George Stephens (American football)
| George Stephens | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 8, 1873 Summerfield, North Carolina |
| Died |
April 1, 1946 (aged 72) Asheville, North Carolina |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Known for | Myers Park |
|
College football career | |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | |
| Position | Halfback |
| Class | 1896 |
| Career history | |
| College | North Carolina (1894–1895) |
| Personal information | |
| 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 2 "George Erwin Gullett Stephens Papers, 1884-1988".
- ↑ "All-Time Carolina Football Team Selected". Carolina Alumni Review. 22 (6): 168. March 1934.
- ↑ Kemp Plummer Battle. History of the University of North Carolina. p. 752.
- ↑ "Tarheels Credited With Throwing First Forward Pass". Tar Heel Times. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ↑ "[No title]". The Daily Tar Heel. April 18, 1896. p. 4. Retrieved March 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ John Nolen. New Towns For Old. p. lxxxvii.
- ↑ Alexia Jones Helsley. A Guide to Historic Henderson County, North Carolina. p. 89 – via Google books.