Irwin Uteritz
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|
| Sport(s) | Football, baseball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
July 4, 1899 Oak Park, Illinois |
| Died | December 14, 1963 (aged 64) St. Louis, Missouri |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1921–1923 | Michigan |
| Baseball | |
| 1922–1923 | Michigan |
| Position(s) |
Quarterback (football) Second base, shortstop (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1924 | Northwestern (assistant) |
| 1935–1946 | California (backfield) |
| 1947–1948 | Washington University (backfield) |
| 1949–1952 | Washington University |
| Baseball | |
| 1933–1934 | Wisconsin |
| 1948 | Washington University |
| 1954–1963 | Washington University |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 18–18 (football) 162–66 (baseball; Wash U only) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| Football All-American, 1922 All-American, 1923 |
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Irwin Charles "Utz" Uteritz (July 4, 1899 – December 14, 1963) was an American athlete and coach. He played American football and baseball for the University of Michigan from 1921 to 1923. At 140 pounds, he was one of the lightest quarterbacks ever to start for a major college program. Despite his size, Michigan football coach Fielding H. Yost called him "the best field general I ever had." Uteritz led Michigan to back-to-back undefeated seasons and a national championship in 1923. He also played three years of baseball for Michigan at second base and shortstop, hit above .300 and was elected as captain of the 1923 baseball team. Uteritz later served as a football and baseball coach at Northwestern University (1924–1925), the University of Wisconsin (1925–1935), the University of California (1935–1947), and Washington University in St. Louis (1947–1963).
A native of Oak Park, Illinois, Uteritz was the quarterback for the Oak Park and River Forest High School football team coached by Glenn Thistlethwaite, who later became the head football coach at Northwestern. In 1920, Uteritz enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played quarterback from 1921 to 1923, leading the Wolverines to back-to-back undefeated football seasons in 1922 and 1923. Over the three years of his football career at Michigan, the Wolverines never lost a football game in which Uteritz played. Uteritz stood five feet seven inches and weighed only 140 pounds in 1922. He was "one of the lightest 'big time' quarterbacks in American football history when he played at Michigan from 1921 to 1923." Uteritz was known for his speed and his "heady" play as the Wolverines' field general. He was considered a "triple threat" player who had "about equal ability in kicking, forward passing and carrying the ball."
As a sophomore in 1921, Uteritz became Michigan's starting quarterback after Theodore Banks, who started the first four games at quarterback, was injured. Uteritz took over for the final three games of the year. His first game as a starter was a 3–0 win over Illinois in which Frank Steketee scored the only points on a field goal.
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