Arthur McFarland
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 7, 1874 Springfield, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | August 21, 1959 (aged 85) Martins Ferry, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1896–1897 | Wheeling Tigers |
| 1897–1898 | Greensburg Athletic Association |
| 1899 | Washington & Jefferson |
| 1900 | Greensburg Athletic Association |
| 1902 | Philadelphia Athletics |
| 1903 | Franklin Athletic Club |
| 1905 | Massillon Tigers |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1906–1908 | Ohio |
| Baseball | |
| 1907 | Ohio |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 13–10–1 (football) 10–2 (baseball) |
Arthur Lamont "Tiger" (or "Tige") McFarland (July 7, 1874 – August 21, 1959) was an early professional American football player who played with the Greensburg Athletic Association and later the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1902 version of the National Football League and for the 1903 US football champions, the Franklin Athletic Club. McFarland also won, with Franklin, the 1903 World Series of Football, held that December at Madison Square Garden. He played for the Massillon Tigers in 1905, when the team won the Ohio Independent Championship, effectively the world professional football championship.[1] Prior to his time with known professional teams, he developed his football skills with the Wheeling, West Virginia Tigers.[2][3]
In 1899, with his previous year's team of Greensburg on a one-year hiatus,[4] McFarland entered and played for Washington & Jefferson College.[5][6] Football authority Caspar Whitney called out W&J that year for fielding McFarland and other players with professional experience, writing in Harper's Weekly that "no self-respecting college should meet [W&J] on the gridiron".[7] McFarland rejoined Greensburg in 1900.[8]
From 1906 to 1908, McFarland was the head football coach at Ohio University, compiling a record of 13–10–1 record in three seasons. He died at hospital in Martins Ferry, Ohio in 1959.[9]
Head coaching record
[edit]Football
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Green and White (Independent) (1906–1908) | |||||||||
| 1906 | Ohio | 7–1 | |||||||
| 1907 | Ohio | 3–4–1 | |||||||
| 1908 | Ohio | 3–5 | |||||||
| Ohio: | 13–10–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 13–10–1 | ||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ Braunwart, Bob; Carroll, Bob (1896). "1905: Challenge from Canton" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. 8 (4). Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ "St. Clairsville". Neighborhood. Wheeling Sunday Register. October 4, 1896. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sport". The Wheeling Daily Register. October 29, 1898. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ VanAtta, Robert B. (1983). "The History of Professional Football at Greensburg, Pennsylvania (1894–1900)" (PDF). Fourth PFRA Annual. Professional Football Researchers Association. pp. 10, 14.
- ^ "On the Gridiron". The Pittsburg Press. September 17, 1899. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "McFarland's Good Fortune". The Wheeling Daily Register. December 27, 1899. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ PFRA Research. "Repeat Performance: The D.C. & A.C. Continues Winning: 1899" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ PFRA Research. "The Worst Season Ever: Pittsburgh Pro Teams Find Hard Times: 1900" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ "Former Gridiron Tutor at Ohio U Succumbs". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. Associated Press. August 22, 1959. p. 13. Retrieved September 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com
.
Additional sources
[edit]- Peterson, Robert W. (1997). Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511913-4.
- Smith, William R. (1981). "Franklin's World Champion Football Team" (PDF). Coffin Corner. 3 (Annual). Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010.
- 1874 births
- 1959 deaths
- 19th-century players of American football
- American football tackles
- Franklin Athletic Club players
- Greensburg Athletic Association players
- Latrobe Athletic Association players
- Ohio Bobcats baseball coaches
- Ohio Bobcats football coaches
- Philadelphia Athletics (NFL) players
- Washington & Jefferson Presidents football players
- West Virginia Mountaineers football players
- Players of American football from Springfield, Ohio
- Coaches of American football from Ohio