Irwin Uteritz
Encyclopedia
Irwin Charles "Utz" Uteritz (c. 1900 – December 14, 1963) was an American athlete and coach. He played American football
and baseball
for the University of Michigan
from 1921 to 1923. At 140 pounds, he was one of the lightest quarterback
s ever to start for a major college program. Despite his size, Michigan football coach Fielding H. Yost called him "the best field general I ever had." Uteritz led Michigan to back-to-back undefeated seasons and a national championship in 1923. He also played three years of baseball for Michigan at second base and shortstop, hit above .300 and was elected as captain of the 1923 baseball team. Uteritz later served as a football and baseball coach at Northwestern University
(1924–1925), the University of Wisconsin (1925–1935), the University of California
(1935–1947), and Washington University in St. Louis
(1947–1963).
, Uteritz was the quarterback for the Oak Park and River Forest High School
football team coached by Glenn Thistlethwaite
, who later became the head football coach at Northwestern. In 1920, Uteritz enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played quarterback from 1921 to 1923, leading the Wolverines to back-to-back undefeated football seasons in 1922 and 1923. Over the three years of his football career at Michigan, the Wolverines never lost a football game in which Uteritz played. Uteritz stood five feet seven inches and weighed only 140 pounds in 1922. He was "one of the lightest 'big time' quarterbacks in American football history when he played at Michigan from 1921 to 1923." Uteritz was known for his speed and his "heady" play as the Wolverines' field general. He was considered a "triple threat" player who had "about equal ability in kicking, forward passing and carrying the ball."
scored the only points on a field goal.
His second game as a starter was a 7–7 tie with Wisconsin
. In addition to serving as quarterback, Uteritz was Michigan's punt returner, and a fluke play involving Uteritz resulted in Wisconsin's touchdown. Uteritz stood at Michigan's five-yard line waiting for a punt to cross the goal line. The ball apparently crossed the goal line, but bounded back. A Wisconsin player fell on the ball for the Badgers' only touchdown.
Uteritz fared better in the final game of the 1921 season, the annual Little Brown Jug game against Minnesota
. On Michigan's opening drive, Uteritz took the ball on the Gopher 28-yard line on a delay pass play and "tore down the field to the one-yard line." On the next play, Uteritz plunged through for a touchdown to give Michigan the first points of the game. Near the end of the second quarter, Uteritz intercepted a pass at Michigan’s 41-yard line and ran the ball back 59 yards going "through the entire team for a touchdown." Uteritz's two first-half touchdowns gave Michigan a 17–0 lead.
and Uteritz to accompany him to Columbus, Ohio
to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes
in action against Ohio Wesleyan. The scouting trip appears to have paid off as Uteritz led the Wolverines to 19–0 win over an Ohio State team that had been favored to win the Big Ten championship.
After the Ohio State game, nationally-syndicated sports writer Billy Evans called Uteritz a "star" and wrote that he was handling the team "in a brainy fashion." And in November 1922, the Associated Press
praised Uteritz's performance: "Uteritz, the Michigan quarterback, has shown to unusual advantage, his heady playing being responsible to a large degree for this year's victories." A Wisconsin newspaper called Uteritz "one of the headiest pilots in the Big Ten" and noted that he always knows who should carry the ball and "his judgment at all times is excellent."
After shutting out Illinois
(24–0) and Michigan Agricultural
(63–0), the Wolverines had a bye week
before playing Wisconsin
. Yost used the bye week for another scouting trip, traveling with Uteritz, Harry Kipke and Paul G. Goebel
to Madison, Wisconsin
to watch the Badgers play. A stenographer was hired to sit next to Yost in the press box to take down his notes of the game. The following week, Michigan defeated Wisconsin 13–6, and Uteritz completed a pass to Harry Kipke in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference in the game. After catching Uteritz's pass, Kipke ran 35 yards for the winning touchdown.
At the end of the 1922 season, Uteritz was selected as a first-team All-American
quarterback by syndicated sports writer, Frank G. Menke
, and was a third-team selection by Walter Camp
and Walter Eckersall
. Uteritz was the first Michigan quarterback to be selected on Walter Camp's All-American football teams:
In picking Uteritz as its second-team All-Western Conference quarterback, the Chicago Evening Journal wrote:
Norman E. Brown, sports editor of the Central Press, picked Uteritz as his first-team All-Western quarterback in 1922, explaining his choice as follows: "Uteritz' handling of the Michigan team played an important part in its success. He is fast, a good passer, a sure tackler, a quick thinker."
Uteritz played his last game in a Michigan uniform against the Quantico Marines on November 10, 1923. Uteritz had one of his best games in a 26–6 win, but he also suffered a leg injury that ended his season. The Marines took a 6–0 lead in the first quarter of the game. Uteritz scored a touchdown in the second quarter, diving between center Jack Blott
's legs to cross the goal-line. After tying the score with a touchdown, Uteritz then kicked for a successful extra point to give Michigan the winning points. Uteritz added his eighth point on an extra point kick in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Uteritz "limped perceptibly" after a hard tackle, but remained in the game until Michigan's trainer ordered him off the field. After the game, it was determined that Uteritz' leg had been broken, and he was unable to play in the last two games of the season. On learning that Uteritz would be unable to play in the remaining games, Coach Yost told reporters, "There goes half the football team. He was the best field general I ever had."
Despite missing the last two game of the season, Uteritz was selected as a second-team All-American by Lawrence Perry and a third-team selection by International News Service
sports editor Davis Walsh.
where his former high school coach George Thistlewaite was then the head football coach. From 1925 to 1935, Uteritz held various positions at the University of Wisconsin, including assistant football coach, head baseball coach, and assistant athletic director. While coaching at Wisconsin, Uteritz also played baseball for the Madison Blues. From 1935 to 1946, he was the backfield coach at the University of California, Berkeley
.
In 1947, Uteritz was hired as the backfield coach at Washington University in St. Louis
. He became the head football coach for Washington University in 1949. Uteritz was head football coach at Washington for four years from 1949 to 1952 and coached his sons who played quarterback there during his tenure as head coach. The Washington University football team had a record of 18–18 in the four years that Uteritz was the head coach. Uteritz also served as the head baseball coach at Washington University for 11 seasons, in 1948 and from 1954 to 1963, compiling a record of 162–66.
Uteritz had long been known by the nickname "Utz." In 1952, he had his surname legally changed to Utz. He said he was tired of having his name "kicked around," and everyone called him Utz anyway. He died in St. Louis at age 63 of an apparent heart attack. He was survived by his wife, the former Genevieve Johnson, and four sons.
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...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
for the University of Michigan
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...
from 1921 to 1923. At 140 pounds, he was one of the lightest 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...
s ever to start for a major college program. Despite his size, Michigan football coach Fielding H. Yost called him "the best field general I ever had." Uteritz led Michigan to back-to-back undefeated seasons and a national championship in 1923. He also played three years of baseball for Michigan at second base and shortstop, hit above .300 and was elected as captain of the 1923 baseball team. Uteritz later served as a football and baseball coach at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
(1924–1925), the University of Wisconsin (1925–1935), the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
(1935–1947), and Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
(1947–1963).
Football
A native of Oak Park, IllinoisOak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, Uteritz was the quarterback for the Oak Park and River Forest High School
Oak Park and River Forest High School
Oak Park and River Forest High School, or OPRF, is a public four-year high school located in Oak Park, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the only school of Oak Park and River Forest District 200....
football team coached by Glenn Thistlethwaite
Glenn Thistlethwaite
Glenn F. Thistlethwaite was an American football coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Earlham College , Northwestern University , the University of Wisconsin–Madison , Carroll College in Wisconsin , and the University of Richmond ,...
, who later became the head football coach at Northwestern. In 1920, Uteritz enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played quarterback from 1921 to 1923, leading the Wolverines to back-to-back undefeated football seasons in 1922 and 1923. Over the three years of his football career at Michigan, the Wolverines never lost a football game in which Uteritz played. Uteritz stood five feet seven inches and weighed only 140 pounds in 1922. He was "one of the lightest 'big time' quarterbacks in American football history when he played at Michigan from 1921 to 1923." Uteritz was known for his speed and his "heady" play as the Wolverines' field general. He was considered a "triple threat" player who had "about equal ability in kicking, forward passing and carrying the ball."
1921 season
As a sophomore in 1921, Uteritz became Michigan's starting quarterback after Theodore Banks, who started the first four games at quarterback, was injured. Uteritz took over the for the final three games of the year. His first game as a starter was a 3–0 win over Illinois in which Frank SteketeeFrank Steketee
Frank W. Steketee was an All American football halfback and fullback who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1918, 1920, and 1921...
scored the only points on a field goal.
His second game as a starter was a 7–7 tie with Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
. In addition to serving as quarterback, Uteritz was Michigan's punt returner, and a fluke play involving Uteritz resulted in Wisconsin's touchdown. Uteritz stood at Michigan's five-yard line waiting for a punt to cross the goal line. The ball apparently crossed the goal line, but bounded back. A Wisconsin player fell on the ball for the Badgers' only touchdown.
Uteritz fared better in the final game of the 1921 season, the annual Little Brown Jug game against Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
. On Michigan's opening drive, Uteritz took the ball on the Gopher 28-yard line on a delay pass play and "tore down the field to the one-yard line." On the next play, Uteritz plunged through for a touchdown to give Michigan the first points of the game. Near the end of the second quarter, Uteritz intercepted a pass at Michigan’s 41-yard line and ran the ball back 59 yards going "through the entire team for a touchdown." Uteritz's two first-half touchdowns gave Michigan a 17–0 lead.
1922 season
In Uteritz's junior year of 1922, the Wolverines were 6–0–1 and outscored opponents by a combined tally of 183 to 13. Uteritz started six of Michigan's seven games in 1922. He missed the opening game against Case as Michigan Coach Fielding H. Yost asked team captain Paul G. GoebelPaul G. Goebel
Paul Gordon Goebel was an American football end who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1920 to 1922. He was an All-American in 1921 and was the team's captain in 1922. He played professional football from 1923 to 1926 with the Columbus Tigers, Chicago Bears, and New York Yankees...
and Uteritz to accompany him to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
in action against Ohio Wesleyan. The scouting trip appears to have paid off as Uteritz led the Wolverines to 19–0 win over an Ohio State team that had been favored to win the Big Ten championship.
After the Ohio State game, nationally-syndicated sports writer Billy Evans called Uteritz a "star" and wrote that he was handling the team "in a brainy fashion." And in November 1922, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
praised Uteritz's performance: "Uteritz, the Michigan quarterback, has shown to unusual advantage, his heady playing being responsible to a large degree for this year's victories." A Wisconsin newspaper called Uteritz "one of the headiest pilots in the Big Ten" and noted that he always knows who should carry the ball and "his judgment at all times is excellent."
After shutting out Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
(24–0) and Michigan Agricultural
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
(63–0), the Wolverines had a bye week
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
before playing Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
. Yost used the bye week for another scouting trip, traveling with Uteritz, Harry Kipke and Paul G. Goebel
Paul G. Goebel
Paul Gordon Goebel was an American football end who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1920 to 1922. He was an All-American in 1921 and was the team's captain in 1922. He played professional football from 1923 to 1926 with the Columbus Tigers, Chicago Bears, and New York Yankees...
to Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
to watch the Badgers play. A stenographer was hired to sit next to Yost in the press box to take down his notes of the game. The following week, Michigan defeated Wisconsin 13–6, and Uteritz completed a pass to Harry Kipke in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference in the game. After catching Uteritz's pass, Kipke ran 35 yards for the winning touchdown.
At the end of the 1922 season, Uteritz was selected as a first-team All-American
1922 College Football All-America Team
The 1922 College Football All-America team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-America Teams selected by various organizations in 1922.-All-American selectors:...
quarterback by syndicated sports writer, 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"...
, and was a third-team selection by Walter Camp
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...
and Walter Eckersall
Walter Eckersall
Walter "Eckie" Eckersall was an American football player, official, and sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.-Early life:...
. Uteritz was the first Michigan quarterback to be selected on Walter Camp's All-American football teams:
"Uteritz is the first Michigan signal-caller to be elected for any of Camp's mythical teams. Not that Michigan hasn't had some good quarterbacks ... but the palm goes to little Uteritz who in his two campaigns at Michigan has developed into a twinkler of the first degree."
In picking Uteritz as its second-team All-Western Conference quarterback, the Chicago Evening Journal wrote:
"There were many heady quarterbacks on this seasons squads. For ability to run his team, Uteritz of Michigan, perhaps stood out. He also handled punts well, but called for free catches oftener than he attempted to run with the ball. This is a fair indication of his good sense, for he is of such slight build that he could not survive being dumped time after time by ferocious ends."
Norman E. Brown, sports editor of the Central Press, picked Uteritz as his first-team All-Western quarterback in 1922, explaining his choice as follows: "Uteritz' handling of the Michigan team played an important part in its success. He is fast, a good passer, a sure tackler, a quick thinker."
1923 season
As a senior in 1923, Uteritz led the Wolverines to an 8–0 record and outscored opponents 150–12. Michigan's first conference game in 1923 was against Ohio State in Ann Arbor. Fifty-thousand spectators watched Michigan shut out the Buckeyes 23–0. Michigan's first two touchdowns were scored on passes by Uteritz, a 16-yard pass to Herb Steger in the third quarter and a 60-yard completion to Harry Kipke in the fourth quarter.Uteritz played his last game in a Michigan uniform against the Quantico Marines on November 10, 1923. Uteritz had one of his best games in a 26–6 win, but he also suffered a leg injury that ended his season. The Marines took a 6–0 lead in the first quarter of the game. Uteritz scored a touchdown in the second quarter, diving between center Jack Blott
Jack Blott
Jack Leonard Blott was an All-American football center and place kicker for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1922–1923. He was also a baseball catcher for the Wolverines from 1922–1924. After a two-game Major League Baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds in 1924, he worked as...
's legs to cross the goal-line. After tying the score with a touchdown, Uteritz then kicked for a successful extra point to give Michigan the winning points. Uteritz added his eighth point on an extra point kick in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Uteritz "limped perceptibly" after a hard tackle, but remained in the game until Michigan's trainer ordered him off the field. After the game, it was determined that Uteritz' leg had been broken, and he was unable to play in the last two games of the season. On learning that Uteritz would be unable to play in the remaining games, Coach Yost told reporters, "There goes half the football team. He was the best field general I ever had."
Despite missing the last two game of the season, Uteritz was selected as a second-team All-American by Lawrence Perry and a third-team selection 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 Davis Walsh.
Baseball
Uteritz also played three seasons on the University of Michigan baseball team. He was an infielder, playing at second base and shortstop. Uteritz was "rated as one of the best infielders of the Western Conference" and had a batting average above .300 in 1922. In June 1922, his teammates elected him team captain of the 1923 Michigan baseball team.Coaching career
After receiving his degree from Michigan, Uteritz spent the rest of his life working as a football and baseball coach. In 1924, he accepted a position as an assistant coach at NorthwesternNorthwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
where his former high school coach George Thistlewaite was then the head football coach. From 1925 to 1935, Uteritz held various positions at the University of Wisconsin, including assistant football coach, head baseball coach, and assistant athletic director. While coaching at Wisconsin, Uteritz also played baseball for the Madison Blues. From 1935 to 1946, he was the backfield coach at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
In 1947, Uteritz was hired as the backfield coach at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
. He became the head football coach for Washington University in 1949. Uteritz was head football coach at Washington for four years from 1949 to 1952 and coached his sons who played quarterback there during his tenure as head coach. The Washington University football team had a record of 18–18 in the four years that Uteritz was the head coach. Uteritz also served as the head baseball coach at Washington University for 11 seasons, in 1948 and from 1954 to 1963, compiling a record of 162–66.
Uteritz had long been known by the nickname "Utz." In 1952, he had his surname legally changed to Utz. He said he was tired of having his name "kicked around," and everyone called him Utz anyway. He died in St. Louis at age 63 of an apparent heart attack. He was survived by his wife, the former Genevieve Johnson, and four sons.