William Caley William Henry " Big Bill " Caley ( July 1873 – January 15 , 1918 ) was an American football player , lawyer , and mine operator . He played college football for the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1893 to 1895 and for the University of Michigan from 1896 to 1898 . With runs of 75 and 80 yards in 1894 and 1895 , he set the all - time Colorado Buffaloes record for longest rushing play – a record that was not broken for nearly 40 years . He was also the second leading scorer on the undefeated 1898 Michigan Wolverines football team that won the university ' s first Western Conference ( now known as the Big Ten Conference ) football championship . He was selected as a first - team All - Western player by both Caspar Whitney and the " Chicago Daily Tribune " . After graduating from Michigan , he returned to Colorado where he practiced law and operated grocery and mining businesses . Early years . Caley was born in 1873 in Missouri . His parents , Franklin T . and Grace ( Ormiston ) Caley , moved to Colorado when Caley was an infant . His father operated a hotel and engaged in the mining , cattle , and butcher businesses at Alma , Colorado . In the 1890s , the family moved to a 1 , 600 - acre ranch near Littleton , Colorado , eventually operating a cheese factory that became one of the leading businesses in the Littleton area . University of Colorado . Caley studied as an undergraduate at the University of Colorado at Boulder . While attending Colorado , he played at the halfback position on the football team from 1893 to 1895 . He was the captain of the 1895 Colorado Buffaloes football team . As team captain , he led a group that recruited Fred Folsom to the University of Colorado as its football coach in 1895 . His 80 - yard run in a 28 - 0 victory over Denver on November 5 , 1895 , was a Colorado Buffaloes rushing record for nearly 40 years ; it remains one of the longest runs in the program ' s history . He had previously set the record with a 75 - yard run in a 67 - 0 victory over Colorado State on October 27 , 1894 . He was selected as the best all - round athlete at the University of Colorado ' s field day in 1895 . In 1904 , a writer in the " Denver Times " wrote that Caley was " probably the best football player ever turned out of the University of Colorado . " University of Michigan . Caley enrolled at the University of Michigan as a law student in 1896 . Caley received his Bachelor of Laws degree from Michigan in 1899 . Caley later recalled that he enrolled at Michigan to study law , not to play football . While watching the team practice one night , Michigan ' s football coach William Ward spotted Caley and asked him to put on a uniform and play . During the first practice session , Caley broke the leg of Michigan ' s captain . When he did not show up for practice the next day , Ward came looking for him . When Caley said he did not wish to play football , Ward insisted that the team needed him . Caley recalled his response to the coach as follows : " Well , I ' m paying you good money to come here and study law , and if you want me to play football you will have to pay me . I ' ll play the season out for $ 350 , and if we beat Chicago it will cost you $ 500 . " Ward laughed at the proposition , and Caley continued studying law . During a game against Purdue , Ward saw Caley watching the game from the stands and talked with him during halftime . Caley suited up and joined the team for the second half . Caley became a key player on the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1896 to 1898 . In 1897 , he helped lead the Wolverines to a 34 - 0 victory in the inaugural game of the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry . " The Michigan Daily " in October 1897 noted that Caley ' s work was " especially strong " and continued : " Caley opened holes of the biggest kind in the Ohio line and made interference that repeatedly enabled the backs to make long runs . " In 1898 , Caley was the second leading scorer on the undefeated Michigan football team that compiled a 10 – 0 record and won the university ' s first Western Conference ( now known as the Big Ten Conference ) football championship . Caley began the 1898 season as Michigan ' s starting left guard . On October 23 , 1898 , Caley scored three touchdowns in a 23 – 0 victory over Notre Dame . In the last two games of the season , he was moved to the fullback position and also handled punting duties . After a 22 – 0 victory over Beloit College , the " Chicago Daily Tribune " reported that Caley ' s strong punting ( 40 to 55 yards per attempt ) gained Michigan 15 to 20 yards on the exchange of punts and that his " punting was faultless , and his line bucking set the crowd wild . " The 1898 Western Conference championship was determined by a Thanksgiving Day game between Michigan and Chicago . " The Michigan Alumnus " praised Caley for his efforts against Chicago : " He took up the duties of his new [ fullback ] position in perfect style , and soon showed that he was fairly entitled to be called the best all - round football player on the ' Varsity this year . As a punter and line bucker , and in his work on the defensive too much credit cannot be given Caley . His work in the Chicago game , while not so spectacular as that of some others was what kept Chicago from gaining effectively through the line , and he stopped no less than twenty - two plays in that game by his presence at the weak spots . " The University of Michigan yearbook for 1899 included a poem titled " Mighty Bill " dedicated to Caley ' s efforts against Chicago . In part , the poem states : " King Somus called around last night < br > And quite a time we had , – < br > Talking ' bout the game in which < br > Bill Caley knocked ' em sad – < br > * * * < br > Chicago thought they had a cinch < br > In fact I think they did ; < br > Till Billiam took his good right foot < br > And kicked the little lid " At the end of the 1898 season Caspar Whitney ( the originator of the practice of naming All - American teams ) and the " Chicago Daily Tribune " both selected Caley as a first - team member of their All - Western teams . The " Chicago Daily Tribune " wrote : " Caley is another excellent guard , although Michigan used him at full back . He is probably a better guard than any of the other players in the position on Western teams . " Caley also competed for the University of Michigan ' s varsity track team in weights . He finished in second place in the discus throw at the Western Collegiate Athletic Meet held at Marshall Field in Chicago on June 4 , 1898 . He also won the shot put event at the ' Varsity Field Meet held at Regents Field on May 25 , 1898 . Later years . Caley returned to Colorado after receiving his law degree . At the time of the 1900 United States Census , he was living in the Cripple Creek District at Victor , Colorado , where he was employed as an attorney . He was at that time in a law partnership known as Binner & Caley . He also played on the Victor football team in 1900 . In 1902 , Caley was practicing law in Denver . That same year , he received a patent for an automatic safety device for passenger - carrying cars . By 1903 , Caley had moved to Littleton where he operated a grocery store at 305 West Main Street . From 1908 to 1909 , he served as Littleton ' s city attorney . He also served for a time as the Arapahoe County Attorney and practiced law in Littleton during the 1910s . He was married to Emaline J . Henes . Caley was also involved in football coaching . He was hired in 1903 as the football coach at Colorado Agricultural College ( now known as Colorado State University ) . Caley also owned interests in mines . He died in January 1918 at his mine in Los Cerillos , Santa Fe County , New Mexico , while showing the property to his wife .