starting fullback for the 1911 Columbia football team that played in the Portland Interscholastic League. Four players from the 1911 Columbia team went on to become starters for the Notre Dame football team; they were Fitzgerald, Bill Kelleher, Bill Cook, and Charles Finnegan. Fitzgerald also played left forward for the 1910 Columbia basketball team that won the Portland Interscholastic League championship. In September 1912, Fitzgerald announced his intention to enroll at Notre Dame, and the Morning Oregonian reported the news as follows:
"Freeman Fitzgerald, Columbia University's star football, basketball and baseball man, will be with the teams of the school no more, as he graduated last season and, contrary to the belief of the fans, is not going to take a post-graduate course. He left here last week for Notre Dame University, where he is going in for athletics as much as study. The first year he will try out for one of the guards."
Athlete at Notre Dame
After high school, Fitzgerald enrolled at Notre Dame where he studied mechanical engineering and continued to be a multi-sport star. Though his greatest fame came as a football player, he also won varsity letterVarsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s in football, baseball, and basketball. Fitzgerald was among the first players in Notre Dame history to receive varsity letters in the three sports.
As a pitcher for the Notre Dame baseball team, Fitzgerald drew the attention of big league scouts. His pitching performance suffered in 1913, and his setback was blamed on the overdevelopment of his shoulder muscles after a summer of "pulling 'lead line' on a seining skiff at the Sand Island seining grounds. His pitching arm recovered in 1914, and he was offered "a fat contract" by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. However, Fitzgerald opted to continue with his education at Notre Dame.
For the summer of 1914, Fitzgerald did not return to the Pacific fishing grounds, instead accepting a job as a lifeguard at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
: "What Sand Island at the mouth of Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
is to athletes of the Oregon, Cedar Point has long been to the athletes of Notre Dame. Every year between 15 and 20 go there, where working short hours they keep in good condition by swimming and boating, and are in splendid shape to hit into hard football practice in the early Fall."
In football, Fitzgerald played guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for Notre Dame from 1913–1915 and was a teammate of Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
on the 1913 football team. He was selected as the captain of Notre Dame's 1915 football team that compiled a 7-1 record – the sole loss a 20-19 defeat to Nebraska. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1915 by Eastern sports authority Parke H. Davis
Parke H. Davis
Parke Hill Davis was an American football player, coach and historian who retroactively named the national championship teams in American college football from the 1869 through the 1932 seasons. He also named co-national champions at the conclusion of the 1933 season...
and as a second-team All-American by International News Service
International News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
sports editor Frank G. Menke
Frank G. Menke
Frank Grant Menke was an American newspaper reporter, author, and sports historian. He wrote for the Hearst Newspapers from 1912 to 1932 and his articles appeared daily in 300 newspapers across the country. He was billed by the Hearst syndicate as "America's Foremost Sport Writer"...
.
Fitzgerald also excelled academically. He was also one of two Notre Dame athletes to receive the school's jewel in 1915 for highest scholastic standing. In the Notre Dame yearbook for the Class of 1916, the following tribute was paid to Fitzgerald:
”Fitzgerald is a big Oregonian — big in body, in mind, and in heart. During the last four years, he has been one of the most prominent and popular men at Notre Dame. As captain of the great 1915 football team, he won the recognition which his athletic ability deserved — a place on the all-American. His ability to shoot goals from the field and the foul line have made his presence on the basketball team invaluable. After four years of success in meeting the difficulties of the mathematics classes and the other troubles of the engineers, he has succumbed (according to rumor) to the charms of one of the fair ones in the neighboring city.”
Professional football and coaching
After graduating from Notre Dame, Fitzgerald played several seasons of professional football. He played for the Massillon TigersMassillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
in 1916, where he rejoined his Notre Dame teammate Knute Rockne. The 1916 Massillon Tigers finished in second place behind Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
's Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
. In 1917, the Youngstown Patricians
Youngstown Patricians
The Youngstown Patricians were a semi-professional football team based in Youngstown, Ohio. In the 1910s, the team briefly held the professional football championship and established itself as a fierce rival of more experienced clubs around the country, some of which later formed the core of the...
(a team affiliated with the Patrician Club at Youngstown's St. Patrick's Parish) sought to win the professional football championship and signed five All-Americans, including Fitzgerald, Tommy Hughitt
Tommy Hughitt
Ernest Fredrick Hughitt , was a National Football League utility player and coach. He was also an All-American quarterback for the University of Michigan in 1913....
, Tom Gormley
Tom Gormley
Tom Gormley was a politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Claudy, Gormley became a farmer before following his brother Paddy into politics. He was elected to Strabane Rural District Council in 1947, and to Tyrone County Council in 1950....
, Bart Macomber
Bart Macomber
Franklin Bart Macomber was an American football player. He played halfback and quarterback for the University of Illinois from 1914 to 1916 and helped the school to its first national football championship and consecutive undefeated seasons in 1914 and 1915...
, Bill Kelleher, and Gil Ward.
In 1918, Fitzgerald's professional football career was interrupted by military service after the United States entered 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...
. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned as an aviation instructor at Brooks Field in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
After the war, Fitzgerald signed with the Rock Island Independents
Rock Island Independents
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team based in Rock Island, Illinois. One of the first professional football teams, they were founded in 1907 as an independent club. They later played in what is now the National Football League from 1920 to 1925. They joined the...
of the American Professional Football Association (predecessor to the NFL). He played Rock Island in the 1920 and 1921 seasons. From 1922 through 1927, Fitzgerald was the line coach at Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. He was one of twelve teammates of Rockne from the 1914 football team who were selected for the honor guard at Rockne's funeral in 1931.