Today’s post celebrates the memory of Ernest M. Sprague who went to rest in peace on this day in 1938. Mr. Sprague was seventy-two when he died. Ernest Marshall “Ernie” Sprague was born on October 20, 1865 in Farmington, Michigan. Yes, the story of this Wolverine “Pigskin Pioneer” goes way back to the Civil War!
Ernest M. Sprague left the family farm in 1886 to study engineering at The University of Michigan. Sprague must have had some time on his hands, or maybe he was the kind of guy who needed a “physical” break from his studies. Anyway, he signed up to play the new game of “football” for a Michigan captain named Horace G. Prettyman. Mr. Prettyman was in the final year of his three-year tenure as Michigan’s football captain. The two most important things to know about Prettyman were that he loved Michigan football and he loved winning.
Sprague is listed as a “rusher” on the 1886 Michigan Football Roster which means that he was probably a pretty tough guy. The entire 1886 season was played during a two-week span in October. Captain Prettyman set up a two-game season against the same team. In this case, Albion College agreed to play “home-and-home” games with the Wolverines.
Ernest M. Sprague was a Wolverine “Pigskin Pioneer” who lettered in 1886 and 1887. Photo courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library at The University of Michigan.
The first game of the 1886 season was played in Albion and Michigan won by a score of 50-0. The Wolverines played the role of “gracious” hosts and eased up on their guests in game number two in Ann Arbor. Final score: Michigan 24 Albion 0. This would be the first time that a Michigan football “season” was played against the same team. It was also the first time that the entire season took place in the month of October (October 16 and 30).
http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1887fbt.htm
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