Quote:
Originally Posted by smotan_02
Jeff- what about the claims that the first pass was with Knute Rockne in 1913? I know it's a silly qualifier, but have heard that it was the Army-Notre Dame game. Only further explanation would be first "forward" pass.
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There were plenty of legal forward passes in football starting in 1906. However, the rules were such that it was a very risky proposition that was often considered a last resort. At that time, an incomplete pass was a turnover!
Rockne and Dorais helped to popularize the forward pass by making it a strategic weapon in 1913 and are often incorrectly credited with being the first to use it. They did practiced it all summer in 1913 while working together as lifeguards and then unleashed it on college football in the Fall.
jeff