Hall of Fame
Position: Guard
Years: 1908-1910
Place of Birth: Dallas, TX
Date of Birth: Aug 24, 1887
Place of Death: Dallas, TX
Date of Death: Aug 16, 1943
Height: 6-2
Weight: 240
High School: Chicago, IL (Morgan Park HS)
All-America teams at the turn of the century had a decided eastern bias. It was a rare occurrence when any player from the midwest was chosen on an All-America team. A testament to the ability of Albert Benbrook was that he was the first western linemen to become a two-time All-American. Weighing over 200 pounds he was considered huge for his time. What made Benbrook such a dominating force was his exceptional quickness. During his first two seasons at Michigan, the Wolverines won 11 games, lost three and tied one. The 1909 team was 6-1 losing only to Notre Dame. In his 1910 senior season he led a Michigan defense that allowed only nine points. As captain of the team he played in a memorable contest against Minnesota in his final collegiate game. Michigan made use of the liberalized forward passing rules implemented in 1906 to defeat the Gophers. A forward pass took Michigan to the Minnesota three-yard line in the late stages of a scoreless contest. After two unsuccessful runs into the line, Benbrook ordered that the next play be run over his side. Pushing Minnesota tacklers aside he opened a hole that led to a touchdown and a 6-0 victory.
