1940 Michigan Wolverines football team

The 1940 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1940 college football season. Under third-year head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan compiled a 7–1 record and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll. The team outscored opponents 196 to 34. The team's sole setback was a 7–6 loss on the road against a Minnesota team that finished the season No. 1 in the final AP poll.

The 1940 team featured one of the greatest backfield in football history with all four principal starters going on to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as either a player or coach. Left halfback Tom Harmon was a consensus All-American and the winner of the Heisman Trophy as the best overall player in college football. Harmon became the focus of nationwide media coverage, even appearing on the cover of Life magazine in November 1940. Quarterback Forest Evashevski won the Big Ten Medal as the school's best senior student-athlete and was later referred to by Coach Crisler as "the greatest quarterback I ever had." Fullback Bob Westfall, known as "Bullet Bob," was the country's fourth leading rusher in 1940, gaining 808 yards in eight games. (Harmon had 852 rushing yards.)  Westfall went on to become a consensus All-American in 1941 and also won All-Pro honors for the Detroit Lions in 1945. David M. Nelson, who started the most games at right halfback, went on to a 20-year career as a college football coach and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach.

The line playing in front of Michigan's Hall of Fame backfield was also one of the best in school history with four of the seven starters going on to play in the NFL. Left tackle Al Wistert had his jersey retired at Michigan, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and was an eight-time All-Pro selection for the Philadelphia Eagles. Left guard Ralph Fritz was a first-team All-Big Nine player in 1940 and later played for the Philadelphia Eagles. Center Robert Ingalls played for the Green Bay Packers and later served for 12 years as the head football coach at Connecticut. End Ed Frutig, who was Harmon's principal receiver, was selected as a first-team member of the 1940 College Football All-America Team and later played for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.

A fifth starter on the 1940 line, Milo Sukup, was the running guard and one of the principal blockers for Harmon and Westfall. Harmon in 1940 publicly praised Sukup and Fritz as "two big reasons for Harmon." Sukup was reportedly on track for selection as an All-American until he suffered a career-ending injury late in the season. In a November 1940 game against Illinois, Sukup suffered a blow to the head while blocking for Harmon. He was knocked unconscious, suffered from temporary amnesia and was later hospitalized for several days after suffering recurring headaches. Sukup was propped up in a bed at University Hospital when the Wolverines left to play Minnesota and listened by radio from his hospital bed as the team suffered its only loss of the season. Sukup missed the last three games of the season due to the concussion and did not compete further as a football player. Robert Kolesar, who replaced Sukup at right guard for the last two games, went on to play for the Cleveland Browns.

Week 1: at California
Michigan opened the 1940 season on the road playing the California Golden Bears at Berkeley, California. Michigan won the game, 41-0, as the Michigan defense did not allow California to advance past midfield during the game. The big story of the game, however, was Tom Harmon. While celebrating his 21st birthday, Harmon scored four touchdowns, kicked four points after touchdown (PAT), and threw a touchdown pass to David M. Nelson. Harmon's first touchdown came on the opening kickoff, which he returned 94 yards. His second touchdown came in the second quarter on a 72-yard punt return in which he reportedly dodged and swerved from one side of the field to the other, running about 100 yards before reaching the end zone. His third touchdown was on an 85-yard run in the second quarter. During the third touchdown run, a spectator jumped from the stands and ran onto the field trying to tackle Harmon. Even the twelfth man, who was escorted off the field by police, could not stop Harmon from reaching the endzone. The Associated Press wrote that Harmon found California's defense "about as strong as a wet paper bag," noted that Harmon was "as hard to snare as a greased pig," and opined that the only reason Michigan's point total was not higher was that "Michigan's first-string players ran themselves into a complete state of exhaustion."

Michigan's starting lineup against California was Frutig (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Fritz (left guard), Ingalls (center), Sukup (right guard), Kelto (right tackle), Rogers (right end), Evashevski (quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), Call (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Week 8: at Ohio State
In the final game of the 1940 season, Michigan defeated Ohio State 40-0 in Columbus. In his final game for Michigan, Tom Harmon ran for three touchdowns, threw two touchdown passes (one to Forest Evashevski and the other to Ed Frutig, and converted four PATs. He also averaged 50 yards per punt on three punts.  Harmon closed out his career with a total of 237 points in 24 games, on 33 touchdowns, 33 extra points, and two field goals.  When Harmon left the field with 38 seconds remaining, the crowd game him a standing ovation.  Paul Kromer also returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.  Michigan had 447 yards of total offense in the game, 299 rushing and 148 passing.

Michigan's starting lineup against California was Frutig (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Fritz (left guard), Ingalls (center), Kolesar (right guard), Kelto (right tackle), Rogers (right end), Evashevski (quarterback), Harmon (left halfback), Call (right halfback), and Westfall (fullback).

Varsity letter winners

 * Jack W. Butler - tackle
 * Norman D. Call - 1 game at right halfback
 * George Ceithaml - quarterback
 * Edward W. Czak - end
 * Forest Evashevski - 8 games at quarterback
 * Robert L. Flora - tackle
 * Harlin Fraumann - end
 * Ralph Fritz - 6 games at left guard, 2 games at right guard
 * Ed Frutig - 5 games at right end, 3 games at left end
 * Tom Harmon - 7 games at left halfback, 1 game at right halfback
 * Robert Ingalls - 7 games at center
 * Reuben Kelto - 7 games at right guard
 * Theodore Kennedy, Jr. - center
 * Archie Kodros - 1 game at center
 * Harry Kohl - halfback
 * Robert Kolesar - 2 games at right guard, 1 game at left guard
 * Bob Krejsa - halfback
 * Paul Kromer - 1 game at left halfback, 1 game at right halfback
 * Harold Lockard - 2 games at right halfback
 * William Melzow - guard
 * David M. Nelson - 3 games at right halfback
 * Joe Rogers - 5 games at left end, 3 games at right end
 * Roland Savilla - 1 game at left tackle
 * William Smith - 1 game at right guard
 * Milo Sukup - 4 games at right guard, 1 game at left guard
 * Bob Westfall - 8 games at fullback
 * Clifford Wise - halfback
 * Albert Wistert - 7 games at left tackle

Varsity reserves

 * Harry F. Anderson, center, Chicago
 * Leo P. Cunningham, guard, Revere, MA
 * Frank S. Day, halfback, Detroit
 * Paul H. Gannatal, halfback, Detroit
 * James Grissen, fullback, Holland, MI
 * Clarence S. Hall, end, Raynham, MA
 * George H. Hildebrandt, guard, Hamburg, NY
 * John T. Laine, guard, Puritan, MI
 * Elmer Madar, halfback, Detroit
 * George S. Manalakas, halfback, Detroit
 * Michael Megregian, quarterback, Detroit
 * Rudolph J. Sengel, tackle, Louisville, KY
 * Phillip E. Sharpe, end, Lakewood, OH
 * Rudy Smeja, end, Chicago
 * Robert B. Smith, tackle, Riverside, CA
 * Marshall C. Strenger, Lake Forest, IL
 * Louis K. Woytek, center, Johnson City, NY
 * Robert Zimmerman, fullback, Chicago

Awards and honors

 * Heisman Trophy: Tom Harmon
 * Maxwell Award: Tom Harmon
 * All-Americans: Tom Harmon, Ed Frutig
 * All-Big Ten: Forest Evashevski, Ed Frutig, Ralph Fritz, Tom Harmon
 * Most Valuable Player: Tom Harmon
 * Meyer Morton Award: George Ceithaml

Team players in the NFL
The following players were claimed in the 1941 NFL Draft.

Coaching and training staff

 * Head coach: Fritz Crisler
 * Assistant coaches: Archie Kodros, Earl Martineau, Ernest McCoy, Clarence "Biggie" Munn, Bennie Oosterbaan, Hercules Renda, Walter Weber
 * Trainer: Ray Roberts
 * Manager: Howarth