KENTUCKY FOOTBALL HISTORY rom UK’s first All-American, Clyde Johnson, to its most recent, Danny Trevathan; from Professor A.M. Miller to Coach Joker Phillips; from old Stoll Field to Commonwealth Stadium; from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association to the Southeastern Conference; and with all the ensuing changes, Kentucky football holds a unique and storied tradition that began in 1881. UK football holds a captivating list of firsts: UK was the first Southeastern Conference team to introduce football, which it did in 1881; UK played in the first and only Great Lakes Bowl in 1947, defeating Villanova, 24-14; Kentucky tackle Bob Gain was awarded the 1950 Outland Trophy, making him the first player from the SEC to claim the honor; the Wildcats’ Nat Northington was the first African-American One of the most impressive collegiate staffs assembled was Blanton Collier’s 1959 coaching staff. From left: Ed Rutledge, Howard Schnellenberger, Ermal Allen, Collier, Don Shula, John North, Bob player to sign with a Southeastern Conference Cummings, and Bill Arnsparger. institution and the first to play in a league contest – vs. Ole Miss in 1967. And in 1989, UK became the first SEC school to win the coveted In between, Gamage led the Wildcats to a the 1943 season because of World War II. College Football Association Academic combined 32-25-5 record. His best season was The first known head football coach at Achievement Award for highest graduation rate. 6-1-1 in ’29. Kentucky was Professor A.M. Miller, who the stuIn 121 seasons, Kentucky has participated in One of Gamage’s brightest moments came dents asked to coach despite his admitted limited 1,194 contests and owns 578 wins, 572 losses during the 1930 season. During the 57-0 blankknowledge of the game. Miller began the 1892 and 44 ties. The 578 victories rank 45th among ing of Maryville, UK running back Shipwreck season, then graciously stepped aside later in the NCAA Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division year for John A. Thompson, who had more experi- Kelly rushed for a school-record 280 yards in I-A) programs in most wins. leading the Cats. ence with the sport. Kentucky football has won one national More than a decade after Gamage had left UK, Some successful years in the early 1900s dot championship, two the UK record book. a young man by the name of Paul “Bear” Bryant Southeastern Kentucky finished 7- arrived on the scene at Lexington in 1946. Bryant Kentucky has claimed one 1 in 1903 under Conference champiquickly grabbed the UK program by the collar and onships and appeared turned the Cats into a national power. Coach C.A. Wright; national championship, won in 15 bowls. Bryant took UK to eight consecutive winning 9-1 in 1904 under two SEC championships, UK football has seasons (1946-53) and helped the Wildcats claim Coach F.E. Schact; had 15 National their first national championship and Southeastern 9-1-1 in 1907 with and appeared in 15 bowls. Football League firstConference championship in 1950. He also sent Coach J. White round draft choices, UK squads to four bowl games which included the Guyn, and 9-1 in one Outland Trophy winner, 24 first-team All1947 Great Lakes Bowl, 1950 Orange Bowl, 1951 1909 under E.R. Sweetland. Americans (selected 28 times), 14 Academic AllThe greatest UK team of that era was the 1898 Sugar Bowl, and the 1952 Cotton Bowl. Americans (selected 17 times), 74 first-team AllThe biggest win in UK football history came squad, known simply to Kentuckians as “The SEC players (selected 100 times), and 497 under Bryant. After leading Kentucky to its first Immortals.” To this day, the Immortals remain the Academic All-SEC selections. SEC title and a 10-1 regular-season record, UK only undefeated, untied, and unscored upon team Kentucky football got its start on Nov. 12, found itself matched with defending national in UK football history. The Immortals were 1881. Kentucky, known in those days as A&M coached by W.R. Bass and ended the year a perfect champion Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl. College, Kentucky State College and/or State The Wildcats scored early and held off the 7-0-0, despite an average weight of 147 pounds University of Kentucky, defeated Kentucky Sooners, 13-7, breaking Oklahoma’s 31-game winper player. Victories came easily for this squad, as University by the clumsy score of 7 1/4 to 1. ning streak which is currently the ninth-longest in the Immortals raced by Kentucky University (18The game of football resembled more of a NCAA history. 0), Georgetown (28-0), Company H of the 8th rugby form and the scoring procedure is still In the 1990s, research by Jeff Sagarin, who comMassachusetts (59-0), Louisville Athletic Club unclear. Though football came to Kentucky in piles the Sagarin Computer Ratings for USA Today, (16-0), Centre (6-0), 160th Indiana (17-0) and 1881, it quickly vanished after the three-game indicated that UK is the national champion for the Newcastle Athletic Club (36-0). season. UK finished 1-2 in the inaugural cam1950 season under that ranking system. Besides Bass, two of the most successful paign, but the lid was shut on UK football for Also under Bryant, tackle Bob Gain became coaches in the early stages of UK football were the next nine seasons. the first UK and SEC player to win the Outland E.R. Sweetland and Harry Gamage. Sweetland Football returned to the University of Trophy in 1950. Other standouts in the Bryant compiled a 23-5 mark in three seasons (1909Kentucky in 1891, when UK defeated era included George Blanda, All-American Babe 10, 12). His best year was 9-1 in ’09. Gamage Georgetown College, 8-2, on April 10, 1891. Parilli, and eventual UK coach Jerry Claiborne. took the reins of the UK program in 1927 and The sport would not again be interrupted until remained until following the 1933 campaign. Bryant left Kentucky following the 1953 sea-
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