William Renner
Encyclopedia
William Renner was an American football
player. He played at the quarterback
position for the University of Michigan
teams from 1931 to 1935. He was a member of the undefeated national champion
1933 Michigan football team
also the captain of the 1935 Michigan football team
.
. He enrolled at the University of Michigan
in 1930 where he was on the football roster for parts of five seasons from 1931 to 1935. Injuries and illnesses prevented kept Renner out of the lineup in 1931 and 1932. He was one of the lightest players on the team at 165 pounds and six feet tall, and he developed a reputation as "a 'fragile' athlete."
, Renner was expected to be Michigan's starting quarterback in 1933. At the beginning of the 1933 football season, the Associated Press
reported that Renner had the talent to be a better quarterback than either of Michigan's great quarterbacks, Newman and Benny Friedman
. The AP noted: "Western Conference coaches whose football teams will battle Michigan this Fall have passed out word that they fear Bill Renner, of Youngstown, O., quarterback candidate, will be another Harry Newman 'or even worse.' ... Observers who saw Ben Friedman and Newman throughout their forward passing careers at Michigan maintain that Renner is the best ball tosser the Maize and Blue ever had." Renner won the starting quarterback job in 1933, and expectations ran high as reflected in the following newspaper profile:
Renner's playing time was again limited in 1933 due to injuries and illness, and he started only one game for the Wolverines. In the 1933 Michigan-Ohio State game, played before the largest crowd to see a Big Ten Conference
football game to that date, Renner came into the game at the end of the first half and ran the ball for a game-winning touchdown. An Associated Press story described Renner's impact in the scoring drive against Ohio State: "When he finally trotted out on the gridiron, the consternation of the Buckeyes was obvious to the 93,508 spectators. The defensive halfbacks backed away from the line, the center and fullback retreated and rubbed their hands, the linemen raised their heads." Renner led the Wolverines from midfield and, with the ball at the three-yard line, Renner "rolled around tackle for the touchdown that made it Michigan's afternoon."
and was again forced to leave school. By the fall of 1934, most of the players with whom Renner had entered the university in 1930 (Herman Everhardus
, Chuck Bernard
, and Whitey Wistert
) had graduated. Renner returned to Ann Arbor in September 1934 and was expected, finally, to be Michigan's starting quarterback. Michigan's offense in 1934 was sometimes referred to as "Punt, Pass and Prayer." A September 1934 newspaper story described Renner's role in the system:
However, Renner broke his ankle during the first Saturday practice scrimmage in the fall of 1934 and was unable to play in any games that year. Renner's repeated injuries and illnesses won the nickname "Hard Luck Bill." Renner was teammates with John Regeczi
and Gerald Ford
, who later served as the U.S. President, on the Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934. In a 1994 interview, Ford described the impact on the 1934 team
of losing Renner to injury:
The 1934 team finished with a 1–7 record. Ford was selected as the Most Valuable Player on the 1934 team.
. During the 1935 season, Renner was Michigan's starting quarterback for all eight of its games. With Renner as captain, the team got off to a 4-1 start but finished the season with three straight losses (to Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio State) in which the Wolverines were unable to score a point.
at Yale University
. Renner was responsible for coaching Yale's backs in passing and kicking. In 1937, Renner and his former Michigan teammate Gerald Ford were charged with coaching Yale's junior varsity football team.
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 at the 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...
position 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...
teams from 1931 to 1935. He was a member of the undefeated national champion
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
1933 Michigan football team
1933 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1933 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1933 college football season. The team's head football coach was Harry Kipke...
also the captain of the 1935 Michigan football team
1935 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1935 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1935 college football season. The team's head coach was Harry G. Kipke...
.
University of Michigan
Renner was a native of Youngstown, OhioYoungstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. He enrolled 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...
in 1930 where he was on the football roster for parts of five seasons from 1931 to 1935. Injuries and illnesses prevented kept Renner out of the lineup in 1931 and 1932. He was one of the lightest players on the team at 165 pounds and six feet tall, and he developed a reputation as "a 'fragile' athlete."
1933 season
Following the graduation of Michigan's Hall of Fame quarterback Harry NewmanHarry Newman
Harry Lawrence Newman was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines , the New York Giants , and the Brooklyn/Rochester Tigers .-College career:...
, Renner was expected to be Michigan's starting quarterback in 1933. At the beginning of the 1933 football season, 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...
reported that Renner had the talent to be a better quarterback than either of Michigan's great quarterbacks, Newman and Benny Friedman
Benny Friedman
Benjamin "Benny" Friedman was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan , Cleveland Bulldogs , Detroit Wolverines , New York Giants , and Brooklyn Dodgers .He is generally considered the first great passer in professional football...
. The AP noted: "Western Conference coaches whose football teams will battle Michigan this Fall have passed out word that they fear Bill Renner, of Youngstown, O., quarterback candidate, will be another Harry Newman 'or even worse.' ... Observers who saw Ben Friedman and Newman throughout their forward passing careers at Michigan maintain that Renner is the best ball tosser the Maize and Blue ever had." Renner won the starting quarterback job in 1933, and expectations ran high as reflected in the following newspaper profile:
"A slender youth from Youngstown, Ohio who specializes in throwing a pigskin to exactly the right place at exactly the right time is the center of attention on Michigan's 1933 team. ... Kipke again has an 'ace in the hole,' an undercover star, to make Wolverine fans forget Bennie Friedman and Harry Newman. Renner throws long ones and short ones, high 'soft' ones and the other kind that go with baseball speed. He heaves them backing up or running toward the sidelines, all with deadly accuracy and timing."
Renner's playing time was again limited in 1933 due to injuries and illness, and he started only one game for the Wolverines. In the 1933 Michigan-Ohio State game, played before the largest crowd to see a Big Ten Conference
Big 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...
football game to that date, Renner came into the game at the end of the first half and ran the ball for a game-winning touchdown. An Associated Press story described Renner's impact in the scoring drive against Ohio State: "When he finally trotted out on the gridiron, the consternation of the Buckeyes was obvious to the 93,508 spectators. The defensive halfbacks backed away from the line, the center and fullback retreated and rubbed their hands, the linemen raised their heads." Renner led the Wolverines from midfield and, with the ball at the three-yard line, Renner "rolled around tackle for the touchdown that made it Michigan's afternoon."
1934 season
After the 1933 season, Renner developed appendicitisAppendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
and was again forced to leave school. By the fall of 1934, most of the players with whom Renner had entered the university in 1930 (Herman Everhardus
Herman Everhardus
Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931–1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scoring in 1933. In his junior and senior seasons at Michigan, he led the team to two...
, Chuck Bernard
Chuck Bernard
Joseph Charles "Chuck" Bernard was a professional American football center who played for the Detroit Lions in 1934 and was a two-time All-American at the University of Michigan. He was born in Chicago, Illinois....
, and Whitey Wistert
Whitey Wistert
Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan...
) had graduated. Renner returned to Ann Arbor in September 1934 and was expected, finally, to be Michigan's starting quarterback. Michigan's offense in 1934 was sometimes referred to as "Punt, Pass and Prayer." A September 1934 newspaper story described Renner's role in the system:
"A punt, a pass and a prayer. By Harry Kipke's own words, that's all they have over there. But when it's a Regeczi punting, a Renner passing, and a typical Michigan squad of good ends, good tackles, good guards, and a great center 'preying', how are you going to stop them?"
However, Renner broke his ankle during the first Saturday practice scrimmage in the fall of 1934 and was unable to play in any games that year. Renner's repeated injuries and illnesses won the nickname "Hard Luck Bill." Renner was teammates with John Regeczi
John Regeczi
John M. Regeczi was an American football player. He played at the fullback, halfback positions for the University of Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934, including the undefeated national championship teams of 1932 and 1933....
and Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, who later served as the U.S. President, on the Michigan teams from 1932 to 1934. In a 1994 interview, Ford described the impact on the 1934 team
1934 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1934 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1934 college football season. The team's head coach was Harry G. Kipke...
of losing Renner to injury:
"In '32 and '33, we were undefeated, and then in '34 we had a tough, tough year. In those years, our offense was called a punt, a pass, and a prayer. We had an outstanding passer, Bill Renner, who broke an ankle before the season started. Our punter, John Regeczi, was the greatest college punter I ever saw and he ruined his knee. All we had left was the prayer."
The 1934 team finished with a 1–7 record. Ford was selected as the Most Valuable Player on the 1934 team.
1935 season
Despite the fact that he was unable to play a minute of football in 1934, the Michigan team voted at the end of 1934 season to make Renner the captain of the 1935 team1935 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1935 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1935 college football season. The team's head coach was Harry G. Kipke...
. During the 1935 season, Renner was Michigan's starting quarterback for all eight of its games. With Renner as captain, the team got off to a 4-1 start but finished the season with three straight losses (to Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio State) in which the Wolverines were unable to score a point.
Coach
In 1936, Renner was hired as an assistant football coach under head coach Ducky PondDucky Pond
Raymond W. "Ducky" Pond was an American football and baseball player and coach of football in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Yale University from 1934 to 1940 and at Bates College in 1941 and from 1946 to 1951, compiling career college football record of...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Renner was responsible for coaching Yale's backs in passing and kicking. In 1937, Renner and his former Michigan teammate Gerald Ford were charged with coaching Yale's junior varsity football team.