 Portrait of Ames from Walter Camp's 1894 book,American Football | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1868-05-23)May 23, 1868 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 23, 1931(1931-12-23) (aged 63) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1886–1889 | Princeton |
| 1892 | Chicago Athletic Association |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1891–1892 | Northwestern |
| 1891–1892 | Purdue |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 19–5–5 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1891–1892) | |
| Awards | |
| ConsensusAll-American (1889) | |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1969 (profile) | |
Knowlton Lyman "Snake" Ames (May 27, 1868 – December 23, 1931) was anAmerican football player and coach. He played forPrinceton University from 1886 to 1889, and theChicago Athletic Association, in 1892. Playing for thePrinceton Tigers, Ames was selected to the1889 College Football All-America Team as afullback. In 1891 and 1892, he was the head football coach atPurdue University. He is also credited as the first head football coach atNorthwestern University.
At Princeton, Ames scored 730 points for theTigers from 1886 to 1889, including 62touchdowns. The achievement of scoring 730 points is an unofficial college football career record, although only records set since the NCAA began keeping records in 1937 are considered official. He was named to the first-everAll-America team in 1889.
After graduation, Ames became thehead coach for Purdue University, where he led theBoilermakers to a 12–0 record over two years.[1]
Ames was hired as the first ever coach of theNorthwestern Wildcats in 1891, and coached three[2] games before taking leave to become the coach at Purdue.[3] Northwestern credits Ames as the head coach for the 1891 and 1892 seasons with a total record of 7–5–5.[4]
Ames returned to playing football with theChicago Athletic Association in 1892. During an October 22 game inCleveland, Ames and fellow playerPudge Heffelfinger were observed by the manager of thePittsburgh Athletic Club. A week later thePittsburgh Press printed a rumor that the Pittsburgh Athletic Club was offering Heffelfinger and Ames $250 to play for the team on Saturday, November 12, against their rivals, theAllegheny Athletic Association. Meanwhile, another version of the story had Ames being offered only $100. However, the rumor either turned out to be false or Heffelfinger and Ames turned down Pittsburgh's offer.
During an 1892 Chicago game against the Brooklyn Crescents, the Crescents refused to take field unless Chicago'sSport Donnelly was barred from the Chicago lineup because of some alleged rough tactics he used while playing for theManhattan Athletic Club, in 1891. Chicago benched Donnelly, and his absence resulted in a tied game. Donnelly then became enraged and refused to rejoin the team in Chicago. Heffelfinger and Ames joined Donnelly in the walkout. Afterward Donnelly and Heffelfinger signed an agreement with the Allegheny Athletic Association, becoming the first known professional football players. Meanwhile, Ames had decided to forgo the game rather than risk his amateur status. He returned to coaching at Princeton.[5]
After retiring from football, Ames had a career in finance and publishing. He founded theChicago Journal of Commerce and served as its publisher until shortly before his death.[6] Ames also served as chairman of the board of the Booth Fisheries Company and had other business interests as well.[6]
In 1931, Ames committed suicide, shooting himself with a.38 caliberrevolver as he sat is his car. Ames was age 63 at the time of his death and had recently suffered business losses.[6][7]
Ames's father, Miner Thomas Ames, was aChicago coal magnate. Ames's son, Knowlton Lyman Ames Jr., also played for Princeton.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Purple(Independent)(1891) | |||||||||
| 1891 | Northwestern | 2–2–3 | |||||||
| Northwestern Purple(Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest)(1892) | |||||||||
| 1892 | Northwestern | 5–3–2 | 1–3 | 4th | |||||
| Northwestern: | 7–5–5 | 1–3 | |||||||
| Purdue Boilermakers(Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1891–1892) | |||||||||
| 1891 | Purdue | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1892 | Purdue | 8–0 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| Purdue: | 12–0 | 8–0 | |||||||
| Total: | 19–5–5 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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