Mass Plays Killed These Players: The 1909 Crisis That Reformed Football
On October 30, 1909, Army tackle Eugene Byrne was killed on the field playing against Harvard. The referee had already sent word to the Army coach to take him out. The coach refused. Harvard ran another mass play directly at Byrne. He never got up. Two weeks earlier, Navy quarterback Earl Wilson had broken his neck making a tackle against Villanova. He would die six months later. Two weeks after Byrne's death, University of Virginia halfback Archer Christian was killed after a mass play against Georgetown. His last words to the trainer were, "Oh, I'm suffering, Pop. Please do something for me." The 1909 football crisis is the forgotten crisis — overshadowed by Teddy Roosevelt's involvement in 1905 and left out of most football history accounts. But in many ways it was worse. Unlike 1905, nobody could blame sensational journalism or medical ignorance this time. The players dying in 1909 were skilled, coached, experienced athletes. And they were being killed by the game itself. This video tells the true story of the 1909 college football crisis — the deaths, the abolishments, the New York Times editorials demanding reform, and the moment it became undeniable that mass play had to go. The history of American football would never be the same after 1909. This is that story. Hardcore College Football History explores the forgotten stories and foundational moments that shaped the game we love. Subscribe for more documentary deep dives into college football history. 💥 WEB SITE - https://collegefootballhistory.football 💥 PATREON - / hcfbh 💥 JON'S BOOKS: Been Dead, Never Been To Europe - Memoir About My Death And Recovery - https://amzn.to/3CgnmJP Manage Your Damage - Heart Attack Survivor - https://amzn.to/3MkIy6i The Mystery of the Dent in My Head - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMKCB54PH... is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.#HistoryOfAmericanFootball #1909FootballCrisis #EarlyFootballDeaths #CollegeFootballHistory #MassPlaysFootball #ArmyNavyFootball #HardcoreCollegeFootballHistory
