Ode to Pre-War Football Cardboard

[jefferyepayne]

The 1894 Mayo Football Set is the only football tobacco set that exists. It consists of players from Yale, Harvard, and Princeton and includes quite a few college stars from the early to mid 1890s.

Here are a few of my favorites.


Frank Hinkey is one of only a handful of players to be named a 4x All-American. Hinkey, who only weighted 145 pounds, was such a vicious tackler that Walter Camp dubbed him the "disembodied spirit" as he seemed to drift effortlessly through opposing blockers and deliver ferocious hits on ball carriers. Hinkey was a two time captain and led Yale to three College Championships in his four years of football.


Neilsen "Net" Poe was one of six Poe brothers who played football at Princeton in the 1880s - 1890s. Neilsen's grandfather, also named Neilsen, was Edgar Allan Poe's cousin.


Thomas "Doggie" Trenchard played football at Princeton and was an All-American in 1893. He was an early professional football player, playing for the Latrobe Athletic Association and Allegheny Athletic Association from 1895 - 1898. He coached football off and on for 20 years at colleges including North Carolina, West Virginia, and Washington & Lee.

jeff