BOONE NATIVE WAS PROMINENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOOTBALL'S FORWARD PASS

     (Another small segment of a speech given by the Kornerman at the Boone County Historical Society, Oct. 14, 2023.)

     Where oh where would the game of football be WITHOUT the forward pass?

     In the first four decades of the sport, the play was simply illegal. When it finally was permitted, starting in 1906, it was designed to improve players safety. Without it, football, minus padding or protective equipment, was extremely violent. In fact, there were 18 football related fatalities in 1904 and another 19 in the following year. As a result, many universities dropped the sport.

     Critics predicted the legality of the forward pass would dilute the sport's rugged essence and drive fans away. However, it has had the opposite effect. Some have claimed the forward pass actually "saved" the game of football.

     Ever since its inception, the forward pass has become so popular, at all levels of competition, that, perhaps, its the most dominating factor of  most team's offense. Its not unusual to see 30, 40, 50, even 60 pass attempts in a game.

     NOW, LISTEN UP HERE. I, the Kornerman, is about ready to disclose some information you may not be aware of.

     A Boone native was an important factor in the development of the forward pass in football.

    Howard Paul Savage was born in Boone, January 3, 1884, and in 1904, entered the University of Wisconsin and became a member of the Badger football team. One of his teammates was Bradbury Robinson. But let me quote what Robinson wrote in his memoirs about their friendship.

     "He was known as "High Power" Savage. They were trying to develop me into a kicker and H.P. generally teamed up with me to catch my punts. I noticed that he could throw my punts back, almost as far as I could kick them. Here was the trick I must learn. I got H.P. to show me how he did it."

     Years later, when interviewed by the Sports Editor of the St. Louis Star-Times, Robinson added, "Savage threw the pigskin to his players with the ball revolving as it sailed through the air. From then on, my football hobby became forward passing or anyway, passing the ball."

     For the 1904 season, Robinson would transfer to St. Louis University and, as the quarterback for St. Louis U. in a game with Carroll College, his first pass attempt fell incomplete. But then, on his second try, the result was a 20-yard gain to Jack Schneider to break a scoreless tie with Carroll College. St. Louis won the game, 20-0. 

     So, Robinson, citing Boone native Howard Savage as his inspiration, became the first player to ever throw a legal forward pass in a college football game, in that 20-0 victory over Carroll College.

     Savage became a prominent business man and, in fact, was the National Commander of the American Legion in 1926-27. He appeared on the cover of the September 27, 1927 edition of Time Magazine and, for some time, the Howard P. Savage Trophy, was awarded to the winner of the American Legion World Series.

K-----K

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