Football Pass Game Reaches 100

The forward pass in Football recently marked it`s 100th birthday, and I thought it should be remarked upon (belatedly; I had forgotten the September 5 anniversary and was reminded by my copy of Universitas Magazine I receive for being a St. Louis University Alumnus).

In 1906 Football was very different than it is today; it more resembled Rugby with it`s grinding ground plays. St. Louis University Eddie Cochems was the first person to realize that there was nothing against tossing the ball in the rules, and he secretly developed a trick play to use in SLU`s upcoming game with Carroll College of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

In a scoreless game, Coach Cochems was having little luck running the ball, so he unveiled his ``projectile pass``, having Bradbury Robinson throw the ball to Jack Schneider. This surprise play so confused the Carroll team that SLU marched down for a touchdown, and repeated the play several times through the game. (It must have been tough throwing that fat, slippery pigskin they used in those days!)

By the next season, all of the major Football programs had latched onto this novel idea, and the forward pass quickly moved from novelty play to a bedrock of modern football.

So, happy 100th birthday to the air attack!