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1937 Michigan Wolverines football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1937 record4–4 (3–3 Big Ten)
Head coachHarry Kipke (9th season)
MVPRalph Heikkinen
CaptainJoe Rinaldi
Home stadiumMichigan Stadium
Seasons
← 1936
1938 →
1937 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#5 Minnesota 5 0 0     6 2 0
#13 Ohio State 5 1 0     6 2 0
Indiana 3 2 0     5 3 0
Michigan 3 3 0     4 4 0
Northwestern 3 3 0     4 4 0
Purdue 2 2 1     4 3 1
Wisconsin 2 2 1     4 3 1
Illinois 2 3 0     3 3 2
Chicago 0 4 0     1 6 0
Iowa 0 5 0     1 7 0
† – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1937 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1937 college football season. The team's head coach was Harry Kipke. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.

Schedule[]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
October 2, 1937* Michigan State Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI L 19–14   63,311
October 9, 1937 at Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL L 7–0   23,837
October 16, 1937† Minnesota Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI L 39–6   53,266
October 23, 1937 at Iowa Iowa StadiumIowa City, IA W 7–6   12,211
October 30, 1937 at Illinois Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL W 7–6   32,506
November 6, 1937 Chicago Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI W 13–12   23,394
November 13, 1937* at Penn Franklin FieldPhiladelphia, PA W 7–0   18,476
November 20, 1937 #19 Ohio State Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI L 21–0   56,766
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Players[]

Varsity letter winners[]

The following 26 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1937 Michigan football team.[1] For players who were starters, the list also includes the number of games started by position.[2]

  • William C. Barclay, quarterback, senior, Flint, Michigan - started 3 games at right halfback
  • John Brennan, guard, junior, Racine, Wisconsin - started 7 games at left guard
  • Robert D. Campbell, halfback, senior, Ionia, Michigan
  • Douglas Farmer, fullback, senior, Hinsdale, Illinois - started 8 games at quarterback
  • Elmer Gedeon, end, junior, Cleveland, Ohio - started 2 games at left end
  • Ralph Heikkinen, guard, junior, Ramsay, Michigan - started 7 games at right guard
  • Fred Janke, fullback, junior, Jackson, Michigan - started 2 games at left tackle
  • Archie Kodros, center/guard, sophomore, Alton, Illinois - started 7 games at center
  • Louis Levine, quarterback, junior, Muskegon Heights, Michigan
  • Earl B. Luby, tackle, senior, Chicago, Illinois
  • George A. Marzonie, guard, senior, Flint, Michigan[3] - started 1 game at right guard
  • John E. Nicholson, Jr., end, junior, Elkhart, Indiana - started 6 games at left end, 1 game at right end
  • Frederick C. "Fred" Olds, guard/tackle, junior, East Lansing, Michigan - started 1 game at left guard
  • Ernest A. Pederson, guard, senior, Grand Blanc, Michigan
  • Norman B. "Norm" Purucker, halfback, Poland, Ohio - started 1 game at right halfback
  • Hercules Renda, halfback, sophomore, Jochin, West Virginia - started 3 games at right halfback
  • Joseph M. Rinaldi, center, senior, Elkhart, Indiana[4] - started 8 games at center
  • Stark Ritchie, halfback, senior, Battle Creek, Michigan - started 1 game at center; 3 games at left halfback
  • Roland Savilla, tackle, sophomore, Gallagher, West Virginia[5] - started 2 games at right tackle
  • Donald J. "Don" Siegel, tackle, junior, Royal Oak, Michigan - started 6 games at left tackle
  • Dan Smick, end, junior, Hazel Park, Michigan - started 6 games at right end
  • William A. Smith, tackle, sophomore, Riverside, California - started 6 games at right tackle
  • Edward Stanton, fullback, junior, Charleston, West Virginia - started 7 games at fullback
  • Fred Trosko, halfback, sophomore, Flint, Michigan - started 5 games at left halfback
  • Arthur Valpey, end, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started 1 game at right end
  • Clarence H. Vandewater, guard, junior, Holland, Michigan

Varsity reserve[]

The following players were identified as varsity reserves on the roster of the 1937 Michigan football team.[1]

  • Harold Floersch, end, junior, Wyandotte, Michigan
  • R. Wallace Hook, Jr., halfback, junior, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • John H. Kinsey, fullback, sophomore, Plymouth, Michigan - started 1 game at fullback
  • Dennis A. Kuhn, tackle, sophomore, River Rouge, Michigan
  • Derwood D. Laskey, halfback, sophomore, Milan, Michigan
  • Harry K. Mulholland, fullback, sophomore, Bay City, Michigan
  • Norman J. Nickerson, fullback, junior, Detroit, Michigan
  • Robert P. Piotrowski, halfback, junior, Manistee, Michigan
  • Joseph C. Rogers, end, sophomore, Royal Oak, Michigan
  • Horace Tinker, center, sophomore, Battle Creek, Michigan
  • Frederick C. Ziem, guard, senior, Pontiac, Michigan

All-freshman team[]

The 1937 all-freshman team included a nucleus of players, including Tom Harmon and Forest Evashevski, that would propel Michigan to the top tier of college football programs when Fritz Crisler took over as head coach in 1938.

  • Pierce Barker, Detroit, Michigan
  • Richard C. Bennett, Springfield, Illinois
  • Irwin S. Clamage, Detroit, Michigan
  • George L. Clark, Carthage, Illinois
  • Edward W. Czak, Elyria, Ohio
  • Forest Evashevski, Detroit, Michigan
  • Thomas G. Ford, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Harlin E. Fraumann, Pontiac, Michigan
  • Ralph Fritz, New Kensington, Pennsylvania
  • William H. Gambill, Centralia, Illinois
  • Jack D. Grant, Chicago, Illinois
  • Tom Harmon, Gary, Indiana
  • William J. Hermann, Detroit, Michigan
  • Robert Horst, Detroit, Michigan
  • Reuben Kelto, Bessemer, Michigan
  • Thomas P. Kieckhefer, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Harry E. Kohl, Dayton, Ohio
  • Paul Kromer, Lorain, Ohio
  • Robert E. Larkin, Oak Park, Illinois
  • Blaz A. Lucas, Jr., Gary, Indiana
  • George S. Manolakas, Detroit, Michigan
  • Howard H. Mehaffey, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Jack Meyer, Elyria, Ohio
  • James R. Miller, Highland Park, Michigan
  • Charles E. Norton, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
  • Arthur Paddy, Benton Harbor, Michigan
  • Lester Persky, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
  • Richard G. Pugh, Detroit, Michigan
  • Charles R. Ross, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Robert S. Ross, Menasha, Wisconsin
  • Melvin S. Schlemenson, Memphis, Tennessee
  • Robert M. Seltzer, Chicago, Illinois
  • Edward Shelberg, Lansing, Michigan
  • Jacob Speelman, Jr., Lansing, Michigan
  • David A. Strong, Helena, Montana
  • George S. Thomas, Detroit, Michigan
  • William E. Vollmer, Manistee, Michigan
  • Colin C. Weymouth, Detroit, Michigan

Awards and honors[]

  • Captain: Joe Rinaldi
  • All-Conference: Ralph Heikkinen
  • Most Valuable Player: Ralph Heikkinen
  • Meyer Morton Award: Fred Trosko

Coaching staff[]

Notes[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "University of Michigan Football Rosters: 1937". Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. http://141.211.39.65/allroster/FMPro?-DB=allrost.fp5&-Format=fbresult.htm&-SortField=name&-SortOrder=Ascend&year=1937&-max=170&-Find.
  2. "1937 Football Team". Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1937fbt.htm.
  3. George Alexander Marzonie, born July 31, 1916, dies November 11, 1994, last residence Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
  4. Joseph M. Rinaldi, born May 8, 1916, died April 3, 1990, last residence West Palm Beach, Florida
  5. Roland Savilla, born May 13, 1916, died February 7, 2005, SSN issued Michigan, last residence Saint Albans, West Virginia

External links[]

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