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College football started in West Virginia in 1891, when West Virginia University (WVU) lost its first game 72-0 to Washington & Jefferson College. By the early 1900s, most colleges in the state had football teams.
In the 1920s, football became very popular nationally and in state. WVU, West Virginia Wesleyan, and Davis & Elkins played strong national schedules. WVU’s Ira Rodgers became the first West Virginian named to the All-American team. In 1953, WVU played in the Sugar Bowl. Marshall and Morris Harvey College (now the University of Charleston) also played in several bowl games in the 1940s and 1950s. WVU became nationally known again in the 1980s and 1990s under Coach Don Nehlen. In 1988 and 1993, the team went undefeated in the regular season.
In 1970, a plane crash tragically killed most of the Marshall football team and coaches. The program was rebuilt and went on to win national titles in 1992 and 1996 in Division I-AA.
Here are a few of the memorable athletes and moments from West Virginia football over the years.
This Marion County native played tackle for WVU’s football team in 1895 and 1896 while earning a law degree. He soon became one of the greatest college football coaches in history.Yost started coaching at Ohio Wesleyan in 1897 and spent one season...
Parkersburg native Alfred Earle “Greasy” Neale was one of West Virginia’s best all-around athletes. At West Virginia Wesleyan College, he starred in football, basketball, and baseball. After graduating in 1915, he coached the football team while s...
This Bethany native was one of the best football players in West Virginia University history. He started at Bethany College as a prep student before moving to WVU, where he played football from 1915 to 1917 and in 1919.Rodgers was named an All-Ame...
This Point Pleasant native was a businessman who helped shape the NFL—and also held back its progress due to his racism. He grew up between Grafton and Washington, D.C., and ran his family’s laundry business chain after his father died. With the m...
Marshall "Little Sleepy" Glenn was a star athlete, coach, and doctor from Elkins. He played football and basketball at WVU, where he was team captain in both sports. Glenn later coached basketball (1934-38) and football (1937-40) at WVU, even whil...
John Zontini, known as the “Sheik of Seth,” was a star running back at Sherman High School in Boone County. In 1929, he averaged 27 yards per carry—a state record. As a junior, he ran for 2,135 yards on just 79 carries. He also set a state javelin...
Joe Stydahar was the first West Virginia University graduate elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played for the legendary Chicago Bears team known as the “Monsters of the Midway.”Born in Pennsylvania, he moved to Shinnston, and later star...
At Elkins High School, Goldberg was an all-state player in both football and basketball and led three sports teams as captain.He became a two-time All-American at the University of Pittsburgh and helped win the 1937 national football championship....
This Marion County native grew up in a coal camp and played football at Farmington High and later at Marshall College (now University) and Auburn University.Gatski became a star in the pros, playing center for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 195...
Jack Fleming was a sports announcer from Morgantown. He began calling WVU football and basketball games in 1947 and stayed the "Voice of the Mountaineers" until 1997, with the exception of a few years in the early 1970s. He was named State Sportsc...
This Monongalia County native is the winningest head football coach in University of Southern California (USC) history, and won five Rose Bowls. In 1976, he became the first head coach of the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though the team lost their fi...
Sam Huff grew up in Coal Camp No. 9 in Farmington. His father and brothers worked in the coal mines. He was an all-state football player at Farmington High School before leading WVU to a 38–7 record from 1952 to 1955, including three straight wins...
Wheeling native Chuck Howley went to Warwood High School and later attended West Virginia University, where he did something no one else has ever accomplished—he earned varsity letters in five sports: football, track, wrestling, diving, and trampo...
This Ohio native coached football at Bowling Green and Michigan before becoming West Virginia University’s head coach in 1980. He quickly turned the struggling team around, leading them to major wins, including the 1982 upset over Oklahoma, and un...
This Follansbee native grew up during the Great Depression in a poor but hardworking family. His father served in World War II, and the family later moved to East Liverpool, Ohio.Holtz graduated from East Liverpool High School in 1956 and attended...
This Marion County native grew up in Ida May helping at his family's gas station and restaurant. He played football at Monongah High and led his team to a state title in 1968. Though he dreamed of playing for WVU, he went to Kent State, where he p...
This South Charleston native played football at Charleston's Stonewall Jackson High School. He wasn’t interested in sports at first but improved as a junior and became an all-state center in 1970.Although Marshall University recruited him, Harrah ...
On November 14, 1970, a plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashed near Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 people on board. This included almost the entire team, coaches, fans, and crew. The team was returning from a game in North...
This Pennsylvania native starred in four sports in high school and earned top honors in football, basketball, and baseball.He began college at Penn State as a linebacker but transferred to West Virginia University in 1981 to play quarterback. Afte...
This Rand native was one of the best NFL wide receivers ever. He starred in football and basketball at DuPont High School. After some personal issues led to trouble with scholarships, he played football at Marshall University and set numerous reco...
Each year, top high school football players from northern and southern West Virginia face off in the North-South Game in Charleston. Many go on to play college football, and some, like Curt Warner and Carl Lee, even make it to the NFL.The first ga...
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