 University of Michigan photograph | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1885-03-30)March 30, 1885 Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | February 1, 1956(1956-02-01) (aged 70) |
| Playing career | |
| 1904–1907 | Michigan |
| Position(s) | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1908 | North Dakota State |
| 1909 | Michigan (assistant) |
| 1910 | George Washington |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 4–5–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
Paul Parker "Maggie" Magoffin (March 30, 1883 – February 1, 1956)[1] was anAmerican football player. He playedleft halfback forFielding H. Yost'sUniversity of MichiganWolverines football teams of 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1907, and was captain of the1907 team. He later served as a football coach atNorth Dakota State University andGeorge Washington University.
Magoffin first played football on aKansas high school team.[2] He later ran track and played two years of football for Central High School inWashington, D.C.[2][3] He later attended the Academy at Marietta and played one year for of football forMarietta College inMarietta, Ohio.[2] At Marietta, Magoffin played forWilliam C. "King" Cole, who had previously been a star player forFielding H. Yost at theUniversity of Michigan.[4]
In 1904, Magoffin transferred to theUniversity of Michigan, began playing on the freshman team, but played in several games for the varsity team, though he was not awarded avarsity letter for the 1904 season.[4] He became a starter at left halfback for the1905 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 12–1 record and outscored its opponents by a combined total of 495 to 2.[5] He continued as a starter at left halfback on the1906[6] and1907 Michigan teams.[7] TheMichigan Alumnus in January 1907 described Magoffin's contributions as follows:
"Magoffin has shown himself to be a remarkably fast and untiring player on both offense and defense, although slow in rounding into physical shape, owing to his later return to the University. He did his greatest work in the Pennsylvania contest, fighting gamely and stubbornly to the end. His repeated fierce tackling of Hollenbeck for losses was one of the redeeming features of that game for the Michigan spectators."[2]
On November 3, 1907, Magoffin became the first player to catch aforward pass for atouchdown in aMichigan – Ohio State game, a 25-yard pass from quarterbackBilly Wasmund.[8] Magoffin scored five times during Michigan's 46–0 victory overOhio State in 1907.[9] The 1907 team captained by Magoffin won its first five games without allowing a point to be scored. The Wolverines lost the final game of the season toPenn by a score of 6–0, though Coach Yost complained loudly that Michigan had been robbed of touchdown in the game. They disputed play was a 35-yard touchdown pass to Magoffin that was disallowed by the referee. Yost said of the play, "In order to reach Magoffin, thirty-five yards ahead, the ball must have gone from Allerdice over the line of scrimmage at least fifteen yards to the left of where it was put in play. I know that, after having worked with that play for two years, and I was not taking any chances with it. Magoffin's touchdown was as legal as any play I ever saw on a football field."[10]
In July 1908, after graduating from the University of Michigan as part of the literary class of 1908, Magoffin was hired as the athletic director and head football coach for theNorth Dakota Agricultural College "Aggies,"[11][12] now known as theNorth Dakota State Bison.
In 1910, Magoffin was the football coach for theGeorge Washington University "Hatchetities" inWashington, D.C.[13] In September 1910,The Washington Post reported that Coach Magoffin led his George Washington football team in practice sessions on theWhite House Ellipse.[14]
Magoffin served as an official in college and high school football games for at least 32 years from 1912 to 1943.[3][15] In December 1914, he was married inPhiladelphia to Edith Jane Young.[3]
During World War I Magoffin commanded the 612th Aero Squadron of theUnited States Army Air Service, stationed at theWilbur Wright Air Service Depot inFairfield, Ohio.[16] After his death in 1956 he was buried atArlington National Cemetery.[17]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Agricultural Aggies(Independent)(1908) | |||||||||
| 1908 | North Dakota Agricultural | 2–3 | |||||||
| North Dakota Agricultural: | 2–3 | ||||||||
| George Washington Hatchetites(Independent)(1910) | |||||||||
| 1910 | George Washington | 2–2–2 | |||||||
| George Washington: | 2–2–2 | ||||||||
| Total: | 4–5–2 | ||||||||