Tod Rockwell

Tod Rockwell
Sport(s)	Football
Biographical details
Born	1900 Jackson, Michigan
Died	March 22, 1952 (aged 52)
Playing career
1923–1924	Michigan
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1925 1926–1927 1928–1929	Salem North Dakota Louisiana Tech
Head coaching record
Overall	13–19–3
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Championships College Football National Championship (1923) Big Ten Co-Championship (1923)

Ferdinand Almon "Tod" Rockwell (1900 – March 22, 1952)^[1] was an American football player and coach. He played quarterback for the University of Michigan in 1923 and 1924. He helped the 1923 Michigan Wolverines football team win a National Championship. He was the head coach of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team from 1926 to 1927 and of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team from 1928 to 1929.

Playing career

Rockwell was a backup quarterback for Michigan at the start of the 1923 season but got the starting quarterback job after Irwin Uteritz broke his ankle in a game against the Quantico Marines. When Rockwell came into the game against the Marines, Michigan lined up for a field goal with Rockwell holding the ball. As the Marines came through to block the kick, Rockwell jumped to his feet and ran the ball 26 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown run was Rockwell's first play for Michigan's varsity team.^[2] The following week, Rockwell played back to receive a kick against Wisconsin. The ball bounced off his chest at the 32-yard line, and Rockwell picked up the loose ball. Rockwell was hit and appeared to be knocked down, but the whistle was not blown and Rockwell continued running 68 yards through a relaxed Wisconsin secondary, which thought the ball was dead. Rockwell scored a touchdown that defeated the Badgers 6 to 3.^[2] Years later, Harry Kipke wrote about the play and described Rockwell's "perfect acrobatic somersault" as he appeared to be down but maintained his balance and ran for the winning touchdown.^[3]

The following week, Michigan faced Minnesota for the Western Conference championship, and Rockwell caught a pass from Michigan's fullback on his fingertips, juggled the ball, and ran 31 yards for a touchdown that led Michigan to a tie with Illinois for the conference championship.^[2] Rockwell's performance in the closing games of the 1923 season led sports writer Billy Evans to write: "Rockwell is one of the best open field runners in the Western Conference. He, more than any other man, saved the Big Ten title for Michigan."^[2]

After the 1923 season, another sport writer said of Rockwell: "Through the years Michigan has turned out a bunch of brilliant quarterbacks, 'Boss' Weeks, 'Shorty' McMillan, Tommy Hughitt and Uteritz but Rockwell gives promise of equaling the remarkable performance of all these former celebrities."^[4] The 1923 team finished the season with a perfect 8–0 record and has been recognized as the National Champion of 1923 by Billingsley.^[5]

Rockwell returned in 1924 as Michigan's starting quarterback. He started seven games at quarterback and one at halfback in leading the Wolverines to a 6–2 record in 1924, including wins over Michigan State (7–0), Wisconsin (21–0), Minnesota (13–0), Northwestern (27–0) and Ohio State (16–6).^[6] However, the Wolverines could not stop the Illinois team led by Red Grange, giving up 39 points to Michigan's 14.^[6] Rockwell was the second leading scorer in the Big Ten Conference in 1924 with 77 points on 10 touchdowns, 14 extra points and one field goal; Rockwell's point total was one point behind conference scoring leader Red Grange.^[7]

Coaching career

After graduating from Michigan, Rockwell coached for four years at of the North Dakota (1926–1927), where he had a record of 8–8, and Louisiana Tech (1928–1929), where he had a record of 5–11–3.^[8] Rockwell later became a sports writer for the Detroit Free Press.^[3]

References