1917 Alabama Crimson Tide football
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record5–2–1 (3–1–1 SIAA)
Head coach
CaptainJack Hovater
Home stadiumUniversity Field
Rickwood Field
Soldiers Field
Seasons
← 1916
1918 →
1917 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Georgia Tech $ 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
Auburn 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 1
Clemson 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Centre 1 – 0 – 0 7 – 1 – 0
Mississippi A&M 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 0
Alabama 3 – 1 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
Sewanee 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
Tulane 2 – 1 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Vanderbilt 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
LSU 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
South Carolina 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Wofford 1 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Furman 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Florida 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 4 – 0
Ole Miss 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 4 – 1
Howard (AL) 0 – 2 – 1 3 – 3 – 1
The Citadel 0 – 2 – 0 3 – 3 – 0
Mississippi College 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 5 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • There were several SIAA schools that did not field a team due to World War I.

The 1917 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1917 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 25th overall and 22nd season as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The team was led by head coach Thomas Kelley, in his third year, and played their home games at University Field in Tuscaloosa, at Rickwood Field in Birmingham and at Soldiers Field in Montgomery, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of five wins, two losses and one tie (5–2–1 overall, 3–1–1 in the SIAA).

Alabama's 1917 season opener against the "Second Ambulance Company of Ohio" at Soldiers Field in Montgomery was the only game the Crimson Tide ever played at that location. The 2nd, which was part of the 37th Division training in Montgomery, only got two first downs.

Alabama opened the season with four consecutive, shutout victories over the Second Ambulance Company, Marion Military Institute, Mississippi College and Ole Miss.[1] In those four games, Alabama outscored their opponents by a margin of 130 to 0.[2] After a tie against Sewanee and a loss to Vanderbilt at Rickwood Field, Alabama won their only road game at Kentucky.[2]

In the season finale, Camp Gordon, the second military opponent Alabama faced as the country mobilized for World War I, beat the Tide 19–6. Camp Gordon had several players with college experience, including Adrian Van de Graaff, formerly of Alabama.[3]

Joe Sewell, who went on to a Hall of Fame baseball career with the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees, lettered in football for Alabama in 1917, 1918 and 1919.[4]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 3Second Ambulance Company of Ohio*
W 7–0[5]
October 6Birmingham*
Canceled [6]
October 12Marion*
  • University Field
  • Tuscaloosa, AL
W 13–0[7]
October 20Mississippi College
  • University Field
  • Tuscaloosa, AL
W 46–0[8]
October 26Ole Miss
  • University Field
  • Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)
W 64–0[9]
November 3Sewanee
T 3–3[10]
November 10Vanderbilt
  • Rickwood Field
  • Birmingham, AL
L 2–7[11]
November 17at Kentucky
W 27–0[12]
November 29Camp Gordon*
  • Rickwood Field
  • Birmingham, AL
L 6–19[13]
  • *Non-conference game

[2]

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Player Hometown Position
Robert C. Brown Ensley, Alabama Back
Elmer Blair Birmingham, Alabama Back
Alfred M. Boone Samantha, Alabama End
James H. “Dink” Hagan Mobile, Alabama Quarterback
Walter E. Hovater Russellville, Alabama Back
Ralph Lee Jones Jones Mills, Alabama Guard
Mullie Lenoir Marlin, Texas Halfback
Joseph Allen Lowman Birmingham, Alabama End
John Phillip Noland Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Ike Rogers Vina, Alabama Tackle
Tram Sessions Birmingham, Alabama Center
Joe Sewell Titus, Alabama Halfback
Riggs Stephenson Akron, Alabama Fullback
Max Frederick Stowers Attalla, Alabama Quarterback
C. S. Whittlesley Opelika, Alabama Guard
Reference:[14]

Coaching staff

Name Position Seasons at
Alabama 		Alma Mater
Thomas Kelly Head coach 3
Reference:[15]

References

General

  • "1917 Season Recap" (PDF). RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 4, 2012. Retrieved February 29, 2012.

Specific

  1. ^ 1917 Season Recap
  2. ^ a b c "1917 Alabama football archive". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  3. ^ 1917 game recaps Archived 2012-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Entry at the Paul W. Bryant Museum Archived 2014-01-16 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Alabama wins from heavier Ohio team". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 4, 1917. Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Alabama cancels game". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 7, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Alabama scores two touchdowns on Marion Cadets". The Birmingham News. October 13, 1917. Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Alabama defeats Mississippians by large score". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 21, 1917. Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Ole Miss downed by Alabama by score of 64 to 0". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 27, 1917. Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Alabama and Sewanee tied". The Journal and Tribune. November 4, 1917. Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Gritty Commodores fight their way to victory". Nashville Banner. November 11, 1917. Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Alabama's 'Thin Red Line' too thick for Kentucky Wildcats". The Lexington Herald. November 18, 1917. Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Gordon steam rollers win over Thin Red Line". The Atlanta Constitution. November 30, 1917. Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "All-Time Tide Football Lettermen". 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office. 2011. pp. 127–141.
  15. ^ "All-Time Assistant Coaches". 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office. 2011. pp. 142–143.
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