1904 was somewhat a revolutionary year for the Football Rules Committee. For the first time, a representative from a school outside of the East Coast was invited to attend and participate in the proceedings and rules revisions. Amos Alonzo Stagg, the head coach of the University of Chicago, was the newest member of the rules governing board. Stagg was no stranger to the other members; after all, he had played for Walter Camp at Yale in the late 1880s before moving on to coach the upstart program at the University of Chicago.
The addition of Stagg was very significant, for it gave a voice to the Midwest, where football was becoming very popular. It also united football across the country. For many years the main complaint against the game was that the Eastern schools controlled the rules without regard to the ideas and wishes of the rest of the nation.
Continued...
Please sign in to read the rest of this article:
