Paul Magoffin
Encyclopedia
Paul Parker "Maggie" Magoffin (March 30, 1883 – February 1, 1956) was an American football
player. He played left halfback
for Fielding H. Yost's University of Michigan
Wolverines football
teams of 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1907, and was captain of the 1907 team
. He later served as a football coach at North Dakota State University
and George Washington University
.
high school team. He later ran track and played two years of football for Central High School in Washington, D.C.
He later attended the Academy at Marietta and played one year for of football for Marietta College
in Marietta, Ohio
. At Marietta, Magoffin played for William C. "King" Cole, who had previously been a star player for Fielding H. Yost at the University of Michigan
.
, began playing on the freshman team, but played in several games for the varsity team, though he was not awarded a varsity letter
for the 1904 season. He became a starter at left halfback for the 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
that compiled a 12–1 record and outscored its opponents by a combined total of 495 to 2. He continued as a starter at left halfback on the 1906
and 1907 Michigan team
s. The Michigan Alumnus in January 1907 described Magoffin's contributions as follows:
On November 3, 1907, Magoffin became the first player to catch a forward pass
for a touchdown
in a Michigan – Ohio State game, a 25-yard pass from quarterback Billy Wasmund
. Magoffin scored five times during Michigan's 46–0 victory over Ohio State
in 1907. The 1907 team captained by Magoffin won its first five games without allowing a point to be scored. The Wolverines lost the final game of the season to Penn
by a score of 6–0, though Coach Yost complained loudly that Michigan had been robbed of touchdown in the game. They disputed play was a 35-yard touchdown pass to Magoffin that was disallowed by the referee. Yost said of the play, "In order to reach Magoffin, thirty-five yards ahead, the ball must have gone from Allerdice over the line of scrimmage at least fifteen yards to the left of where it was put in play. I know that, after having worked with that play for two years, and I was not taking any chances with it. Magoffin's touchdown was as legal as any play I ever saw on a football field."
In July 1908, after graduating from the University of Michigan as part of the literary class of 1908, Magoffin was hired as the athletic director and head football coach for the North Dakota Agricultural College "Flickertails," now known as the North Dakota State Bison
.
In 1910, Magoffin was the football coach for the George Washington University
"Hatchetities" in Washington, D.C.
In September 1910, The Washington Post
reported that Coach Magoffin led his George Washington football team in practice sessions on the White House Ellipse.
Magoffin served as an official in college and high school football games for at least 32 years from 1912 to 1943. In December 1914, he was married in Philadelphia to Edith Jane Young.
He died in 1956 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
.
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. He played left halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for Fielding H. Yost's 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...
Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
teams of 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1907, and was captain of the 1907 team
1907 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1907 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1907 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field...
. He later served as a football coach at North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
and George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
.
Early years
Magoffin first played football on a KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
high school team. He later ran track and played two years of football for Central High School in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He later attended the Academy at Marietta and played one year for of football for Marietta College
Marietta College
Marietta College is a co-educational private college in Marietta, Ohio, USA, which was the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. The school offers 42 majors along with a large number of minors, all of which are grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation...
in Marietta, Ohio
Marietta, Ohio
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...
. At Marietta, Magoffin played for William C. "King" Cole, who had previously been a star player for Fielding H. Yost at 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...
.
University of Michigan
In 1904, Magoffin transferred to the University of MichiganUniversity 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...
, began playing on the freshman team, but played in several games for the varsity team, though he was not awarded a varsity letter
Varsity 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 :...
for the 1904 season. He became a starter at left halfback for the 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1905 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field...
that compiled a 12–1 record and outscored its opponents by a combined total of 495 to 2. He continued as a starter at left halfback on the 1906
1906 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1906 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1906 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field.-Schedule:...
and 1907 Michigan team
1907 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1907 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1907 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field...
s. The Michigan Alumnus in January 1907 described Magoffin's contributions as follows:
"Magoffin has shown himself to be a remarkably fast and untiring player on both offense and defense, although slow in rounding into physical shape, owing to his later return to the University. He did his greatest work in the Pennsylvania contest, fighting gamely and stubbornly to the end. His repeated fierce tackling of Hollenbeck for losses was one of the redeeming features of that game for the Michigan spectators."
On November 3, 1907, Magoffin became the first player to catch a forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
in a Michigan – Ohio State game, a 25-yard pass from quarterback Billy Wasmund
Billy Wasmund
William Stephen "Billy" Wasmund was an American football player and coach in the United States.Wasmund was born in December 1887 in Michigan. His father, Lebrecht Wasmund, was a stone contractor born in Germany. Wasmund attended Lafayette College where he played fullback for the school's college...
. Magoffin scored five times during Michigan's 46–0 victory over Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
in 1907. The 1907 team captained by Magoffin won its first five games without allowing a point to be scored. The Wolverines lost the final game of the season to Penn
Penn Quakers football
The Penn Quakers football team is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
by a score of 6–0, though Coach Yost complained loudly that Michigan had been robbed of touchdown in the game. They disputed play was a 35-yard touchdown pass to Magoffin that was disallowed by the referee. Yost said of the play, "In order to reach Magoffin, thirty-five yards ahead, the ball must have gone from Allerdice over the line of scrimmage at least fifteen yards to the left of where it was put in play. I know that, after having worked with that play for two years, and I was not taking any chances with it. Magoffin's touchdown was as legal as any play I ever saw on a football field."
Coaching and officiating
North Dakota State Bison
The North Dakota State Bison is the name of the athletic teams of North Dakota State University which is located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota. The teams are often called the "Thundering Herd"...
.
In 1910, Magoffin was the football coach for the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
"Hatchetities" in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In September 1910, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
reported that Coach Magoffin led his George Washington football team in practice sessions on the White House Ellipse.
Magoffin served as an official in college and high school football games for at least 32 years from 1912 to 1943. In December 1914, he was married in Philadelphia to Edith Jane Young.
He died in 1956 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.