William Wurtenburg

William Wurtenburg
William Wurtenburg (1863–1957) was an American college football player and coach. Born to German parents and raised in western New York, Wurtenburg played for Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University. The 1887 Yale squad outscored their opponents 515–12, and the 1888 squad, which he quarterbacked, held all opponents scoreless; both teams were later recognized as national champions. Wurtenburg received his medical degree from Yale's Sheffield Scientific School in 1893. He coached football for a year at the United States Naval Academy and then for five years at Dartmouth College. In his first four years at Dartmouth, the teams had perfect records against both of their Triangular Football League opponents. Wurtenburg spent several years refereeing for Yale's football team, then had a practice as an ear, nose and throat specialist in New Haven, Connecticut, from 1904 until at least 1920. He is particularly remembered for a 35-yard run in a close game in 1887 against rival Harvard, a game that was described as "undoubtedly the finest ever played in America".