October 25, 1884
The Allen Center’s trophy cases are lined with evidence of Wabash football’s historic lifespan. But even the aged collection of memorabilia doesn’t capture the earliest history of the gridiron tradition. On this day in history, 140 years ago – October 25, 1884 – the Little Giants played their first-ever intercollegiate football game.
Although calling them Little Giants would be anachronistic — they predated the nickname by 20 years – those first 11 players left a legacy that is integral to the Wabash tradition today.
“The strength of the campus community is often reflected in people filling the stadium on a Saturday afternoon,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation Matt Tanney ’05. “It brings people together. And that’s probably the greatest strength of the program. We have almost 140 students on the football roster this year … It’s a great program to be a part of. It’s rich in history. I think it brings a lot of value to the campus.”
Not much is known about Wabash football’s inaugural contest. They played just a few years after American football became distinct from rugby, by the addition of the line-of-scrimmage and downs. Almost every aspect of the game was different from what the modern football experience entails.
What is certain is that Wabash traveled to Indianapolis to play Butler University in the College’s first-ever intercollegiate game, and Wabash won the game 4-0.
Most of the information on the game comes from the faded back of a photo of the team.
“They defeated Butler in their only game played by a score of 4-0 at the Indianapolis Baseball Park on October 25, 1884. Jesse kicked all four of the goals in a bitterly disputed contest, which Butler has refused to enter into their record books.”
Edwin R. Taber (1863-1916) coached the team. Taber was a resident of Logansport, Indiana and a student of the College. It was his only credited game as coach of the new team.
The Wabash uniforms did not resemble the distinct jersey of today’s team – scarlet and white wouldn’t become the school colors until 1886. Like other teams in the era, they wore long pants and long sleeve shirts. The iconic early leather cap was not a widespread part of the game at that time, either. If they wore any headgear, it would be a loose fabric cap with no added protection.
In those days, playcalling consisted of shouting out instructions across the gridiron. Secrecy was of little concern for the team, as their playbook – predating the invention of the forward pass by 22 years – was limited to running the ball left, right or center. Even if they had wanted to keep their plans quiet, they were playing 10 years before the introduction of the huddle.
In 1884 early collegiate football consisted of 25 teams, many of which would become dominant forces in college football. Fans would recognize future Division I leaders like Harvard, Yale, Michigan and Navy. Little Giants fans should be familiar with future Division III schools like Albion College and DePauw University – who lost to Butler earlier in 1884 in what is credited as the first intercollegiate football contest held in Indiana.
One of the more impressive throughlines that Wabash football can look back on is the heart of the team’s identity – the field they play on. While the first intercollegiate game the yet-to-be Little Giants played was in Indianapolis, the earliest records suggest that the team practiced on a field in roughly the same location that Little Giant Stadium occupies today.
Regardless of how familiar it would be to the modern football enthusiast, the contest sparked a tradition that keeps fans streaming into Little Giant Stadium most Saturdays every October more than a century later.
“Today, football is bigger than ever in terms of drawing Wabash together in community,” said President Scott Feller. “On five or six Saturdays in the fall, the Little Giant Stadium and Mud Hollow fill with students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff to cheer on the team, but also to share in a fellowship that is much larger than the game.”