The Nebraska Steihmrollers

While "Cornhuskers" was the generally accepted moniker for the Nebraska football team after 1900, for a time another nickname was very popular. In 1911 the University of Nebraska hired one E.O. (Jumbo) Stiehm to be the new football coach, and the public was intrigued with the new coach and uses they could make of his name.

Stiehm was an intense and disciplined competitor, and serious about all aspects of his job. The newspapers had a field day using Stiehm's name, saying that things would be great once the team built up a good head of Stiehm, and dubbing the footballers, Nebraska's Stiehmrollers. Stiehm did not care for frivolous uses of his name. The story goes that he marched into the office of the NU Student Newspaper and demanded a retraction of a story, which said the players on the team would "go" because they would have a full head of Stiehm behind them.

Stiehm replaced the very successful Wm. (King) Cole (28 W-8 L, from 1907-10). Cole probably would have stayed at Nebraska, except that a new Missouri Valley Conference rule required that its members hire full-time, year-around football coaches. Cole had been paid $3,000 for his part-time position as head coach during the football season, and declined to accept a full-time position at the University.

Jumbo Stiehm was a native of Wisconsin, where he had been a stand-out multi-sport athlete, playing center on both the football and basketball teams at WU. In 1908, he had scored 28 points in a 43-4 Wisconsin basketball victory over the Cornhuskers.

Upon graduation from the University of Wisconsin, Stiehm entered the coaching profession. He was coaching at Ripon College in Wisconsin when he was tapped by the University of Nebraska to become N.U.' s first full-time coach, at $2,000/year.

Apparently the student body wielded some influence on the hiring of a football coach in those days. From the Lincoln Daily Star -- "The students are apt to be incensed if the board allows any consideration save cleanness of character and ability as a coach (to be factors in the selection)."

Stiehm immediately set out to change the face of Nebraska football. Although his nickname was Jumbo (from the size of his shoes rather than his 6'4" frame), he preferred smaller, lean and fast athletes for his team over the strong, brawny players that were generally preferred in that day. His Nebraska teams averaged a mere 160 pounds per man, and Stiehm's preferred style of play featured fake passes and hand-offs, precision timing and intricately choreographed plays (requiring players that also had brains).

Stiehm's intensity and attention to details paid off in his years at Nebraska. During his five years at NU, he won five Missouri Valley titles, played Fielding Yost's highly ranked Michigan team to a 6-6 tie in NU's very first Homecoming Game, beat Mighty Minnesota, as well as a strong Notre Dame team. In those five years the team "cruised" to a 35-2-3 record, winning 91.3 percent of their games (an NU record), scoring 1115 points to the opponents 165. NU was invited to compete in a post season Rose Bowl game, but the NU authorities nixed that invitation -- too expensive!

Stiem's success at NU can probably be traced to the presence of two All-Americans on his teams, who helped the team to a 34 game winning streak. Vic Hallagan of North Platte, played at tackle, as well as in the backfield, on offense and defense. He was Nebraska's first All American, a three-time All Conference Selection, Team Captain, and is a member of the NU Football Hall of Fame.

Berlin (Guy) Chamberlin, from Blue Springs played his first two years of college football at Nebraska Wesleyan University, before transferring to NU in 1913.

He was forced to play on the freshman team at NU for one season. In his remaining two years of eligibility, in 1914 and '15, he played like a man possessed, becoming one of Nebraska's all-time football greats.

In 1914 he earned All Conference as a back; in 1915 he was an All Conference end as well as earning All America honors at that position.

In 1914, Chamberlin helped Nebraska to an undefeated season (although the season was marred by a 6-6 tie with South Dakota in the second game of the season. Chamberlin was the star of the team and was named the outstanding player of the Missouri Valley Conference for 1914, as a running (all purpose) back.

In 1915, All American Vic Halligan was gone, but Chamberlin was joined by All Conference players, Earl (Mother) Abbot, Tim Corey, Dick Rutherford, and Paul Shields. Minnesota had severed its contract to play Nebraska (their Coach Williams was so angry at losing to the Cornhuskers), but they were replaced on the schedule by a very good Notre Dame team.

Notre Dame Assistant Coach Knute Rockne had heard of Chamberlin's football prowess, and had designed a defense that was geared to keep the All-Star in check.

It didn't work. Chamberlin was unstoppable. He ran for two touchdowns and passed for a third, enabling Stiehm's team to beat the Fighting Irish 20-19, their only loss that season.

Nebraska picked up considerable support for 1915 National Championship honors, and All American status for Chamberlin by season's end. Walter Eckersall wrote in a Chicago newspaper, "I'm sure the Missouri Valley region has never seen the equal of this year's Nebraska eleven ... of Chamberlin, he wrote, "An end isn't supposed to score much, yet in eight games he scored 16 touchdowns -- 96 points! ... Chamberlin alone scored 12 points more than the entire Yale team scored in nine games!"

By 1915, Coach Stiehm was earning $4,250 per year. He pointed out that he had just won conference championships in both football and basketball, and asked for a $750 raise.

The university authorities were shocked, pointing out that it would make his the highest faculty salary at NU. They flatly refused. Thereupon Stiehm tendered his resignation and accepted the head football coaching job at Indiana University, for $4,500.

In a statement to the Lincoln Star Stiehm said, "I would gladly have stayed had the University seen fit to meet the terms offered elsewhere".

Cy Sherman, of the Star, expressed his unhappiness,, saying," It was inevitable that the pussy-footers and mollycoddles would secretly rejoice over the success of Indiana University in acquiring the services of Jumbo Stiehm ... the board realizes they have blundered very seriously in letting Stiehm transfer ... to the Hoosier institution."

(Stiehm was successful at Indiana U, but he never achieved the success that he had at Nebraska).

(Note: After college Chamberlin taught for two years, 1916-17, at Lexington High School. From 1917-19 he served in the U.S. Army, during World War I.

As great as Chamberlin was as a college player, he made his greatest contribution to football as a player/coach in the early days of the National Football League. The legendary Jim Thorpe had lured Chamberlin into pro football in 1919, with the Canton Bulldogs. As a player for several teams, Chamberlin played in 160 games, over 11 years, losing only two. In his last six years in pro football, as a player/coach, Chamberlin had a record of 58-16-7, for a remarkable .759 winning percentage. He is a member of the NU Football Hall of Fame, as well as the NFL Hall of Fame, both as a player and as a coach.

After his football career ended, Chamberlin returned to Blue Springs as a farmer, stockman, and business man -- and as a successful football authority, banquet speaker, and broadcaster. He died in Lincoln in 1967 at the age of 73.)

Source: Nebraska Football Legacy, by Mike Babcock, Huskers.com, NFL Hall of Fame