page_title: 1909 Michigan Wolverines football team
section_title: Letter winners
hierarchical_section_title: 1909 Michigan Wolverines football team / Players / Letter winners
caption_attribution_description: English: James K. Watkins cropped from 1907 University of Michigan football team
context_page_description: The 1909 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1909 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost in his ninth year at Michigan. The Wolverines compiled a record of 6–1, outscored opponents 116 to 34, and held six of seven opponents to six points or less.
  The team began its season with four consecutive victories, including close calls against Case and Marquette and dominating performances against Ohio State and Syracuse. The team's sole setback came in the fifth game, losing to Notre Dame for the first time in nine games between them. Following the game, a Detroit newspaper described Notre Dame's predominantly Irish-American lineup as a group of "Fighting Irishmen", giving birth to the team's nickname.
  The Wolverines then finished the season with impressive road victories over two of the best teams in the country. In Philadelphia, they defeated the 1908 national champion Penn Quakers, 12–6, breaking the Quakers' 23-game winning streak. In Minneapolis, they defeated the previously unbeaten 1909 Western Conference champions from Minnesota, 15–6.
context_section_description: On November 24, 1909, varsity "M" letters were awarded to 16 players, including every man who played in either the Pennsylvania or Minnesota game.  The recipients of varsity letters for 1909 were:
  Dave Allerdice, Indianapolis – started all 7 games at right halfback
  Albert Benbrook, Chicago – started all 7 games at left guard
  William M. Casey, Cedar Falls, Iowa – started last 5 games of the season at left tackle
  Fay G. Clark, San Bernardino, California – started 2 games (Notre Dame and Penn) at fullback; also appeared as a substitute at fullback against Ohio State, Marquette, and Syracuse
  Frederick Conklin, Ann Arbor, Michigan – started 2 games (Penn and Minnesota) at left end and 2 games (Marquette and Notre Dame) at right guard; also appeared as a substitute at right guard against Ohio State and Syracuse
  William P. Edmunds, Youngstown, Ohio – started 2 games (Case and Ohio State) at left tackle and 2 games (Penn and Minnesota) at right guard
  Charles C. "Doc" Freeney, Ida Grove, Iowa – started 1 game (Ohio State) at left halfback and 1 game (Minnesota) at fullback; also appeared as a substitute at left halfback against Syracuse
  Donald W. Greene – appeared as a substitute at left halfback against Syracuse and at fullback against Minnesota
  Joe Magidsohn, Elkton, Michigan – started the last 5 games at left halfback; also appeared as a substitute at left halfback in the first 2 games
  James Joy Miller, Detroit – started 4 games (Marquette, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Penn) at right end, 1 game (Minnesota) at quarterback
  Victor R. "Vic" Pattengill, Lansing, Michigan – 1 game (Minnesota) at right end; also appeared as a substitute at left end against Ohio State
  Leroy W. "Roy" Ranney, Greenville, Michigan – started 1 game at left end
  Andrew William Smith, Ann Arbor, Michigan – started 3 games (Case, Ohio State, Syracuse) at right guard, 2 games (Penn and Minnesota) at center
  William Wasmund, Detroit – started the first 6 games of the season at quarterback; ineligible to play against Minnesota
  James K. Watkins, Ann Arbor, Michigan – started the first 5 games of the season at center; also appeared as a substitute at right guard against Minnesota
  Stanfield Wells, Brewster, Michigan – started all 7 games at right tackle
caption: Center James K. Watkins became commissioner of the Detroit Police Department.
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