The College Football Star who Played for Eight Seasons
FS 1-8
Just off of Interstate 90 near the Ohio-Indiana line sits a small agriculture town by the name of Stryker. In 1857, this small Ohio village became the birthplace of one of college football’s first stars, Horace Prettyman.
Williams County is the northwestern most county in Ohio. The county seat, Bryan, soon became Horace’s home as his farming family moved there during his upbringing. High schools were not what they were like today, or even one hundred years ago, as compared to the times Horace Prettyman was growing up in. Although Prettyman always listed Bryan as his home town, somewhere along the lines he ended up at Ann Arbor High School before making his way to the University of Michigan.
Prettyman became a college freshman at twenty-four years old in 1882. He was a “rusher” for a team that did not even compete against other colleges that season. In 1883, Prettyman switched to “forward” as the team started again playing against other schools. 1883 also marked the year that Michigan would play its first ever home game. Once the game officially began, Prettyman became the first Ohioan to ever play football for Michigan. Fourteen minutes into the game Prettyman made history again, scoring the first ever touchdown on Michigan’s home field, then the Ann Arbor Fairgrounds.
The rest of the 1883 season consisted of four road games on the east coast to help promote the University. Prettyman actually ended up in charge of planning and managing the trip, all the way down to the payments of goods and services. The team went 1-3 on the trip, with the only win coming over Stevens in the final game.
After such a successful trip the year prior, 1884 saw Horace Prettyman be named captain of the Michigan squad. Michigan played just two games, winning both. Michigan downed both Albion and the University of Chicago club team. It is also important to remember that at this point in history the difference between varsity and club was minimal to non-existent. Michigan themselves didn’t even have a coach.
In 1885 was another undefeated season for Michigan. Prettyman was elected captain again as they went 3-0 and outscored their opponents 82-0. The following season in 1886 Prettyman was elected captain for an unprecedented third time. Something no other Michigan player has ever done to this day. Michigan went 2-0 and again didn't allow a single point.
In his three years as captain Horace Prettyman never lost a game and only gave up 10 points.
By 1897 Prettyman had entered the workforce in Ann Arbor as a manager at a manufacturing company before becoming a real estate agent and then hotel manager. In the midst of grown adult life Prettyman somehow ended up back on the University of Michigan football team. Although no longer a student, due to essentially no eligibility rules he was allowed back on the team.
In 1888 Prettyman came back to play center. Prettyman helped the team keep their winning streak until losing to the University of Chicago. During the game Prettyman was involved in a fight and thrown out of the game. The next season, in 1889, Prettyman was a part of a 1-1 Michigan squad going in a rematch with Chicago. This time things got so out of hand that a hard run by Prettyman caused a scuffle where Prettyman punched a Chicago player so hard the fans started to rush the field. The police and some players had to break up the brawl and Prettyman was thrown out of the game, but not arrested.
In 1890 Prettyman helped Michigan to a 4-1 record, including their first ever win against Purdue. By 1891 Prettyman was going to turn thirty-four by mid-season. Prettyman then turned his focus to coaching and training the team. Thus the career of Horace Prettyman that lasted from 1882-1890 (minus 1897) came to an end. So if you’re someone that gets slightly annoyed at all the super seniors these days, just imagine what it was like over one hundred years ago.