George Stephens (American football)

George Stephens
North Carolina Tar Heels
Position Halfback
Class Graduate
Career history
College North Carolina (1894–1895)
Personal information
Date of birth April 8, 1873
Place of birth Summerfield, North Carolina
Date of death April 1, 1946 (aged 72)
Place of death Asheville, North Carolina
Weight 154 lb (70 kg)
Career highlights and awards

George Erwin Gullett Stephens (April 8, 1873 – April 1, 1946) was a college football player. He caught the first forward pass in the history of the sport. He was later a journalist who also sold insurance and real estate.[1]

University of North Carolina

He was a prominent running back for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team of the University of North Carolina. He was selected third-team for an all-time Carolina football team of Dr. R. B. Lawson in 1934.[2] Joel Whitaker selected him first-team for his all-time UNC squad.[3]

1895

It is thought that the first forward pass in football occurred on October 26, 1895 in a game between Georgia and North Carolina when, out of desperation, the ball was thrown by the North Carolina back Joel Whitaker instead of punted. Stephens caught the ball and ran 70 yards for a touchdown.[4] He was selected All-Southern.[5] The team won the conference championship in the first season of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Myers Park

Stephens was much involved in the expansion of Myers Park.[6][7]

Journalist

He was joint president and publisher of the Charlotte Observer and joint owner and publisher of the Asheville Citizen.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "George Erwin Gullett Stephens Papers, 1884-1988".
  2. ↑ "All-Time Carolina Football Team Selected". Carolina Alumni Review 22 (6): 168. March 1934.
  3. ↑ Kemp Plummer Battle. History of the University of North Carolina. p. 752.
  4. ↑ "Tarheels Credited With Throwing First Forward Pass". Tar Heel Times. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  5. ↑ "[No title]". The Daily Tar Heel. April 18, 1896. p. 4. Retrieved March 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ John Nolen. New Towns For Old. p. lxxxvii.
  7. ↑ Alexia Jones Helsley. A Guide to Historic Henderson County, North Carolina. p. 89 – via Google books.