William Coleman 1891 Kansas State University gold football pendant

William Coleman served as a player and the first coach for Kansas State University (later renamed University of Kansas) in their first season of 1890.  They played just 3 games this season going 1-2.  The game against Baker College marked the first college football game played in Kansas.  

The 1891 season was considered KSU’s first official season affiliated with the university.  While Yale was dominating the East, Kansas was proving to be the best team in the Midwest.  They played their first game and had victory over the University of Missouri which would later become a longstanding rivalry.  This year they went undefeated going 7-0-1.  This pendant commemorates their perfect season and is engraved to William Coleman on the back.

Coleman would continue to play for Kansas through the 1894 season starting all 5 years at center.  They were known to run the Flying V with Coleman in the middle.  He would lead the blocking for the ball carrier and took on the brunt of the punishment from the defenders.  The formation proved to be very dangerous and was later outlawed in football. 

After football Coleman spent his life in Kansas and was the superintendent for Haskell Indian University.