313:
Simultaneously, spectators leapt to their feet gasping. Restricted by the rules, Yale's front line nervously held its position. After amassing twenty yards at full velocity, the "flyers" fused at mid-field, forming a massive human arrow. Just then, Trafford pitched the ball back to his speedy halfback, Charlie Brewer. At that moment, one group of players executed a quarter turn, focusing the entire wedge toward Yale's right flank. Now both sides of the flying wedge pierced ahead at breakneck speed, attacking Yale's front line with great momentum. Brewer scampered behind the punishing wall, while Yale's brave defenders threw themselves into its dreadful path.
285:
304:. Though the team had been working on the flying wedge formation since the pre-season, Deland was saving its unveiling for the Yale game. Against Yale in 1892, Harvard opened the second half with a kickoff, but in those days it was legal to tap the ball and then put it in play by running with it or handing or pitching to a teammate. Using this strategy, Harvard implemented their devastating new play. According to football historian
29:
234:, who later gained fame as a novelist, short story writer, and poet. Deland sold father's publishing company in 1886 to go into advertising, as well as opening a greeting card business. Margaret's writing career began by authoring verses for her husband's greeting cards. The Delands had no children, but opened their home to unwed mothers. Deland was raised Unitarian but later joined the
581:
281:. Deland's biggest innovation was the latest and greatest of the mass-momentum plays, the fabled "flying wedge." He theorized that the key to the sport was to catapult all one's strength at the enemy's weakest point. He worked with the Harvard team on a voluntary basis to perfect the flying wedge, a violent assault by several men on a single opponent.
292:
Walter Camp's confidante
Theodore S. Woolsey reported to Camp in July 1892 that Lorin Deland was adapting "military strategy to football" and "testing the practicability of these new plays." Yet, Woolsey questioned whether Harvard players could carry them out. He noted: "To work them out at all would
312:
Deland divided
Harvard's players into two groups of five men each at opposite sidelines. Before the ball was even in play team captain Bernie Trafford signaled the two groups. Each unit sprang forward, at first striding in unison, then sprinting obliquely toward the center of the field.
227:
company until 1877, when he co-founded the Park
Dramatic Club. During his acting career, Deland worked for his father’s publishing business, which he took over following his father’s death.
379:. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1911, but continued to work, forming the Wage-Earners Theater League that same year. Deland died on May 2, 1917, at age 62 at his apartment in Boston.
729:
570:
Theodore S. Woolsey, York Harbor, Maine letter to Walter Camp, New Haven, Connecticut, ca. 17 July 1892, Theodore S. Woolsey Folder, Walter Camp Papers, Yale
University Archives
722:
1086:
265:
as a hobby, saw similarities between the sport and war. He analyzed football as if it were a battlefield and devised plays based on his study of
715:
336:
took over on
October 21, 1895. Deland assisted Emmons, supervising the Crimson offense. On November 3, the day after the Crimson lost 12-4 to
1096:
1091:
453:
352:, the closest game the undefeated Quakers played all year. Deland was credited with improving the team’s performance and Captain
332:, with Brooks serving as the head coach. Brooks was unable to coach the team in 1895 and Harvard did not have a head coach until
187:" formation, which was unveiled in a 6–0 loss to Yale in the championship game of 1892. Later, Deland collaborated with former
1101:
1081:
1040:
1024:
944:
904:
872:
356:
secured Deland’s services for 1896. However, on April 4, 1896, Deland resigned as head coach, citing business pressure.
278:
359:
Deland and Yale coach Walter Camp collaborated in 1896 to write their comprehensive study of the sport, titled simply
269:
and military tactics. Once he was convinced he had plays that could be used on the field he presented them to
Captain
183:
team for three games in 1895, after having been a football "adviser" to the team beginning in 1892. He invented the "
1106:
888:
258:
235:
976:
419:
508:
340:, the coaching staff met and elected Deland as its new head coach. Deland led the team to a 4–0 win over the
345:
738:
180:
98:
87:
296:
Harvard's 1892 team had an undefeated 10-0 record heading into its end-of-year showdown with the
238:
224:
216:
856:
257:
Deland never played football or even attended a football game until 1891, when he attended the
188:
372:
1076:
1071:
545:
337:
409:, Number 415, August 1896 (edited by Deland), published by Oliver Ditson Co., Boston, 1896
8:
341:
246:
707:
896:
353:
266:
880:
824:
812:
800:
504:
329:
321:
262:
212:
864:
503:(Edward T. James, editor). Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1971: Vol. I, 454.
270:
391:, by Walter Camp and Lorin F. Deland. Published by Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1896
928:
816:
804:
760:
274:
242:
231:
220:
147:
277:, and some other members of the Harvard football team, who used them during the
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297:
1000:
912:
349:
325:
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134:
984:
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960:
848:
301:
192:
317:
Despite the effectiveness of the flying wedge, Yale won the game 6-0.
1016:
76:
284:
28:
293:
require a standard of team play which
Harvard is not usually up to.
219:
in 1872 and upset his family by rejecting an opportunity to attend
363:. The diagrammed plays in the book were drawn by Deland's wife.
208:
53:
621:"Backs to Spare: Football Candidates Are Plenty at Harvard".
737:
681:
Featherweight (April 5, 1896). "Coach Deland
Resigns".
179:(October 11, 1855 – May 2, 1917) was head coach of the
407:
The
Musical Record: A Journal of Music-Art-Literature
527:"Flying Wedge: Art of War as Applied to Foot Ball".
403:, Published by Harper & Brothers, New York, 1917
207:
Deland was born on
October 11, 1855, and grew up in
288:
Players demonstrate Deland's "flying wedge" in 1912
223:in order to become an actor. He performed for the
501:Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary
328:took over coaching duties following the death of
1063:
582:"An ode to the 'wedge' on the eve of its demise"
252:
723:
680:
540:
538:
461:The South End Historical Society Newsletter
730:
716:
535:
493:
480:
478:
401:At the Sign of the Dollar and Other Essays
397:, Published by Harper & Brothers, 1909
27:
485:"Lorin F. Deland of Football Fame Dead".
283:
1087:American theatre managers and producers
522:
520:
518:
516:
475:
1064:
579:
448:
446:
444:
442:
440:
371:From 1904 to 1907, Deland managed the
740:Harvard Crimson head football coaches
711:
573:
513:
261:in Springfield. Deland, who studied
160:
437:
245:. By 1892, Deland was working as a
13:
14:
1118:
420:"Football at Harvard and at Yale"
1097:Harvard Crimson football coaches
1092:Episcopalians from Massachusetts
412:"The Lawrence Strike: A Study",
689:
674:
659:
644:
629:
580:Hinton, Matt (April 16, 2010).
382:
156:
651:"Harvard Students Confident".
614:
599:
564:
550:The Brattleboro Daily Reformer
454:"Lorin Deland Renaissance Man"
300:, coached by football pioneer
1:
1102:People from South End, Boston
606:"Harvard Football Practice".
430:
366:
253:Football and the flying wedge
202:
1082:19th-century American actors
426:, November 1910, pp. 700-713
230:On May 12, 1880, he married
7:
560:– via Newspapers.com.
346:Boston Athletic Association
195:on the seminal book titled
70:Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
10:
1123:
666:"Bracing Harvard's Team".
747:
241:due to his admiration of
170:
141:
129:
125:
121:
113:
108:
104:
94:
83:
74:
60:
40:
35:
26:
1107:Sportspeople from Boston
552:. May 3, 1917. p. 5
249:with around 15 clients.
181:Harvard Crimson football
395:Imagination in Business
217:The English High School
16:American football coach
857:William Cameron Forbes
698:The Boston Daily Globe
683:The Boston Daily Globe
638:The Boston Daily Globe
623:The Boston Daily Globe
608:The Boston Daily Globe
529:The Boston Daily Globe
487:The Boston Daily Globe
348:, and a 17–14 loss to
315:
289:
189:Yale Bulldogs football
625:. September 15, 1895.
373:Castle Square Theatre
344:, a 0–0 tie with the
310:
287:
199:, published in 1896.
54:Boston, Massachusetts
700:. February 17, 1896.
670:. November 12, 1895.
531:. November 24, 1892.
424:The Atlantic Monthly
414:The Atlantic Monthly
215:. He graduated from
109:Head coaching record
36:Biographical details
655:. October 28, 1895.
640:. October 22, 1895.
636:"Emmons to Coach".
342:Michigan Wolverines
247:business consultant
177:Lorin Fuller Deland
23:
897:Edgar Wrightington
668:The New York Times
653:The New York Times
354:Edgar Wrightington
290:
267:Napoleon Bonaparte
21:
1059:
1058:
881:John Wells Farley
825:William A. Brooks
813:George A. Stewart
801:George A. Stewart
696:"Football Book".
546:"Lorin F. Deland"
330:George A. Stewart
322:William A. Brooks
320:In 1894, Deland,
263:military strategy
259:Harvard–Yale game
174:
173:
75:Coaching career (
1114:
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964:
956:
948:
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916:
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892:
884:
876:
868:
865:Benjamin Dibblee
860:
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836:
828:
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796:
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780:
772:
764:
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511:
499:Levenson, J. C.
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468:
458:
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271:Bernard Trafford
164:
162:
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67:
51:October 11, 1855
50:
48:
31:
24:
20:
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1117:
1116:
1115:
1113:
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1047:
1039:
1031:
1023:
1015:
1007:
999:
991:
983:
975:
967:
959:
951:
943:
935:
929:Wingate Rollins
927:
919:
911:
903:
895:
887:
879:
871:
863:
855:
847:
841:Lorin F. Deland
839:
831:
823:
817:Everett J. Lake
811:
805:George C. Adams
799:
791:
783:
775:
767:
761:Lucius Littauer
759:
751:
743:
739:
736:
706:
705:
695:
694:
690:
679:
675:
665:
664:
660:
650:
649:
645:
635:
634:
630:
620:
619:
615:
610:. July 8, 1894.
605:
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525:
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466:
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456:
452:
451:
438:
433:
385:
369:
275:Everett J. Lake
255:
243:Phillips Brooks
232:Margaret Deland
221:Harvard College
205:
166:
154:
150:
148:Margaret Deland
69:
65:
52:
46:
44:
22:Lorin F. Deland
17:
12:
11:
5:
1120:
1110:
1109:
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1045:
1037:
1029:
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1013:
1005:
997:
989:
981:
973:
965:
957:
953:Arnold Horween
949:
941:
933:
925:
921:Percy Haughton
917:
909:
901:
893:
885:
877:
869:
861:
853:
845:
837:
829:
821:
809:
797:
789:
785:Frank A. Mason
781:
773:
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757:
748:
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734:
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704:
703:
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628:
613:
598:
572:
563:
534:
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492:
489:. May 3, 1917.
474:
435:
434:
432:
429:
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306:Parke H. Davis
254:
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239:Trinity Church
204:
201:
172:
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143:
139:
138:
131:
130:Known for
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111:
110:
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96:
92:
91:
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72:
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68:(aged 61)
62:
58:
57:
42:
38:
37:
33:
32:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1119:
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1073:
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1069:
1067:
1050:
1049:Andrew Aurich
1046:
1042:
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1034:
1030:
1026:
1022:
1018:
1014:
1010:
1009:John Yovicsin
1006:
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993:Arthur Valpey
990:
986:
982:
978:
974:
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942:
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937:Pooch Donovan
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889:John Cranston
886:
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833:Robert Emmons
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591:September 25,
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541:
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467:September 25,
463:. Spring 2010
462:
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411:
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386:
380:
378:
377:Winthrop Ames
374:
364:
362:
357:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
335:
334:Robert Emmons
331:
327:
323:
318:
314:
309:
307:
303:
299:
298:Yale Bulldogs
294:
286:
282:
280:
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244:
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225:Boston Museum
222:
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132:
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107:
103:
100:
97:
93:
89:
86:
82:
79:unless noted)
78:
73:
63:
59:
55:
43:
39:
34:
30:
25:
19:
1032:
1001:Lloyd Jordan
913:Joshua Crane
840:
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752:
697:
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682:
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637:
631:
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616:
607:
601:
589:. Retrieved
586:Yahoo Sports
585:
575:
566:
554:. Retrieved
549:
528:
500:
495:
486:
465:. Retrieved
460:
423:
413:
406:
400:
394:
388:
383:Publications
370:
360:
358:
326:Robert Bacon
319:
316:
311:
295:
291:
256:
236:Episcopalian
229:
206:
196:
185:flying wedge
176:
175:
135:Flying wedge
66:(1917-05-02)
18:
1077:1917 deaths
1072:1855 births
1043:(2021–2023)
1027:(1994–2019)
1019:(1971–1993)
1011:(1957–1970)
1003:(1950–1956)
995:(1948–1949)
987:(1945–1947)
985:Dick Harlow
979:(1943–1944)
977:Henry Lamar
971:(1935–1942)
969:Dick Harlow
963:(1931–1934)
961:Eddie Casey
955:(1926–1930)
947:(1919–1925)
923:(1908–1916)
907:(1905–1906)
867:(1899–1900)
859:(1897–1898)
849:Bert Waters
807:(1890–1892)
795:(1887–1889)
771:(1882–1884)
755:(1873–1880)
556:January 20,
302:Walter Camp
279:1892 season
193:Walter Camp
137:" formation
90:(assistant)
64:May 2, 1917
1066:Categories
1041:Tim Murphy
1025:Tim Murphy
1017:Joe Restic
945:Bob Fisher
509:0674627342
431:References
416:, May 1912
367:Later life
203:Background
47:1855-10-11
905:Bill Reid
873:Bill Reid
338:Princeton
213:South End
84:1892–1895
1051:(2024– )
793:No coach
769:No coach
753:No coach
389:Football
361:Football
197:Football
1033:No team
777:No team
165:
153:
114:Overall
99:Harvard
88:Harvard
1035:(2020)
939:(1918)
931:(1917)
915:(1907)
899:(1904)
891:(1903)
883:(1902)
875:(1901)
851:(1896)
843:(1895)
835:(1895)
827:(1894)
819:(1893)
815:&
803:&
787:(1886)
779:(1885)
763:(1881)
507:
324:, and
209:Boston
191:coach
159:
142:Spouse
56:, U.S.
457:(PDF)
375:with
163:)
155:(
151:
117:1–1–1
593:2022
558:2020
505:ISBN
469:2022
350:Penn
161:1880
95:1895
61:Died
41:Born
211:'s
1068::
584:.
548:.
537:^
515:^
477:^
459:.
439:^
422:,
308::
273:,
157:m.
77:HC
731:e
724:t
717:v
685:.
595:.
471:.
133:"
49:)
45:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
