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Everett Sweeley

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Everett Sweeley

Everett M. Sweeley was an American football player and coach. He played fullback, halfback and end for the University of Michigan from 1899 to 1902 and was a member of Fielding H. Yost's 1901 and 1902 "Point-a-Minute" teams. He later worked as the head coach of the Washington State University Cougars football team in 1904 and 1905. After retiring from football, Sweeley became a lawyer and judge in Idaho.

Biography

Athlete

Sweeley attended high school at Sioux City, Iowa before enrolling at the University of Michigan in 1899. He played four years of football at Michigan from 1899-1901. He played at the end, fullback and halfback positions, but he was best known as one of the game's best punters and place-kickers.

Before enrolling at Michigan, Sweeley said he had never seen seen a college football game.[1] In four seasons he missed only one game, the result of what Sweeley called "a little row with a math professor."[1]

While playing for Michigan, Sweeley set the college football record for the longest kick on record. In 1902, he kicked the football 86 yards before touching the ground.[2] Sweeley also held "an enviable distinction unboasted by any other hero of the gridiron." In four years punting for Michigan, he never had a single punt blocked.[2] Sweeley was known for punts that were both high and long. Sweeley would reportedly tell his ends accurately where each punt was to go, "and by this concerted action Michigan gained many yards."[2] Sweeley was also "an expert place kicker," scoring over 100 points for Michigan in this manner.[2] In a 1906 newspaper feature about the game's greatest kicker, it was reported that his greatest talent was "the running punt trick" -- a play in which Sweeley would run a ball "until he was hard pressed and then kick, often thus adding many yards to the ground gained."[2]

In the 1902 Rose Bowl, Sweeley kicked four field goals and punted 21 times for a 38.9 average.[3] A newspaper story in 1950 reported on Sweeley's kicking ability as follows: "Sweeley, a truly great kicker in the days when the ball resembled a pumpkin rather than the tapered oblate spheroid now in use, introduced the spiral pant to Coast fans that memorable day [in the 1902 Rose Bowl]. His towering punts outdistanced the end-over-end kicks of the Indians by 20 yards."[4]

Coach

After graduating from Michigan, Sweeley went into coaching. He served as the head football coach for the Washington State University Cougars located in Pullman, Washington in the 1904 and 1905 seasons.[5] [6] [7] His coaching record at Washington State was 6 wins, 6 losses, and 0 ties.[8]

Later years

After retiring from coaching, Sweeley moved to Twin Falls, Idaho where he worked as a lawyer. Sweeley also became an expert trap shooter and ballistics expert. In 1916, he won the interstate trapshooting championship.[9] He was elected prosecutor in 1938.[10] In 1952, Sweeley attended a reunion in California of the 1902 Rose Bowl team. At the time, Sweeley was a practicing attorney living in Twin Falls, and was recalled as "a great punter back at the turn of the century."[11] He served as a probate judge in the mid-1950s.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Kicked Four Years Without A Block". News-Palladium. 1943-11-18.
  2. ^ a b c d e "OLD-TIME FOOTBALL PLAYERS". Elyria Reporter. 1906-11-13.
  3. ^ Dan O’Sullivan (2002-12-13). "1902-Michigan 49, Stanford 0". espn.com.
  4. ^ "Art Redner Played With Wolverines, 1902 Rose Bowl 11". Bessemer Herald. 1950-12-28.
  5. ^ John Kryk. Natural enemies, p. 293.
  6. ^ College Football Reference Washington State University Football Records
  7. ^ Miami Herald Washington State University all-time football records
  8. ^ Washington State Cougars coaching records
  9. ^ "TWIN FALLS EXPERT TAKES TRAP TITLE: Everett Sweeley Wins Interstate Championship; High Scores Are Rule". Salt Lake Tribune. 1916-06-14.
  10. ^ "J. W. Taylor May Aid in Johnston Trial". Salt Lake Tribune. 1938-11-28.
  11. ^ "Wolverine Reunion at Palo Alto". Lima News. 1952-10-03.
  12. ^ "Filer Killing Hearing Delayed". The Post-Register, Idaho Falls. 1955-07-22.
  13. ^ "Teen Drivers Before Court". The Post-Register, Idaho Falls. 1957-07-22.
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