William Rhodes (American football)
Portrait of Rhodes from Walter Camp's 1894 book, American Football
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| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
July 5, 1869 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | February 5, 1914 (aged 44) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Playing career | |
| 1887–1890 | Yale |
| 1891 | Cleveland Athletic Club |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1893–1894 | Yale |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 26–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 National (1894) | |
| Awards | |
| All-American, 1890 | |
William Castle "Billy" Rhodes (July 5, 1869 – February 5, 1914) was American football player and coach. Rhodes played tackle at Yale University from 1887 to 1890 and was selected for the 1890 College Football All-America Team. After playing for the Cleveland Athletic Club in 1891, Rhodes return to his alma mater to served head coach for the Yale Bulldogs football team in 1893 and 1894, compiling a record of 26–1. Rhodes' 1894 team won all 16 of its games and was later recognized as a national champion by a number of selectors.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Rhodes went east to enroll at Yale University. At Yale, he played on the 1888 Yale football team that was coached by Walter Camp and included five players who were later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: George Washington Woodruff, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Lee "Bum" McClung, Pudge Heffelfinger, and Pa Corbin.
Rhodes was also elected captain of the 1889 Yale football team, but he declined to serve. He was then elected, and did serve as, captain of the 1890 team. As captain of the 1890 team, Rhodes led Yale to a 32–0 win over Princeton in front of 25,000 spectators in Brooklyn. Though he was a lineman, Rhodes played an important role as a rusher in the 1890 Princeton game. He set up Yale's first touchdown with a run that took the ball to within two feet of the goal line, had another run of 30 yards, scored a touchdown and returned a punt through the Princeton line for a gain of 25 yards. One newspaper described Rhodes' reaction to the victory as follows:
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