The Detroit Junor College football teams (later known as the Detroit City College Tartars, the Wayne State Tartars, and finally the Wayne State Warriors) represented Detroit Junior College (renamed Detroit City College in 1923 and eventually Wayne State University) in American football from 1918 to 1922. The five seasons covered by this article represent the initial five years of the Wayne State football program. Highlights of the school's first five years of intercollegiate football included the following:
In 1918, David L. Holmes became the school's head coach. He held that position for eleven (11) years through the 1928 season.
The 1921 Detroit Junior College football team compiled the program's second undefeated season with a 6–0–2 record, including victories over Baldwin–Wallace (28–0), Michigan State Normal (3–0), and Toledo (13–0). They outscored opponents, 165 to 0.
The 1922 team failed to score a point for four consecutive games from October 14 to November 11.
Two of the victories, including the first in program history, were against Assumption College. The first game was played in Canada, at Windsor, Ontario. Fullback Wayne Brenkert scored three touchdowns in the first game against Assumption.[2] The team also defeated the University of Detroit (on Thanksgiving Day) and Michigan State Normal in the first meetings with each of those two schools. A game with Western State was initially scheduled but cancelled.
The team played its three home games at Goldberg Field, which was located at Ferry Avenue and Hastings Street in Detroit.[3] Wayne considers the 1918 team to be its first intercollegiate football team, though contemporary press accounts also reference a 1917 football team.[4]
The 1921 Detroit Junior College football team represented Detroit Junior College (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1921 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach David L. Holmes, the Detroit team compiled a 6–0–2 record, did not allow any of its opponents to score, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 165 to 0.[1]
On December 9, 1921, the student council held a banquet and dance in honor of the football team for having not allowed a point to be scored against them during the 1921 season.[30]
Hazen Dever was the team captain.[31] Other players included Cameron Cunningham, Jack Duncan, Newman Ertell, Norm Heym, Raymond Humphrey, Harold Grant Iler, Russell Lightbody, Thomas MacKay, and M. Cole Seager, and players with the surnames Allen, Becklein, Boyd, Breslin, Grant, Grove, Johnson, Monihan, Plauman, and Richards. Frank Olney was the manager.[32]
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