FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Mr. Ypsi]

rc,

(Just finally on the board.)  You said that Musso (Millikin) played against both Reagan and Ford - Decatur and Eureka are only an hour-or-so apart, so Reagan seems likely.  But did Ford play anywhere other than U of Michigan, and would UM and MU actually have played?

[bashbrother]

Michigan's all-time schedule and results doesn't have Millikin on it, but a Biography on Musso reads:

George Musso
Age: 90

two-way star for the Chicago Bears in the 1930s and 40s and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; nicknamed "Moose"; first player to win All-NFL honors at two positions -- tackle (1935) and guard (1937); at Milikin College (Decatur, Ill.) in the 1930s faced Eureka College guard Ronald Reagan and Michigan center Gerald Ford; elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. The cause of his death was not given.

?

[Mr. Ypsi]

I can't recall if Ford ever played in the NFL - might that be where they met?  But the bio says 'Michigan center Gerald Ford'.  Since college football was not then divided into divisions (at least, I don't think so), perhaps an all-star game?

Except I think Ford played SEVERAL years after Reagan (I'm pretty sure Ford was MVP at Michigan in the very LATE 30s).  I don't know that the bio entry is wrong (and have no compelling reason to doubt it), but it just doesn't seem to add up.

[BashDad]

Best wishes for safe and productive play this weekend in the NCAC!  

Go L'il Giants--WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS!!

[frank uible]

Ypsi: Ford never played in the NFL.

[bashbrother]

and Musso was out of Millikin when Ford was at Michigan....who knows.....

[frank uible]

The Michigan football archives show that Michigan never played Millikin in football.

[bashbrother]

In 1930, Wabash beat a Millikin team with Musso on it... 6-0

[formerd3db]

reality check:
You forgot Bob Devaney, Alma College (1935 All-MIAA) and later Nebraska Head Coach.  Also, when Noll played at Dayton, they were "big time" football, not DIII, university division, not college division.  Dayton did not drop to DIII until 1977 season.

Also, as already mentioned, Millikin did not play Michigan during the Ford years.  DId perhaps Musso play for another team, Northwestern? for a year or two?

[Mr. Ypsi]

The mystery deepens!

If Ford never played in the NFL (which was what I thought, but wasn't sure), and if the college careers of Ford and Musso did not overlap (and UM never played MU anyway), how could they have played each other?  UNLESS, maybe they met in Hyannisport, at the famous Kennedy compound fball games!  Nah, then the bio would have cited playing against THREE presidents!

Methinks that Moose (or someone) has engaged in a bit of 'resume enhancement'!  

[bashbrother]

Ford may have gone to college somewhere else before Michigan and since he was President they are not listing any school other then Michigan.......... He did coach at Yale, assistant, but it is not likely that in the mid 30's that either team would have traveled that far to play each other.


We may have just stumbled on a conspiracy...........

I demand transcripts.

[frank uible]

I believe Ford played in the East-West All-Star Game.

[bashbrother]

My last post on this subject....is it Saturday yet? 

Write-up on some website.

Gerald Ford was the most notable president on the gridiron. He was a center for the University of Michigan, and named to the annual East-West game, as well as the College all-star game in 1935. He also won the team award for most valuable player in 1934. His expertise in the sport gained him professional contract offers from the Greenbay Packers and Detroit Lions, but he chose politics as a career.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I just googled 'George Musso', and my very first try hopefully solved the mystery!

When Musso was a Chicago Bear, they played a college all-star team which included Gerald Ford.

I forgot that 'obvious' resolution: before the NFL went big time, they often played college squads (usually to bigger crowds than they saw in the NFL)!

[bashbrother]

Ding..Ding..Ding...I think we have a winner....

Good Job Ypsi