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Cornell University Athletics

Football All-Time Greats

Charley Barrett I Kevin Boothe I Hillary Chollet I Bob Dean I Gil Dobie I Nick Drahos I Keith Ferguson I Chris Fraser I  Pete Gogolak I Grant Gellatly I Nick Gesualdi I Brad Greenway I Luke Hagy I John Hanson I Derrick Harmon I Jerome "Brud" Holland I Joe Holland I Eddie Kaw I Bob Lally I Pete Larson I Mitch Lee I Chad Levitt I Ed Marinaro I Jeff Mathews I Tom McHale I John O'Hearn I Seth Payne I George Pfann I Ricky Rahne I Irvin "Bo" Roberson I Murray Shelton I Joe Splendorio I Frank Sundstrom I Luke Tasker I JC Tretter I Bryan Walters I Pop Warner I William Warner I Gary Wood I Clinton Wyckoff I Frank Wydo I Chris Zingo
 
Charley Barrett
30722A two-time consensus first-team All-America quarterback, Barrett was captain of Cornell's 1915 undefeated national championship team. Widely considered one of the greatest players who ever wore the colors of Cornell, he was the mainstay of that great 1915 team, which swept all opponents, including Harvard, which had not lost a game in four years. He chose the plays, called the signals and was a triple threat man in every respect. He also handled the kicking and punting chores for the Big Red. He was inducted posthumously into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1958.

Kevin Boothe
21719When Kevin Boothe entered Cornell, he came as a lightly recruited, 370-pound lineman. He left as a three-time first-team All-Ivy selection, a first-team All-American, an NFL Draft pick, and is generally regarded as one of the top offensive linemen ever to suit up for an Ancient Eight school.

Boothe was named to the All-America first team by the American Football Coaches Association and to the second team by the The Sports Network and the Associated Press as a senior. Boothe was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy pick in each of his final two years. He was then picked by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft and ended up starting 14 of the team's 16 games as a rookie. Boothe played for the New York Giants from 2007-13, winning a pair of Super Bowl titles in the process before returning to Oakland for the 2014 season.

Hillary Chollet
30730Chollet established himself as one of Cornell's greatest modern athletes. A four-year letterman in both basketball and football, he was captain and the outstanding all-around player on the 1948-49 basketball team. He set Cornell's all-time game record with 37 points against Syracuse in 1949, scoring on 19-of-21 foul shots, which set a national collegiate record. He was a standout running back and defensive safety in football and the team's best kick returner from 1946-49. He missed the 1947 season with an injury was given permission to play in 1949. Chollet led Cornell to a record of 21-5-1 over his career, including 8-1 records in 1948 and '49 and the unofficial Ivy League championship both seasons. Following his outstanding play during the '49 season, he was accorded many honors, including Chicago Tribune All-America first team; Associated Press All-America second team; and first teams of the AP All-East, AP All-Ivy and Collier's All-East; and was named The Cornell Sun Athlete of the Year.

Bob Dean
30731Dean won three letters in football as a back, punter and place-kicker. A punting specialist, his 41.9 average in 1947 was good enough for second place in the East and ninth in the country. As a senior, he was second in team scoring with 44 points on 23 PATs, one field goal and three touchdowns. Among Eastern teams in 1947, he placed ninth in total offense with 690 yards. He was instrumental in helping Cornell to an 8-1 overall record en route to winning the Ivy League championship. He garnered All-East honorable mention honors in 1947, and was an AP All-Ivy honorable mention pick the following year. Dean was ranked second in the East in punting his senior year in 1948. He was selected to play in the Eastern College All-Star game vs. the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in September of 1949. He was the Cornell Sun Athlete of the year in 1949.

Gilmour "Gil" Dobie
30749One of the game's most successful coaches of all time, his reputation as a dour pessimist earned him the nickname "Gloomy Gil." But no one would dare argue with his success. In 33 years of coaching at Agricultural College of North Dakota, University of Washington, the Naval Academy, Cornell and at Boston College, his teams scored 180 victories against just 45 losses and 15 ties. His Washington team went undefeated from 1908 through 1916. At Cornell his men had an undefeated string of 26 straight from 1921 through the first two games of 1924. His best team at Cornell was the 1922 squad which boasted a backfield of George Pfann, Eddie Kaw, Floyd Ramsey and Charles Cassidy. Pfann and Kaw are members of the Cornell Hall of Fame and both, along with Dobie, are in the National Football Hall of Fame. Dobie was known as a demanding perfectionist, His teams were usually characterized by precision and hard hitting power.

Nick Drahos
30751An offensive and defensive tackle, he was named to the All-America team in 1939 and 1940. Drahos also excelled as a place-kicker - he kicked an 18-yarder in Cornell's 23-14 upset of national powerhouse Ohio State in '39. He was inducted into the Helms College Hall of Fame in 1972 and was considered one of Cornell's best two-way linemen of all time.

Keith Ferguson
30752Ferguson graduated as the school's career leader in receptions (202) and receiving yards (2,569), becoming just the seventh Ivy League player to register more than 200 catches. His 14 career touchdowns also ranked fourth all-time at Cornell upon graduation. Ferguson caught 70 passes for 852 yards as a senior, a mark that ranked fourth all-time in a season at the time. He had seven career 100-yard receiving games, including a 177-yard effort at Brown in 2002, a mark that ranked second in a single game in Cornell history. He set a Big Red and Ivy League record with at least one catch in all 39 career games. Ferguson was a second-team All-Ivy League pick as a senior in 2002. He captured the team's Pop Warner Award as the squad's most valuable player in 2002, took home the Charles Colucci Award as the senior who most contributed to the varsity in 2001 and won the Jack Murphy Big Play Award as a sophomore in 2000.


 

Keith Ferguson's Career Statistics

Year GP Receptions Yards TDs Long Avg./Catch Rec./Gm
1999 10 41 530 5 45 12.9 4.1
2000 10 41 680 5 57 16.6 4.1
2001 9 50 507 2 41 10.1 5.6
2002 10 70 852 2 40 12.2 7.0
Career Totals 39 202 2,569 12 57 12.7 5.2

Grant Gellatly
30753Gellatly was named to the Capital One Academic All-America second team and to the Beyond Sports Network second team and College Sports Madness All-America third team as a senior in 2013. He was a first-team All-Ivy League selection after setting Cornell single season receiving records with 91 catches for 1,224 yards to go along with eight touchdowns. He led the league and ranked second nationally in receiving yards per game (122.4) and receptions per game (9.1). Gellatly finished his career ranked second at Cornell in career receptions (194) and receiving yards (2,486) and was fifth in all-purpose yardage (3,766 yards). He had a school-record 10 career 100-yard receiving games and two 200-yard games in his career. Gellatly was a two-time All-Ivy pick and served as a team captain during his senior year.

Grant Gellatly's Career Statistics

Year GP Rush Yds. Receiving Yds. PR Yds. KR Yds. All-Purpose Yds. Yds./Game Touchdowns
1999 8 437 82 0 29 548 68.5 0
2000 10 260 240 0 20 520 52.0 4
2001 10 56 940 7 407 1,410 141.0 6
2002 10 64 1,224 0 0 1,288 128.8 9
Career Totals 38 817 2,486 7 456 3,766 99.1 19

Pete Gogolak
30673A football innovator, Pete Gogolak introduced soccer-style kicking to American football. He was the first player to kick soccer-style in the college and professional ranks.

While at Cornell, Gogolak set a major college record by connecting on 44 consecutive kick conversions from 1961 to 1963 and still holds the Cornell record for consecutive conversions and career conversion percentage (.982, 54-of-55). His 50-yard field goal vs. Lehigh in 1963 was the nation's longest in a major college game. He booted nine career field goals, including eight of 40 yards or more.

After Cornell, Gogolak signed with the Buffalo Bills after being drafted in the 12th round of the AFL Draft. He played two seasons with the Bills, including kicking for the 1965 AFL champion team. He was named kicker of the AFL all-pro team and in 1984, was named to the Silver Anniversary all-time team. After playing out his option with Buffalo, Gogolak signed with the New York Giants and played 10 seasons, becoming the franchise's all-time leading scorer and kicking the longest field goal in team history (54 yards). As of 2006, he is still the leading scorer in Giants history.

Gogolak's family came to the United States from Hungary in 1956. His brother, Charlie, is the all-time top place-kicker in the history of Princeton football. The family's story was featured in Life Magazine in 1963.

Pete Gogolak's Career Statistics

Year GP XP Made-Att FGM-FGA Long Pts.
1961 9 16-17 3-10 41 25
1962 9 20-20 0-5 -- 20
1963 9 18-18 6-12 50 36
Career Totals 27 54-55 9-27 50 81

Brad Greenway
30774One of the school's all-time best place-kickers, Greenway was an honorable mention All-American, first-team All-Ivy and All-ECAC selection and a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award as the nation's best kicker as a senior in 2011. He ranks among the school's most accurate place-kickers and dangerous weaon on special teams.

He led the Ancient Eight in scoring (7.5 points per game), ranking 41st nationally. Greenway set the Cornell kick scoring record for a career (189 points) and season (75 points), while his 189 career points ranks third all-time in Big Red history. Greenway finished 18th nationally in field goals (13, 1.3 per game), a mark that was second in the Ancient Eight. He was the only kicker in the Ivy League to post a perfect season on extra-point kicks (36-of-36) and was 5-of-5 on field goals of 40 yards or more. The two-time Special Teams Player of the Week also kicked off and punted for Cornell and was the team's captain on special teams.

Brad Greenway's Career Statistics

Year GP XP Made-Att FGM-FGA Long Pts.
2008 10 18-19 9-13 34 45
2009 10 19-21 8-16 47 43
2010 10 14-15 4-5 49 26
2011 10 36-36 13-15 47 75
Career Totals 40 87-91 34-49 49 189

Luke Hagy
30783Hagy graduated as one of the most versatile running backs in Ivy League history, becoming the first player to post 2,000 rushing yards and 1,500 receiving yards in a career. He was a three-time All-Ivy selection, including a first-team pick as a senior.

Hagy was a second team All-Ivy pick as a junior and an honorable mention selection as a sophomore and became the first Cornell player to lead the Big Red in rushing all four seasons as well as the first player in school history to average at least 100 yards from scrimmage per game in all four years. Hagy  ranked third in the Ivy League in rushing as a senior in 2015 despite missing one full game, a quarter of a second and all but one play of a third (equivalent of 2 1/4 games). Despite that, he still had had four 100-yard rushing games, including 117 yards against Yale and 128 yards at Princeton. He ended his Cornell career in the top five at Cornell all-time in all-purpose yardage and top 10 in rushing, touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards.

Luke Hagy's Career Statistics

Year GP Rushes Yards Avg. TDs Rec. Rec. Yards Avg. TDs Points All-Purpose Yds.
2012 10 118 528 4.5 7 48 513 10.7 2 54 1,054
2013 10 108 360 3.3 0 55 652 11.9 5 30 1,079
2014 9 151 734 4.9 4 19 200 10.5 2 36 934
2015 9 146 713 4.9 5 22 217 9.9 1 36 930
Career Totals 38 523 2,335 4.5 16 144 1,582 11.0 10 156 3,997

John Hanson
30784Hanson was named a second-team Division I-AA All-America linebacker by the Football Gazette in 1998. He was a first-team All-Ivy pick in 1998 as a senior, and was named to the second-team in both 1996 and 1997. As a freshman in 1995, Hanson was an Honorable Mention All-Ivy pick and selected as the runner-up for the Ivy League Rookie of The Year Award. In his senior season, he was named co-captain and received the Pop Warner Most Valuable Player Award. During the 1998 campaign he lead the Big Red in tackles for the third straight year with 135 (100 solo, 35 assists). Hanson finished his Cornell career with 530 tackles (359 solo, 171 assists), becoming the school’s all-time tackle leader. A starter in all 40 games during his career, he had a game-high 22 tackles (14 solo, eight assists) against Colgate on Sept. 27, 1997.

John Hanson's Career Statistics

Year GP Solo Assists Total Tackles TFL Sacks FF PBU INTs
1995 10 74 27 101 12.0-38 2.0-6 1 1 0-0
1996 10 90 64 154 10.0-41 2.0-16 1 6 2-23
1997 10 95 45 140 8.0-28 0-0 1 2 0-0
1998 10 100 35 135 10.0-36 1.0-11 2 3 0-0
Career Totals 40 359 171 530 40.-143 5.0-33 5 12 2-23

Derrick Harmon
30684Tailback Derrick Harmon excelled on both the playing field and in the classroom. He was a two-time Academic All-American and made the Associated Press Division I-AA All-America second team as a senior.

In his final season, Derrick won the Asa Bushnell Award as the Ivy League's Player of the Year, after being named the league's Sophomore of the Year in 1981. He became only the fourth person in the history of the league to go over 1,000 yards in one season when he ran for 1,056 markers in seven Ivy games in 1983.

A two-time All-Ivy first-team selection, Harmon rushed for 3,074 yards on 546 carries in three years and ranks third on Cornell's all-time rushing list and in career rushes. He set the school's single season record for yards per carry (5.9 in 1983) and the career record for yards per carry (5.6, 1981-83). During his three years, he had 14 games of over 100 yards rushing. He also ranks third in career all-purpose running with 3,800 yards.

An engineering physics major from New York City, Harmon was the recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. He was drafted in the ninth round by the San Francisco 49ers and earned a Super Bowl ring in 1985 against the Miami Dolphins.

Derrick Harmon's Career Statistics

Year GP Rushes Yards Avg. TDs
1981 9 173 893 5.2 5
1982 8 157 905 5.8 9
1983 10 216 1,276 5.9 12
Career Totals 38 918 3,074 5.6 26

Jerome "Brud" Holland
30785The college football Hall of Famer is known for much more than being the first black football player at Cornell. A two-time first-team All-American at end, Holland scored 10 career touchdowns, and later watched as his son, Joe Holland ‘78, became one of the school’s all-time leading rushers. But it was his greatness as a statesman that earned him international fame.

There was a special warmth to his youth in Auburn, N.Y. His 12 brothers and sisters called him "Brud" and his father instilled the first seeds of self-respect and knowledge. Brud Holland once said, " I was born with slightly deformed legs. My grandmother, Julia Bagby, massaged my legs daily, and they became normal." Holland worked his way through Cornell as a dishwasher and furnace-tender. He was a straight-A student and two-time All-America end. In 1937 he scored twice on Colgate on end-around plays and once on a pass reception. In 1938 he went 57 yards on an end- around, again against Colgate. He graduated with highest honors in 1939, obtained a master's degree at Cornell in 1941 and Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in 1950. The Associated Press in 1938 said of Holland the football star: "He wrecked interference, blocked and tackled, snagged passes and carried the ball."

HONORS AND TITLES
• U.S. ambassador to Sweden
• Chairman American Red Cross
• Chairman Salvation Army
• Chairman Planned Parenthood
• First African American director of the New York Stock Exchange
• 1985 Medal of Freedom Award (nation’s highest civilian award)
• President of Hampton Institute
• President of Delaware State
• Trustee Emeritus, Cornell University
• Sports Illustrated’s Silver Anniversary Award (outstanding contributions to American life)

Joe Holland
30796As tailback in 1978, Holland was selected to the Associated Press All-America third team and was a UPI All-America honorable mention. He also earned AP All-East, UPI All-East and ECAC Div. I first team accolades after finishing second in nation in rushing (1376 yards), behind only Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims. He also ranked second in the nation in scoring (l6 touchdowns) behind Sims. Holland was a unanimous All-Ivy first team pick in 1978. His total of 1,213 yds. in seven Ivy games made him just the second Ivy player ever to gain over 1,000 yards in 1 season. Career rushing: 370x1755. Team MVP 1978. Sprinter in track. Academic All-American. .

Joe Holland's Career Statistics

Year GP Rushes Yards Avg. TDs
1976 9 63 215 3.4 2
1977 9 34 144 4.2 0
1978 9 273 1,396 5.1 16
Career Totals 29 370 1,755 4.7 18

Eddie Kaw
30798One of Cornell’s great football halfbacks, Kaw was named to the All-America first team in 1921 and 1922, leading the Big Red to two undefeated, untied seasons and was declared the national champion both years. During his three seasons, Cornell compiled a record of 22-2, with 8-0 campaigns in 1921 and ’22. Kaw was the leading scorer in the East in 1921, including five of Cornell’s six touchdowns in a 41-0 victory over Penn. In addition to being a great ball carrier, he handled most of the punting chores and was solid on defense, as a single safety or at left halfback. Kaw was captain of the 1922 team. In addition to his exploits on the gridiron, Kaw was also an outstanding baseball player, earning varsity letters in 1921 and ’22. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1956.

Bob Lally
30805Cornell’s most outstanding linebacker since World War II, Lally was a three-time Coaches All-Ivy first team selection. In addition, he received Associated Press All-America honorable mention all three of his varsity seasons. He was named to the AP All-East first team as a junior and senior and was second team All-East as a sophomore. Following his junior year of play, Lally, who captained the ’73 team, was the only defensive undergraduate named to the All-Time All-Ivy football team selected for the years covering 1956-72. In 1982, he was named to the Ivy League Silver Anniversary first team. In his senior year, Lally was drafted by the Miami Dolphins of the NFL and by the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League. He played for Memphis and started at middle linebacker. He was elected captain of the Southmen and led the team in tackles before the league folded in 1975.

Pete Larson
30806An excellent halfback from 1964-66, he led the team in rushing as a senior and pass receiving as a sophomore. In three years he rushed for 1,751 yards on 354 carries; was 34 receptions for 430 yards receiving; and scored 22 touchdowns and one PAT for 134 points. He currently ranks fifth on Cornell’s all-time career rushing list. In 1966 he was the nation’s 10th-leading collegiate ground gainer with 979 yards. He led the Ivy League in rushing and scoring in ’66, setting league records in both categories, thus earning All-Ivy first team honors. In addition, he was an AP All-America honorable mention pick, and named to the AP All-East second team, ECAC All-Star first team, and the AP All-Ivy squad. As a junior he was an AP All-East and AP All-Ivy honorable mention selection. He played professionally with the Washington Redskins after graduation.

Mitch Lee
30807Lee was a two-time Associated Press Division I-AA All-America third-team selection (1988 and '89) and a two-time unanimous All-Ivy first team linebacker. He was an ECAC All-East first-team pick as a senior and ECAC All-East second team as a junior. The team MVP and a co-captain in 1989, Lee set the school record for most tackles in a season with 157 (108-49) in 1988, when Cornell went 7-2-1 overall and tied for the Ivy title with a 6-1 record. He graduated ranked second in career tackles at Cornell with 332. He was the team's freshman defensive player of the year in 1986. Lee was selected to play in the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic as a senior, but a leg stress fracture suffered during the '89 season prevented him from playing. He signed as a free agent with Pittsburgh Steelers, but was released from the squad in August 1990.

Mitch Lee's Career Statistics

Year GP Solo Assists Total Tackles TFL Sacks FF PBU INTs
1987 10 49 26 75 7.0 1.0 1 0 0-0
1988 10 108 49 157 10.0 1.0 2 6 0-0
1989 10 68 32 100 4.0 3.0 2 1 0-0
Career Totals 30 225 107 332 21.0 5.0 5 7 0-0

Chad Levitt
30701During his four-year career in a Big Red uniform, tailback Chad Levitt rushed for 4,657 yards, coming just 59 yards shy of breaking the all-time Cornell and Ivy League rushing records. A freak elbow injury in the ninth game of the '96 season kept him from shattering the mark. Levitt led the Ivy League in rushing, scoring and all-purpose running per game for three straight years.

During the 1996 season, he rushed for 1,435 yards on 267 carries for the second-best season ever at Cornell. The three-time All-Ivy first-team back was named ECAC Division I-AA Player of the Year, the Asa S. Bushnell Cup Player of the Year in the Ivy League, and The Football News named him Ivy League Player of the Year for the third consecutive time. He set a school and league career record for most rushing attempts 922), established a school-best mark for 100-yard rushing games in a career (24) and broke the school's all-purpose running standard with 5,036 yards. He ranks second on the all-time scoring list with 292 points.

The 6-2, 240-pounder was a two-time ECAC first-team selection and was named to the Associated Press Division I-AA All-America second team following his senior year. He was invited to play in the East-West Shrine and the Blue-Gray all-star games.

A graduate of Cheltenham High School and a Melrose Park, Pa., native, Levitt was a fourth-round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in the 1997 NFL Draft and started two games as a rookie. He also appeared on rosters for the St. Louis Rams and the Chicago Bears.

Chad Levitt's Career Statistics

Year GP Rushes Yards Avg. TDs
1993 9 88 475 5.4 6
1994 10 275 1,319 4.8 12
1995 10 292 1,428 4.9 13
1996 9 267 1,435 5.4 13
Career Totals 38 922 4,657 5.1 44

Ed Marinaro
27652In his three seasons as Cornell's tailback (1969-70-71), Ed Marinaro set rushing and scoring records wholesale and won every major honor with the exception of the Heisman Trophy, for which he placed a close second to quarterback Pat Sullivan of Auburn University.

In the 24th game of his 27-game career, against Columbia at Ithaca, he broke Steve Owens' all-time NCAA career rushing record of 3,867 yards, set in 1969, by gaining 272 yards for a total of 4,132-the first player to go over the 4,000 mark in three seasons. He finished up with 4,715.

During his three years at Cornell, he set an NCAA season record of 1,881 yards and a season per-game average of 209.0. His career average of 174.6 is also an NCAA record.

Overall he established eight NCAA career records and tied another, six NCAA single-season records and three other NCAA records.

Marinaro won the national triple-crown in 1971-rushing, all-purpose running and scoring, each based on game-average. All-purpose running includes pass receiving and kick returns. He averaged 214.7 yards with 51 on pass receptions.

He still holds a number of Ivy League records, including career and season rushing yardage (3,391 and 1,375), carries (707 and 275), touchdowns (36 and 16) and points scored (224 and 100). He was inducted into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

Marinaro played professionally for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks before beginning an acting career that saw him, most notably, play Officer Joe Coffey on "Hill Street Blues" and Sonny St. Jacques on "Laverne & Shirley." He has also been seen on "Dynasty," "The Twilight Zone," "Touched By An Angel," "Third Watch," "Eight Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter," "Monk" and "Blue Mountain State" among others..

Ed Marinaro's Career Statistics

Year GP Rushes Yards Avg. TDs PATs Rec. Rec. Yards TDs Points
1969 9 277 1,409 5.1 14 0 6 52 0 84
1970 9 285 1,425 5.0 12 1 11 129 2 86
1971 9 356 1,881 5.3 24 2 6 51 0 148
Career Totals 38 918 4,715 5.1 50 3 23 232 2 318

Jeff Mathews
23646Mathews ended his storied Cornell career as the most prolific quarterback in Ivy League history. He was named to the College Sports Journal FCS All-America team in 2013 after capturing second-team accolades in 2011 from Beyond Sports College Network. He ranked among the top 20 all-time in career passing yards in the FCS and set the Ivy League's all-time passing record by more than 2,000 yards.

Mathews ended his career with 47 Big Red school records and 18 Ivy League marks for passing and total offense. The three-time All-Ivy selection was a Capital One Academic All-District first-team selection as a senior and a two-time finalist for the Bushnell Cup for the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, winning in 2011. The program's first-ever three-year team captain was named one of 16 finalists for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy that recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation in 2013.

After his senior season, Mathews became the fifth Cornellian to accept an invite to the East-West Shrine game, serving as a team captain for the East team. He has also accepted an invitation to the Draft Combine in preparation for the NFL Draft. He spent time in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals. Mathews was named the 2010 Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Jeff Mathews' Career Statistics

Year GP A-C-I Pct. Yards TDs Long Avg. Rush TDs Total Offense 300-Yd Games
2010 10 314-172-7 .548 1,723 7 37 172.3 2 1,514 0
2011 10 368-250-11 .679 3,412 25 87 341.2 1 3,274 6
2012 9 405-251-11 .620 3,196 18 76 355.1 2 3,046 7
2013 9 360-228-13 .633 2,953 22 81 328.1 4 2,935 5
Career Totals 38 1447-901-42 .623 11,284 72 87 296.9 9 10,769 18

Tom McHale
30702Tom McHale parlayed his love of football into a longtime NFL career. After excelling as one of the finest defensive linemen in Big Red history, he was called upon to play several positions in the pros, even settling in as a starting offensive guard during his seven-year NFL career.

The 6-4, 260-pound defensive end was named to the Kodak Division I-AA All-America team by the American Football Coaches Association in 1986 to join his awards as an Associated Press Division I-AA first-team and All-Ivy first-team selection. He was the runner-up for Ivy League Player of the Year after setting Cornell records for season (12) and career quarterback sacks (14). He was chosen to play for the East team in the East-West Shrine Game.

McHale transferred to Cornell from Maryland, where he was a starting defensive tackle and played on two bowl teams. In 1987 he signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and moved to the offensive line, eventually playing seven seasons in the NFL at guard for the Bucs, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins. After retirement, McHale served as president of the Tampa chapter of the NFL Players Association's Retired Players division. He also put his degree in hotel administration to good use, opening several restaurants in the Tampa area. McHale passed away on May 25, 2008.

Tom McHale's Career Statistics

Year GP Solo Assists Total Tackles Sacks
1985 3 10 3 13 2.5
1986 10 46 28 74 13.5
Career Totals 13 56 31 87 16.0

John O'Hearn
30816O'Hearn was a rugged end with uncanny pass-catching talents on the 1914 football team, considered one of the most potent Cornell team’s of the Pioneer Era. He was captain of the team in 1914 and was named an All-American by Walter Camp that season after playing a major role in an 8-2 campaign that included a valiant come-from-behind victory over highly regarded Michigan. The ’14 team outscored its opponents 257-54. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1972.

Seth Payne
30678From scrawny freshman to three-time All-Ivy selection, defensive end Seth Payne '96 remains the school's career leader in sacks with 19 and has gone on to make a name for himself with the NFL's Houston Texans.

As a member of the Big Red, Payne was named first-team All-Ivy as a senior after leading the team with a career-best nine sacks and ranking among the top five on the team in tackles with 84. During his career he earned the defense's Big Play Award, Most Improved Player, the Sid Roth Award twice (designated for the team's most valuable down lineman), and the Red Helmet Award for the outstanding varsity player on defense. The four-year letter winner capped off his career by being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft.

After five productive seasons with the Jaguars, including 51 starts, Payne was selected by the Texans in the league's expansion draft and made an immediate impact. He started all 16 games in 2002, leading the Texans defensive line with 147 tackles to rank third on the team. His only sack of the season was a safety late in the fourth quarter that led Houston to its first win in franchise history, a triumph over the storied Dallas Cowboys.

Payne was voted by teammates as the recipient of NFL Player's Association 2002 Unsung Hero Award, and was selected to USA Today's 11th annual "All-Joe Team" as one of the most underrated players in the NFL who makes a difference with their work ethic and demeanor. He opened earned the team's Ed Block Courage Award in 2004 and is coming off a career-high four sack, 98-tackle season in 2005.

The 6-4, 303-pounder has made a home for himself in Houston, where he is well known for his work with many charitable organizations, including Teach For America and both the Children's and Shriner's hospitals. He retired after the 2006-07 season.

Seth Payne's Career Statistics

Year GP Tackles Assists Total For Loss Sacks
1993 4 2 6 8 1.0-2 0-0
1994 10 25 22 47 5.0-9 6.0-32
1995 10 25 18 43 6.0-12 4.0-9
1996 10 55 29 84 26.0-107 9.0-49
Career Totals 34 107 75 182 38.0-130 19.0-90

George Pfann
30818Pfann is ranked with the greatest collegiate quarterbacks of all time. He was the field general for Coach Gil Dobie's undefeated, national championship teams of 1921, 1922 and 1923, all with 8-0 records. A triple-threat, Pfann had the qualities of both a quarterback and a fullback. He also excelled as a kicker and on defense. He captained the team in 1923 and was named an All-American by Walter Camp. Pfann also won a varsity letter in lacrosse and was on the basketball team for three seasons. His scholastic achievements were no less outstanding. Following graduation with honors from the College of Arts and Sciences, he attended Cornell Law School for two years and then completed his study in law, as a Rhodes Scholar, at Brasenose College of Oxford University, where he starred as a rugby player in 1926 and 1927. During World War II, Pfann served in the European Theatre through the worst of the fighting as Secretary to the General Staff of the United States Seventh and Third Armies under General George Patton. He was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 1957.

Ricky Rahne
30704One of the great quarterbacks in the history of the Ivy League, Ricky Rahne holds nearly every career passing record for the Big Red.

Rahne finished his career as a three-year starter and three-time team MVP. He remains the all-time leader in completions (678), yards (7,710), touchdown passes (54) and 200-yard games (25). He took over the top spot in total offense with 7,994 yards (7,710 passing, 284 rushing) and finished his career ranked as the Ivy League's third all-time career passing leader.

Rahne also garnered awards, being named honorable mention All-America by Don Hansen's Football Gazette in 2000 as well as honorable mention All-Ivy as a sophomore and junior. He also had a penchant for unbelievable comebacks, helping the 2000 team to the nickname "The Comeback Kids."

After working as an intern in the National Football League and at Cintas Corporation, Rahne joined the coaching ranks, spending the 2004 season as an assistant at Holy Cross and 2005 at his alma mater. He has also coached at Kansas State, Vanderbilt and Penn State.

Ricky Rahne' Career Statistics

Year GP A-C-I Pct. Yards TDs Long Avg. Rush TDs Total Offense 300-Yd Games
1998 1 4-2-0 .500 20 0 12 20.0 0 7 0
1999 10 388-225-13 .580 2,762 25 53 276.2 0 2,696 3
2000 10 479-252-13 .526 2,944 18 57 294.4 3 3,036 4
2001 9 355-199-5 .561 1,984 11 69 220.4 2 2,255 1
Career Totals 30 1226-678-31 .553 7,710 54 69 257.0 5 7,994 8

Irvin "Bo" Roberson
30821Do You Know Bo?

You should ... a sensational three-sport star at Cornell (football, track and field and basketball), Irvin “Bo” Roberson ‘58 still holds the Cornell record for longest kickoff return (100 yards). The late Dick Schaap ‘55, a legendary Cornellian himself, said Roberson was the greatest natural athlete ever in the Ivy League.

He was outstanding as a football halfback, a pivotman in basketball and a sprinter, low hurdler and long jumper in track. Over his three-year football career, he rushed for 1,175 yards on 348 carries and scored nine touchdowns and caught 16 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown in football. He was an Associated Press All-Ivy honorable mention selection in 1955 and was named to the Coaches All-Ivy second team in 1956.

His specialties in track were the 60- and 100-yard dash, the 220-yard low hurdles and the long jump. He won five Heptagonal titles, winning two indoor Heps title in the long jump (1957 and '58) and one in the 60-yard dash (1958), and outdoor Heps championships in the long jump (1958) and the 100-yard dash (1956). He was voted the recipient of the Outstanding Performer of the Meet Award following his performance at the 1957 indoor Heptagonal championships. In February 1960, he broke Jesse Owens' 25-year-old world indoor record in the long jump when he leaped 25-9 ½ at the National AAU Track and Field Championships. He won the long jump at the 1959 Pan-American Games. He won the silver medal in the long jump at the 1960 Olympic Games, finishing in second with a jump of 26-7 3/8.

Roberson won a varsity letter as a member of the basketball team in 1955-56, when he was the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 14.9 ppg. in 24 games. He led the team in rebounding, placing 15th nationally among percentage leaders with a mark of .567. He scored 20 or more points in six of the 24 games during the 1956 season. His game-high for the year was 37 points vs. Penn at The Palestra. He was an honorable All-Ivy selection.

Roberson was named The Cornell Daily Sun Athlete of the Year for 1957-58. He played pro football for six years, with San Diego in 1961, Oakland from 1962-65, Buffalo in '65 and Miami in '66. He was the Oakland Raiders' most valuable player in 1962 and led the league in kickoff returns in 1964. He was the leading scorer for the Buffalo Bills AFL championship team in 1965.

Murray Shelton
30822Shelton was an All-America end in football who teamed with quarterback Charles Barrett '16 as a highly successful passing combination on the 1915 national championship team that went 9-0. He was a two-way performer with speed, great tackling ability and a knack for making the big play. The most decisive feat of his football career was in 1915 when he recovered a fumble on Harvard's 25-yard line that resulted in Cornell's only touchdown en route to a 10-0 shutout, for the Crimson's first defeat in four years. An all-around athlete, he also participated in basketball as a sophomore and junior and rowed with the crew as a freshman. He was elected to the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1973.

Joe Splendorio
30823Splendorio was voted to Cornell’s All-Time Football Team by the Cornell Football Association in 2003. A three-time All-Ivy selection, he was named to the first team in 1999, second team in 1998 and honorable mention in 2000. He is the current Cornell record holder for most receiving yard in a game (204 yards on 11 catches at Brown in 1999, the first Cornellian to post a 200-yard receiving game) and for most career touchdown passes caught (20). Splendorio posted 2,337 receiving yards, currently second all-time at Cornell. He also had nine 100-yard games, which is second to Eric Krawczyk’s record of 10. Splendorio graduated with a record of 165 receptions, which is currently third all-time. As a junior, he was the co-recipient of the Pop Warner Player of the Year team award (shared with Ricky Rahne ‘02) and took home the Stone Travel “Big Play” and Victor Grohmann awards for academic and athletic proficiency after catching 65 passes for 944 yards and 10 touchdowns. Splendorio was a two-time recipient of the team's Offensive Red Helmet award (1998 and 2000). A team co-captain in 2000, he was a three-year letter winner. Splendorio had four career blocked kicks, including fourth quarter blocks against Harvard in consecutive years to help the Big Red top the Crimson.

Joe Splendorio's Career Statistics

Year GP Receptions Yards TDs Long Avg./Catch Rec./Gm
1997 8 8 86 1 24 10.8 1.0
1998 10 46 677 6 61 14.7 4.6
1999 9 65 944 10 49 14.5 7.2
2000 10 46 630 3 45 13.7 4.6
Career Totals 37 165 2,337 20 61 14.2 4.5

Frank "Sunny" Sundstrom
30824Sundstrom was an outstanding tackle on the Cornell football team from 1921 to 1923. He anchored the Big Red offensive line through three consecutive undefeated seasons, compiling an overall record of 24-0 and was declared national champion all three seasons. He was a first-team All-America selection by Walter Camp in 1923. Sundstrom also handled the place-kicking chores for the Big Red and led the East with 24 extra points in 1923. In addition to football, Sundstrom was a defenseman on the lacrosse at Cornell, earning his varsity letter in 1923, when the Big Red won the North Intercollegiate championship. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1978.

Luke Tasker
30825One of Cornell's all-time great receivers, Tasker was a third-team All-American according to the Beyond Sports network as a senior. He had a monster, record-breaking senior campaign, hauling in 75 passes for a school single-season record 1,207 yards and eight touchdowns. His yardage mark ranked sixth in Ivy history and he ranked among the national leaders in receptions per game (ninth, 7.5), receiving yards per game (fourth, 120.7) and all-purpose yardage per game (34th, 127.2). Tasker's totals led the Ancient Eight in both receptions and receiving yards per game. He ended his career with 2,482 receiving yards to rank second on Cornell's career list and 13th best all-time in Ivy history. Tasker had a pair of 200-yard games in his final season, including 10 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Princeton. He was even better against Monmouth, setting a Cornell single-game record with 280 receiving yards on 11 catches with one touchdown. He wa sa unanimous first-team All-Ivy pick in 2012 and went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League.

Luke Tasker's Career Statistics

Year GP Receptions Yards TDs Long Avg./Catch Rec./Gm All-Purpose Yds.
2010 10 39 448 1 37 11.5 3.9 704
2011 10 57 827 4 65 14.5 5.7 1,065
2012 10 75 1,207 8 54 16.1 7.5 1,272
Career Totals 40 171 2,482 13 65 14.5 4.3 3,041

JC Tretter
30826A converted tight end, Tretter was a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and a third-teamer by the Sports Network as a senior. He was responsible for protecting record-breaking quarterback Jeff Mathews' blind side at left tackle and allowed the Big Red to set new Cornell and Ivy passing records in his two seasons there. He was part of a line that allowed the passing game to pile up 3,748 yards, a mark that ranked third in the FCS in 2012. Tretter started each of his final 20 games at left tackle.

Tretter lettered his first two seasons as a tight end, even catching a touchdown pass as a sophomore at Columbia. Tretter had a lifelong dream fulfilled when he heard his name called from the podium at Radio City Music Hall as the 25th pick of the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers at the 2013 NFL Draft, taken with the 122nd overall selection.

Bryan Walters
30831One of the most underrated players in Ivy league history, Walters graduated with Ivy League records for career punt (972) and kick return (2,790) yards, and finished behind only Harvard's Clifton Dawson on the conference's all-purpose yardage list (5,795 yards) in a career. He graduated fourth on Cornell's career reception (144) and receiving yardage (2,032) charts as well. Despite all those accolades, he was just a second-team All-Ivy receiver and return specialist as a senior. Walters led the Ivy League and finished fifth nationally in all-purpose yards per game (171.6 ypg.), the second-best mark in a season at Cornell behind Marinaro's magical 1971 campaign that saw him finish as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. His talents were well recognized in the pro ranks, playing in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars after going undrafted. He earned a Super Bowl ring in 2014 with his hometown Seahawks.

Bryan Walters' Career Statistics

Year GP Receptions Receiving Yds. PR Yds. KR Yds. All-Purpose Yds. Yds./Game Touchdowns
2006 8 3 33 274 540 847 105.9 1
2007 10 48 592 345 765 1,702 170.2 5
2008 10 43 643 179 708 1,530 153.0 2
2009 10 50 764 174 777 1,716 171.6 6
Career Totals 38 144 2,032 972 2,790 5,795 152.5 14

Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner
30672Glenn Scobey (Pop) Warner was a colorful individual during his playing days at Cornell and then during an illustrious, uninterrupted 45-year coaching career.

Warner was born in Springville, N.Y., on April 5, 1871, only two days after the first college football game between Princeton and Rutgers. Not only was he one of Cornell's outstanding football players, but he also excelled in track and field, and was its heavyweight boxing champion in 1893.

Upon graduation from Cornell Law School in 1895, Warner began his coaching career at Georgia. He returned to his alma mater for the 1897-98 seasons, then went to Carlisle from 1899-1903. "Pop" came back to Ithaca for a second stint coaching the Big Red from 1904-06, before heading back to Carlisle, where he coached legendary Jim Thorpe.

After leaving Carlisle in 1914, Warner later coached at Pittsburgh (1915-23), Stanford (1924-32) and Temple (1933-38). At the age of 67, he returned to his permanent residence of Palo Alto, Calif., and served as an advisory coach at San Jose State from 1939-40.

After coaching 44 All-Americans and introducing so many of the football practices that we still use today, Warner returned to his oil and water paints, and to his work bench. His imaginative mind produced the screen pass, the rolling block, the naked reverse, series plays and the unbalanced line. He also introduced the numbering of players, huddle, wearing of headgear, spiral punt and the blocking dummy. Warner was the only coach ever to actually invent a system of offense. "Pop" died on Sept. 7, 1954, at age 83, 25 years after founding the Pop Warner Youth Football League, which is still a mainstay for nearly all young football players.

Thirty-nine years after his death, Warner passed the late Amos Alonzo Stagg and became the second winningest coach in major college football. In 1993, Warner was credited by the NCAA with six more victories, increasing his total to 319, with Stagg having 314. His overall 44-year coaching record was 319-106-29. On July 25, 1997, the U.S. Postal Service issued four stamps commemorating Warner, Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers, George Halas of the Chicago Bears and Paul "Bear" Bryant of the University of Alabama.

Bill Warner
30827Warner was the rock upon which Cornell built one of the best lines in the nation at the turn of the 20th century. He was hailed as a workhorse guard who rarely missed an assignment. He was a two-time first-team All-America selection, earning the honor in 1901 when Cornell went 11-1, and again in 1902. He was captain of the team as a junior and senior. Upon his graduation, he became the head coach at Cornell for the 1903 season, and his team opened with six straight shutouts and finished the campaign with a 6-3-1 record. He later coached at Colgate, North Carolina, Oregon, St. Louis University, and the Sherman Indian School at Riverside, Calif.

Gary Wood
30674In a game where quarterbacks beat teams with both their arms and legs, Gary Wood was a pioneer. Wood remains one of the great all-around players in Ivy League history more than 40 years after he last dressed for the Big Red.

A three-time AP All-Ivy first-team and two-time Coaches All-Ivy first-team pick, Wood was named to the AP's All-East squad as a senior. He set Ivy League records for career total offense (3,457 yards) and rushing (2,156 yards) as well as single-season total offense (1,612 yards in 1962) and rushing (813 yards in '62). He also held the record for total offense in a game (387 yards vs. Penn, 1962). An explosive player, Wood scored on plays of 40 yards or more six times in his three seasons, including an 89-yard kickoff return and an 80-yard run in 1963. He was named one of four "Most Spectacular Players" of the 1962 season and was named national "Back of the Week" by the AP and Sports Illustrated for his 1962 performance in a win over Princeton. He remains the only player in Ivy League history to rush for 2,000 yards and pass for 1,000 more. That doesn't even take into account his 1,326 yards on 50 returns (26.5 yard average).

After graduating from Cornell, Wood joined the New York Giants. Standing just 5-11 and weighing 185 pounds, many said he was too small to play quarterback in the NFL. Wood proved his naysayers wrong, playing five years with the Giants and another with the New Orleans Saints. He later played with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League.

Gary Wood's Career Statistics

Year GP A-C-I Pct. Yards TDs Rushes Yards Avg. TDs
1961 9 75-28-3 .373 456 6 94 449 4.8 3
1962 9 117-60-8 .513 890 8 173 889 5.1 9
1963 9 119-47-7 .395 545 4 166 818 4.9 6
Career Totals 38 311-135-18 .434 1,891 18 433 2,156 5.0 18

Clinton Wyckoff
30828He was the first player outside of the Big Four (Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Pennsylvania) to be named to the Caspar Whitney-Walter Camp All-America first team. An outstanding quarterback, he was considered one of the greatest performers ever to wear the Cornell colors. He was captain of the team in 1895. He also excelled in tennis and won the university championship as a freshman and sophomore. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1970.

Frank Wydo
30829A third-team Associated Press All-American at tackle in 1949, Wydo was named to the Cornell Football Association’s All-Time Team in 2003. He was a first-team All-East selection in 1949. Wydo was a third round selection in the 1947 NFL Draft when the Pittsburgh Steelers made him the 29th overall player picked. A second-team All-Pro pick in 1953, Wydo played for the Steelers from 1947-51 before moving on to compete for the Philadelphia Eagles (1952-57).

Chris Zingo
30830Zingo was a two-time Associated Press Division I-AA first-team All-America linebacker in football, earning the honor in 1992 and '93. He was a three-time All-Ivy selection, garnering unanimous first-team honors in 1992 and '93 and second team in 1991. He was named to the ECAC I-AA first team in 1993, after leading the ECAC in total tackles with 173.

Zingo set Cornell records for most tackles in a game (27 at Brown in 1991), in a season (179 in 1992) and in a career (512), and career sacks (18). He became the first Cornell player to have over 500 tackles in a career. He had double-digit tackles in every outing, and he had 20 or more tackles in a game 11 times, averaging 17.1 tackles per contest in 30 contests over his three years. He was co-recipient of the team's Pop Warner Most Valuable Player Award and served as co-captain as a senior.

Chris Zingo's Career Statistics

Year GP Solo Assists Total Tackles TFL Sacks FF PBU INTs
1991 10 112 48 160 14.0-45 6.0-29 2 4 1-0
1992 10 127 52 179 14.0-64 8.0-55 0 4 0-0
1993 10 106 67 173 6.0-6 4.0-4 1 2 0-0
Career Totals 30 345 167 512 34.0-115 18.0-88 3 10 1-0