NFF Gold Medal Recipients
Biography
Amos Alonzo Stagg is a charter member of the College Football Hall of Fame, elected as both player and coach in 1951. He was born August 16, 1862, in West Orange, New Jersey and died March 17, 1965, at age 102 in Stockton, California.
He played football five years for Yale and was named end on the first All-America team picked in 1889. Stagg served 57 years as head coach at Springfield College 1890-91, Chicago 1892-32, and College of Pacific 1933-46. Stagg won 314 games, a record at the time. He continued as assistant coach with his son, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Jr., at Susquehanna 1947-52 and as kicking coach at Stockton Junior College 1953-58.
Stagg invented the end-around, hidden-ball trick, fake punt, quick-kick, man-in-motion, double reverse, huddle, backfield shift, Statue of Liberty play, padded goal posts, and numbers on players' backs. Knute Rockne said, "All football comes from Stagg."
