William Rhodes ( American football ) William Castle " Billy " Rhodes ( July 5 , 1869 – February 5 , 1914 ) was American football player and coach . Rhodes played tackle at Yale University from 1887 to 1890 and was selected for the 1890 College Football All - America Team . After playing for the Cleveland Athletic Club in 1891 , Rhodes return to his alma mater to served head coach for the Yale Bulldogs football team in 1893 and 1894 , compiling a record of 26 – 1 . Rhodes ' 1894 team won all 16 of its games and was later recognized as a national champion by a number of selectors . Football player at Yale . A native of Cleveland , Ohio , Rhodes went east to enroll at Yale University . At Yale , he played on the 1888 Yale football team that was coached by Walter Camp and included five players who were later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame : George Washington Woodruff , Amos Alonzo Stagg , Lee " Bum " McClung , Pudge Heffelfinger , and Pa Corbin . Rhodes was also elected captain of the 1889 Yale football team , but he declined to serve . He was then elected , and did serve as , captain of the 1890 team . As captain of the 1890 team , Rhodes led Yale to a 32 – 0 win over Princeton in front of 25 , 000 spectators in Brooklyn . Though he was a lineman , Rhodes played an important role as a rusher in the 1890 Princeton game . He set up Yale ' s first touchdown with a run that took the ball to within two feet of the goal line , had another run of 30 yards , scored a touchdown and returned a punt through the Princeton line for a gain of 25 yards . One newspaper described Rhodes ' reaction to the victory as follows : " The deep frown that has mantled the face of Capt William Castle Rhodes of the Yale foot - ball eleven since Saturday , gave way to a smile this afternoon . The smile became a genuine grin , as one by one the teeth of the Princeton Tiger were drawn , until by a score of 32 to 0 the formidable beast lay helpless and humiliated . " Rhodes had a reputation as an aggressive player . In the 1889 Yale – Princeton game , Rhodes was disqualified due to rough play early in the second half . Prior to the 1890 Harvard – Yale game , one newspaper noted that Harvard ' s tackle would have to " look out " for Rhodes and questioned whether he could withstand " the hard knocks and blows which Yale ' s captain has the reputation of giving . " Another newspaper focused on Rhodes ' ability to cover the entire field of play : " Rhodes is an experienced and exceedingly talented player . He handles his man well , knows where to put them and literally seems to cover the whole field himself . " Football coach at Yale . After graduating from Yale in 1891 , Rhodes returned to his home in Cleveland where he played football in the fall of 1891 . He returned to the East to serve as a referee at the November 11 , 1891 Yale - Amherst game . Though Yale scord 27 points , Rhodes concluded that Yale had a lot of work to do and agreed to serve as the team ' s coach for the remainder of the season . He became Yale ' s second head football coach , following the legendary Walter Camp . " The World " of New York described Rhodes ' return to Yale as follows : " W . C . Rhodes , captain of last year ' s Yale team , came to New Haven to - day , and will coach the eleven through Thanksgiving . He saw the Amherst game this afternoon as referee and expressed himself as far from satisfied with the team ' s showing . He may put on a canvas jacket , as he is in good condition , having played in Cleveland through October . " He continued as a coach of the Yale team through the 1901 season . Cleveland Athletic Club . In 1891 , Rhodes captained the football for the Cleveland Athletic Club . On October 31 , 1891 , Rhodes and Cleveland defeated the then - amateur Allegheny Athletic Association , 22 – 4 . A second game between the two clubs was played on November 21 , 1891 , however Rhodes did not make the trip to Pittsburgh to play the team . Later years and steamship " William Castle Rhodes " . Rhodes later went to work for a Cleveland bank at which his father , Robert Rhodes , was president . In 1901 , the " Cleveland Plain Dealer " reported that Robert Rhodes had acquired five steel steamers , two of which bore the names " Yale " and " William Castle Rhodes . " After 15 years of service on the Great Lakes , the steamer " William Castle Rhodes " was taken to New York in 1916 to serve the Atlantic Coast .