On my recent travels I happened upon an old Esquire football book written by Clark Shaugnessy in 1943. It only cost a buck at the time! Shaugnessy was one of the greatest offensive innovators football has ever known. Some have called him the "father of the T-formation." He didn't invent it but he certainly made it his own. When he consulted the Chicago Bears to a 73-0 blowout of the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Championship game weeks before he led his own Stanford team to a Rose Bowl victory and #1 ranking, he became a coaching legend. Clark Shaugnessy knew his football. In this book he selected the greatest football games, plays, backfields and an All-Time All-American team. I'll likely return to his other lists at later dates but today I'm presenting his All-Time team. Back in those days the players played both offense, defense and special teams so of course there are only eleven players on this team. Here they are:
Quarterback: Earl "Dutch" Clark Colorado College 1927
Right Halfback: Harold "Red" Grange Illinois 1924
Left Halfback: George Gipp Notre Dame 1919
Fullback: Jim Thorpe Carlisle 1911
Tackle: Bronko Nagurski Minnesota 1929
Tackle: Wilbur "Pete" Henry Washington & Jefferson 1919
Guard: William "Pudge" Heffelfinger Yale 1889
Guard: T. Truxton Hare Pennsylvania 1900
Center: Bob Peck Pittsburgh 1916
End: Don Hutson Alabama 1935
End: Brick Muller California 1921
-it is great to see Cal represented on this list
-Clark, Grange, Thorpe, Nagurski, Henry and Hutson are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
-Heffelfinger likely should be in the Hall of Fame as he was the first known professional football player. If nothing else, his contract is Canton.
-it's interesting that Shaugnessy placed Nagurski at tackle. The Bronk played the position but was mostly a fullback. Nagurski or Thorpe? Oh, my. Both had to be on the team.
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