Miller Pontius
Pontius cropped from 1912 Michigan football team photograph
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 17, 1891 Circleville, Ohio |
| Died | November 5, 1960 (aged 69) New York City, New York |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1911–1913 | Michigan |
| Baseball | |
| 1913 | Michigan |
| Position(s) |
End, tackle (football) First baseman (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1914–1915 | Tennessee (assistant) |
| 1916 | Michigan (assistant) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| Football All-American, 1912 All-American, 1913 |
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Miller Hall Pontius (April 17, 1891 – November 5, 1960) was an All-American football tackle and end for the Michigan Wolverines from 1911 to 1913. He also played baseball with coach Branch Rickey and pitcher George Sisler while a student at the University of Michigan. He later served as an assistant football coach at Michigan and the University of Tennessee. He was the first paid assistant coach at the University of Tennessee. In later years, Pontius was an investment banker with a prominent Wall Street firm.
Pontius was born in Circleville, Ohio on April 17, 1891. He was the son of Judge George Pontius and Ora Pontius. He graduated from Circleville High School in 1908.
He played football at the University of Michigan for Fielding H. Yost from 1911 to 1913. Known as Miller "Brute" Pontius at Michigan, he played both end and tackle for the 1911 team.
Years later, Pontius was remembered as a "slashing tackle." Asked whether underclassmen should be permitted to play, he noted: "A boy must go through the mill of at least one varsity campaign to pick up all the subtle little moves and latent tricks that are a part of big league line play. During my days in Ann Arbor we did not play sophomores on the line if we could help it...Personally I usually could out-maneuver a huge sophomore even if he outweighed me by 50 pounds. There are all sorts of dodges and stunts that hoodwink a recruit tackle or guard."
Pontius was stricken by typhoid fever during the summer of 1912. After a period of convalescing at his home in Ohio, Pontius was sent "west to the mountains for his health." When he arrived in Ann Arbor in September, he was "not in condition to stand the grueling work of a football season." After a promising start by Pontius in 1911, his loss reportedly cost Coach Yost “much worry and sleep.”
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