1911 Oregon Agricultural College varsity football team
I just wanted to document this image before it vanishes into the ether, the Oregon Agricultural College varsity football team for 1911 from a real photo postcard. I really like this picture because they are posed in position: End, Tackle, Guard, Center, Guard, Tackle, End. Then the QB (hiding behind the Center). Then Halfback, Fullback, Halfback.
It was a power game in which one line attempted to dominate the other, with the football a huge, fat melon that was difficult to throw. As you can possibly grasp from the posed image, the Center was a hugely important player in the early game in a way that has atrophied greatly in the modern game. He was The Man. The offensive skill players that played the most important role were the HBs, the game being dominated by the run...
Players played both ways. Looking at this picture and attempting to suss things out, it would seem that the Center would line up as a MLB on defense, with the Guards becoming OLBs. The power part of the defensive line would thus be Ends becoming "Defensive Ends" and Tackles becoming "Defensive Tackles." This explains as well the historic name for Cornerbacks — "Defensive Half Backs."
