Gridiron Tribesmen
by the Encyclopedia Judaica (CD-ROM Edition)
In 1870, a year after college football began in the United States, Moses Henry Epstein represented Columbia University against Rutgers in the third game ever played. The following year, Emil G. Hirsch, a future Reform rabbi, appeared in the initial football game at Pennsylvania University. In 1874, Henry Joseph, a Canadian, played for McGill University against Harvard in an important series of contests. Lucius Littauer, future "Glove King of America" and congressman from New York State, played for Harvard in 1875 and 1877. Littauer returned to his alma mater in 1881 and became college football's first coach. Phil King of Princeton University, one of early football's greatest players, was an All-American selection in 1890-93 and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He later coached at his alma mater and at Wisconsin University. Sam Jacobson, a member of the Syracuse Athletic Association, helped organize the first football team at Syracuse University in 1889.
Those who followed King as All-American selections were Sigmund ("Sig") Harris (1883-1969), Minnesota, 1903-04; Israel ("Izzy") Levene (1885-1930), Pennsylvania, 1905-06; Joseph Magidsohn (1888-1969), Michigan, 1909-10; Arthur ("Bluey") Bluethenthal (1891-1918), Princeton, 1911-12; Leonard Frank (1889- ), Minnesota, 1911; A. Harry Kallet (1887-1965), Syracuse, 1911; Victor H. Frank (1900- ), Pennsylvania, 1918; Joseph Alexander (1898- ), Syracuse, 1918-20; Ralph Horween (1896- ), Harvard, 1916; his brother Arnold Horween, (1898- ), Harvard 1920; Max Kadesky (1901-1970), Iowa, 1922; George Abramson (1903- ), Minnesota, 1924; Milton ("Irish") Levy, 1925; Benny Friedman, Michigan, 1925, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame; Ray Baer (1905-1968), Michigan, 1927; Benny Lom, California, 1927-29; Louis Gordon (1908- ), Illinois, 1927; Fred Sington (1910- ), Alabama, 1929-30; and Mike Alexander, a member of the College Football H all of Fame; Gabriel Bromberg, Dartmouth, 1930; Aaron Rosenberg (1912- ), Southern California, 1932-33, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame; Harry Newman (1909- ), Michigan, 1932; Franklin Meadow (1912- ), Brown, 1932; David Smukler (1914-1971), Temple, 1934; and Isadore ("Izzy") Weinstock (1913- ), Pittsburgh, 1934; Marshall Goldberg, Pittsburgh 1937-39, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame; Sidney Luckman, Columbia, 1937-38, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame; Leroy Monksy (1916- ), Alabama, 1937; A. Sidney Roth (1916- ), Cornell, 1938; Mervin Pregulman (1922- ), Michigan, 1943; Daniel Dworsky, Michigan, 1947; Bernard Lemonick, Pennsylvania, 1950; Alan Goldstein, North Carolina, 1958; Ronald Mix, Southern California, 1959; Rich Stotter, Houston, 1967; and Robert Stein, Minnesota, 1967-68.
Among other leading football coaches were Israel Levene (1885-1930), an All-American selection, who played for Pennsylvania and later coached at the University of Tennessee and at his alma mater; Fred Lowenthal (1879-1931), who starred at the University of Illinois and later coached its team; Edward Siskind (1886-1955), who played and coached at Fordham University; Frank Glick (1893- ) of Princeton University coached at his university and at Lehigh; Arnold Horween, All-American at Harvard and coach of the team in 1926-30. Others were Benny Friedman, Joe Alexander, Louis Oshins (1902- ), Marvin Levy (1926- ), and Maurice ("Mush") Dubofsky (1910-1970), captain of the Georgetown University team.
Although professional football began officially in 1895, the Syracuse, N.Y., Athletic Association played the game for money before that date. Jewish members of the team included the manager and coach, Samuel Jacobson; the Freeman brothers, David and Charles (1882- ), and an outstanding running back, Paul (Twister) Steinberg (1880- ). Steinberg was also a member of the champion Philadelphia Athletics in 1902, and the famous Canton Bulldogs in 1905-06. In 1898 Barney Dreyfuss of baseball fame was co-owner and manager of the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, the champions of professional football. Other professional players included John Barsha (1900- ), 1919-20; Leonard Sachs (1897-1942), 1920-26; the Horween brothers, Arnold, 1921-24, head coach of the Chicago Cardinals in 1923-24, and Ralph (1896- ), 1921-23; Joseph Alexander, 1921-22, 1925-27, head coach of the N.Y. Giants in 1926; Jacob (Jack) Sack (1902- ), 1923, 1925-26; Samuel Stein (1906-1966), 1926, 1929-32; Saul Mielziner (1905- ), 1929-34; Bernard Satenstein, 1929-33; Benny Friedman, 1927-34, head coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932; Philip (Motsy) Handler (1908-1968), 1930-36, head coach of the Chicago Cardinals in 1943-45, 1949; Louis Gordon, 1930-38; Harry Newman (1909- ), 1933-37, in 1933 he led the National Football League in passing for the N.Y. Giants; Charles (Buckets) Goldenberg (1911- ), 1933-45; Edwin Kahn (1911-1945), 1935-37; David Smukler, 1936-39, 1944; Marshall Goldberg, 1939-43, 1946-48; Sidney Luckman, 1939-50, a member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame; Alexander (Allie) Sherman (1923- ), 1943-47, head coach of the N.Y. Giants in 1961-68; Herbert Rich, 1950-56, an all-league selection in 1952; Sidney Youngelman, 1955-63; Michael Sommer, 1958-63, and Ronald Mix, 1960-69, a member of the all-time American Football League team. Sidney Gillman (1911- ) served as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams in 1955-59 and Los Angeles and San Diego Chargers in 1960-69. Al Davis (1929- ) was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 1963-65 and the commissioner of the American Football League in 1966. Benjamin F. Lindheimer (1896-1960) was commissioner of the All-America Conference in 1946-47; and Arthur B. Modell (1925- ), owner of the Cleveland Browns, was president of the National Football League in 1967-70. Referees of note were Norman ("Bobie") Cahn (1892-1965), Joseph J. Lipp (1889-1958), Joseph Magidsohn (1888- ), and Samuel A. Weiss (1902- ).
Canadian professional football executives included Louis Hayman, Harry Sonshine, Neville Winograd, David Loeb, Samuel Berger, and G. Sydney Halter, the first commissioner of the Canadian Football League. Halter and Abraham Eliowitz (1910- ), a U.S. player, are members of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Gary Wichard, quarterback, C. W. Post (1971), Randy Grossman, end, Temple (1973) and David Jacobs, kicker, Syracusc (1978) won All-America honors. Grossman played professional ball with the Pittsburgh Steelers who won National Football League championships in 1975 and 1978 and the Super Bowl in 1979.
Ron Mix, offensive tackle with the San Diego Chargers, retired in 1973 after a 13-year career. He was named to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1979. Harry Newman, an All-America quarterback at Michigan in 1932, was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
In 1972 Carroll Rosenbloom (1907-1979) exchanged ownership of the Baltimore Colts for the same position with the Los Angeles Rams of the N.F.L. Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders was chosen N.F.L. Executive of the Year in 1976, and in 1980 his team won the Super Bowl. Marvin Levy, an American, led the Montreal Alouettes to the championship of the Canadian Football League in 1974 and 1977. In 1978 he became head coach of the N.F.L. Kansas City Chiefs.
Players who performed on Super Bowl teams were Llye Alzado, Los Angeles Raiders, 1984; Ed Newman, Miami Dolphins, 1985 and John Frank and Harris Barton, San Francisco 49ers, 1989 and 1990. Alzado, Frank, and Barton played on winning teams.
Alzado, Newman, Barton, and Brad Edelman of the New Orleans Saints were named to All-Pro teams during this period. With the exception of Barton, all had retired from the game by 1990. Barton, an offensive tackle, was an All-Pro in 1990 and 1992. Alzado died in 1992.
Coach Marv Levy, the Phi Beta Kappa scholar who was hired by the Buffalo Bills in 1986, led the Bills to four consecutive AFC easter division titles (1988-91) and to their first Football Conference championship in 1991.
Coach Sid Gillman and Al Davis were voted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and 1992. In 1989 Gillman was also named to the College Football Hall of Fame. Beginning in 1960 Davis served as a personnel assistant and scout, head coach, general manager, league commissioner, principle team owner, and chief executive officer. Davis was a Gillman assistant in 1960.
Aaron Rosenberg, 1932-33 Southern California All-America guard and Hall of Famer, died in 1979.
The Encyclopedia Judaica CD-ROM contains all the text of the original 16 Keter volumes, the eight yearbooks and the two Ten-Year update volumes. In addition it includes many statistical updates and an interactive time-line. The CD has over 2500 pictures, 100 maps, slideshows, audio, and fifteen minutes of video.
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