Tommy Hughitt
Punter, Kicker | |
Personal information | |
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Born: | Genoa, British Columbia, Canada | December 27, 1892
Died: | December 27, 1961 Bartow, Florida, U.S. | (aged 69)
Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Weight: | 159 lb (72 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Escanaba (MI) |
College: | Michigan |
Career history | |
As a player: | |
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As a coach: | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Head coaching record | |
Regular season: | NFL: 34–15–7 (.670) NCAA: 6–7–3 (.469) |
Player stats at PFR | |
Coaching stats at PFR |
Tommy Hughitt
Early life
Hughitt was born in Genoa, British Columbia, but grew up in Escanaba, Michigan; his father, Orrin Hughitt, owned the hardware store in Escanaba. His high school football career in Escanaba was undistinguished, and Hughitt saw little playing time on his high school squad. Upon graduation he went to the University of Michigan, where he played halfback and then quarterback for the Wolverines.[1]
Coaching career
From 1915 to 1916, Hughitt was the head football coach at the University of Maine.[1] He compiled a 6–7–3 overall record, including the Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship in 1915. An article in The Michigan Technic commented on Hughitt's success at Maine:
Due to the excellent coaching of 'Tommy' Hughitt, former varsity quarterback, the University of Maine football team won the state championship this season. Hughitt showed the effectiveness of the
Yost system of coaching by developing a bunch of green material, a team which staged a real 'comeback' after a bad start last year. Maine is highly pleased with the work of Hughitt and has engaged him for this season.[2]
After experiencing a winless season in 1916, Hughitt left his coaching position in Maine and signed with the
When the Prospects joined the ranks of the
After football
He retired from football in 1924, shortly after acquiring a stake in his team. After Hughitt's departure, he handed over the reins of the franchise to Walter Koppisch, and Hughitt spent time as an official with the NFL and All-America Football Conference, during which he earned much respect. Buffalo sports historian Jeffrey J. Miller credits Hughitt for helping reintegrate black players in professional American football by strictly enforcing unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for fouls against black players that were clearly motivated by racism, during his time as a referee in the AAFC; Miller cites statements from Marion Motley, who played games that Hughitt had officiated, in support of this.[3]
After his time in the NFL, Hughitt remained in the
Hughitt wore the number 1.
Head coaching record
College
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
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Maine Black Bears (Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1915–1916) | |||||||||
1915 | Maine | 6–3 | 1st | ||||||
1916 | Maine | 0–4–3 | |||||||
Total: | 6–7–3 | ||||||||
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth |
Professional
Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
BUF | 1918 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | – | – | – | – | – |
BUF | 1920 | 9 | 1 | 1 | .864 | 3rd in APFA | – | – | – | – |
BUF | 1921 | 9 | 1 | 2 | .833 | 2nd in APFA | – | – | – | – |
BUF | 1922 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | 9th in NFL | – | – | – | – |
BUF | 1923 | 5 | 4 | 3 | .542 | 8th in NFL | – | – | – | – |
BUF | 1924 | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 9th in NFL | – | – | – | – |
BUF Total | 39 | 15 | 7 | .697 | – | – | – | – | ||
NFL Total[7] | 34 | 15 | 7 | .670 | – | – | – | – | ||
Total | 39 | 15 | 7 | .697 | – | – | – | – |
See also
References
- ^
- ^ "Alumni Notes". The Michigan technic, Volumes 28-29. 1915. p. 231.
- ^ Miller, Jeffrey. Tommy Hughitt profile at the Professional Football Researchers Association
- ^ "Coaches, Records, and Coaching Totals". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Football Learning Academy".
- ^ Seifert, Kevin (June 17, 2022). "'He was a trendsetter': Why Art McNally will be the first official enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ "Tommy Hughitt Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Tommy Hughitt at Find a Grave