University of Minnesota Athletics
Sigmund Harris
9/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Sigmund Harris |
During the 1902 season, his first year as the starting quarterback, Minnesota finished with a 9-2-1 record, posting shutouts in all but three games. The following two seasons, Harris called all of his team’s plays as the sideline coach was restricted from calling plays during college football’s early years.
In 1903, Harris helped the Gophers win a share of the Western Conference title with a 14-0-1 record as Minnesota out-scored its opponents 618-12. Minnesota’s 66 tie with Michigan on Oct. 31, 1903, was the only game neither team won that season, and it was the contest that inaugurated The Little Brown Jug rivalry that continues to this day. Harris keyed on Michigan’s All-American running back Willie Heston, making a number of crucial tackles through the course of the game.
A Dubuque, Iowa native, Harris wrapped up his Gopher career in 1904 by leading Minnesota to a 13-0 season to capture a second consecutive co-Western Conference championship. During the season, the Maroon and Gold out-scored its opponents 725-12 with Nebraska notching the only opponent points on the season in a 16-12 contest.
Also of note, Harris is largely considered responsible for Minnesota landing Gopher football legend Bobby Marshall, the first African American football player at the University of Minnesota. Neighborhood friends and stars at Minneapolis Central High School, Harris and Marshall caught the eye of Williams during a 0-0 tie between the Gophers and Central to open the 1900 season. Harris came to the U of M in 1901, followed by Marshall in the fall of 1903.
Following graduation, Harris signed on as the sole assistant coach and held that position until 1920. Harris would subsequently become a fixture around the Gopher football program deep into the 20th century. He even served as a substitute head coach for a game in 1922 when Williams suddenly took ill.
Harris also was called upon by Head Coach Bernie Bierman to give locker room pep talks to the Golden Gophers before Michigan games during the 1930s, reminding the team of the Little Brown Jug. He would return to coaching for a brief time, but he was devoted full-time to the machinery business that he founded in 1905 and continued to head until his death in 1964.
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