lenn "Pop" Warner was indeed an innovator in the game of football, one man who stretched the rules to their limits. Our last edition of Fathers of Football left off in the 1907 season, with the dawn of a superstar, Jim Thorpe, under Warner’s system.

Warner’s genius continues

The Native Americans whom Warner coached at Carlisle loved surprises and out-of-the-ordinary plays. Their propensity for those types of plays and methods made the Carlisle team practice them harder and longer to get them right. Pop would not disappoint his young lads of the gridiron, either, as he continually came up with innovative ideas that were usually effective.

One such item from Warner’s creative mind was the "Wing back " offensive alignment. The wing back is a formation where one of the backs moves up into a position before the snap so as to flank the defensive tackle. That practically gives the offense an eight-man line. Yes, Pop originated that idea a century ago, and the concept is used by almost every team playing today.

Continued...