Biography Tiny Maxwell

1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 college

1.2.1 bloodied face photo

1.2.1.1 fact vs. fiction


1.2.2 all-american honors


1.3 pro football

1.3.1 1906 canton-massillon scandal


1.4 coach
1.5 referee

1.5.1 notable officiating experiences


1.6 reporter

biography
early life

maxwell born in chicago, illinois on september 7, 1884. known have had sister, named katerine doust @ time of death. maxwell began athletic career began @ englewood high school. there excelled in football , track , field. played mandolin , student actor in school s shakespearean plays.

college

before playing professional football, maxwell played @ college level while attending university of chicago. played maroons in 1902, under coach amos alonzo stagg, recruited maxwell size , style of play. maxwell weighed 240 pounds, in era when average offensive lineman weighed under 200 pounds. maxwell s struggle speech impediment made physical presence less intimidating , in fact increased popularity. played guard maroons in 1902 , 1903. competed school boxer , in track , field, later set school s record in hammer throw. on july 4, 1904, maxwell set school s shot put record, when recorded 42 9 throw.

1905 while attending swarthmore college

in fall of 1904, maxwell transferred swarthmore college. there prompted interest of school s president, encouraged him improve studies , directed college treasurer send tuition bills member of swarthmore college board of managers. around time given nickname tiny . according amos stagg, maxwell called fatty while attending university of chicago. during 2 years @ swarthmore, school s football team went 6-3 in 1904 , 7-1 in 1905, losing penn.

the bloodied face photo

in 1905, 18 players died playing college football , 159 injured. during october 7, 1905 game between swarthmore college , penn, played @ franklin field, maxwell s nose broken, eyes swollen shut , face dripped blood. maxwell reportedly continue play until near end of game, when face bloody , swollen no longer see, yet never complained of physical beating. because of size, penn had 3 linemen block maxwell. swarthmore lost game penn 11-4.

according legend, newspaper photo taken of face. photo found way president theodore roosevelt. photograph of maxwell s face shocked , enraged president threatening abolish football, if colleges did not take steps eliminate brutality , reduce injuries.

—joseph swain, swarthmore college president on president s roosevelt s request
fact vs. fiction

several writers , scholars have made exhaustive searches photo of maxwell s battered face, none have ever been found. though events surrounding roosevelt-maxwell story supposedly occurred in 1905, story didn t appear until mentioned in second edition of frank g. menke s encyclopedia of sports published in 1944, 22 years after maxwell s death. 1960s , 1970s update of encyclopedia continued run maxwell-roosevelt story. maxwell football club, formed sportswriters , athletic officials honor maxwell, picked story , made more credible. result, became official account of 1905 , enshrined in jack falla’s history of national collegiate athletic association , mentioned @ college football hall of fame.

what absolutely on october 9, 1905, teddy roosevelt held meeting of football representatives harvard, yale, , princeton. though lectured on group on eliminating , reducing injuries, never threatened ban football or mentioned maxwell injury. lacked authority abolish football , in fact, fan of game. @ time, president s sons playing football @ college , secondary levels @ time.

by december, sixty-two colleges agreed on set of innovations changed game of football. yardage first down changed 5 10 yards; there neutral zone established between opposing lines, , time of game reduced 70 60 minutes. year saw legalization of forward pass.

all-american honors

at end of 1905 season 2 swarthmore players selected on walter camp s all-american team. 1 quarterback wilmer crowell, , other maxwell. bob left swarthmore in 1906 without receiving degree.

pro football

in fall of 1906 maxwell played professional football massillon tigers, later moving canton bulldogs of ohio league played pittsburgh lyceums after pro football disappeared ohio after 1906 season. during time, maxwell insisted on wearing swarthmore jersey big s in team pictures during pro career.

1906 canton-massillon scandal

in 1906 maxwell figure in betting scandal between massillon tigers , canton bulldogs. canton bulldogs-massillon tigers betting scandal first major scandal in professional football. first known case of professional gamblers attempting fix professional sport. massillon newspaper alleged bulldogs coach blondy wallace , tigers end walter east conspired fix 2 game championship series between 2 clubs. when tigers won second , final game of championship series , named pro football s champions, wallace accused of throwing game canton.

however e. j. stewart, tigers coach , editor of massillon independent, charged actual attempt made bribe of tiger players , wallace had been involved. accusation attempt had been made bribe massillion players before first game. according stewart, tiny maxwell , bob shiring of massillon had been solicited throw first game east. maxwell , shiring reported offer tigers manager , scandal ended before began. scandal said have ruined professional football in ohio until mid 1910s.

coach

in 1909, maxwell became assistant coach swarthmore college. later accepted assistant coaching job @ penn. while coaching, maxwell enrolled @ jefferson medical college, located in philadelphia completed pre-clinical studies. however, withdrew school after 2 years. student @ jefferson, bob again played guard on school s football team.

referee

because of tremendous size, quickness, , knowledge of rules, maxwell in demand officiate major games harvard-yale, army-navy , pitt-penn state. walter camp later said maxwell set standard fairness , competence. officiated several professional football games well. bob worked famed penn-dartmouth game @ polo grounds in 1919, referred bloodiest battle of world war . lou little, penn tackle later coached @ georgetown , columbia, said maxwell alone prevented open riot.

in 1921, maxwell served referee game between union quakers of philadelphia , pre-national football league, frankford yellow jackets.

notable officiating experiences

during yale-harvard game, maxwell obstructed harvard tackler, preventing him bringing down yale ball carrier. yale s players celebrated resulting big gain, maxwell told them, gentlemen of yale, expect invited annual banquet , awarded varsity y. have j-just turned in best yale play of day.
during pitt-penn state game, after maxwell had followed pitt runner length of field in breakaway play against penn state, nittany lions captain insisted pitt had stepped out of bounds @ own 10-yard line. asked tiny come him pitt s 10 yard line, d point out cleat mark. maxwell responded saying panted young man, if y-you want me go , @ cleat mark, ll have hire me t-taxi.
during match-up involving catholic , non-catholic college, lineman catholic institution bit finger of 1 of players non-catholic school. when bitten player complained, maxwell replied, ll tell do. next year schedule game on friday, because don t eat meat then.

reporter

in 1914, after journalistic apprenticeship in chicago reporter chicago record herald, began writing sports column philadelphia public ledger. 2 years later maxwell became sports editor of public ledger, position held until death. maxwell s column reported being stylish , humored. in friendly bet between record herald , rival newspaper, maxwell defeated colleague in eating contest.