Michigan, Northwestern establish trophy game honoring Big Ten’s first Black player

Sam Cooper
·College football writer
·3 min read

A new rivalry trophy is coming to the Big Ten in the fall.

Michigan and Northwestern announced Thursday that they will begin playing for the George Jewett Trophy, creating the first rivalry game trophy named after an African-American player in FBS history. The trophy will be first awarded when Michigan hosts Northwestern on Oct. 23 in Ann Arbor.

Jewett was the first Black player in the history of the Big Ten. He played for both Michigan and Northwestern (becoming the first Black player to letter at both universities), suiting up for the Wolverines in 1890 and 1892 before finishing his medical degree at Northwestern and playing his final two seasons for the Wildcats.

At Michigan, Jewett played fullback, halfback and kicker while studying medicine. From there, he landed at Northwestern in 1893 to finish his studies and continue playing college football. Jewett went on to become a doctor in Chicago before he returned in 1899 to Ann Arbor, his hometown, and opened up a dry-cleaning business. Jewett died in 1908 at age 38.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said he hopes the George Jewett Trophy will become “a proud celebration of the importance of diversity on our teams, campuses and in our society.”

“This is a historic moment in major college football history,” Manuel said. “We are proud to partner with our peer institution, Northwestern, to recognize and honor an African-American pioneer in George Jewett. George achieved at a high level as an athlete and doctor. His hard work and effort led to success not only for himself, but for those who would follow a similar path after him. His excellence at two Big Ten institutions as a student, athlete and citizen is something we want our current student-athletes to aspire to during their collegiate experience.”

Added Northwestern interim AD Janna Blais: “This is a deserved and exciting acknowledgement of Dr. George Jewett, a landmark figure for both Northwestern and Michigan. Each time Wildcats and Wolverines student-athletes meet on the football field, it will be in celebration of a true pioneer. Every future meeting will stand as an opportunity to educate, communicate and inspire our communities in Dr. Jewett's memory.”

There are other college football games named for African-Americans, mainly at the FCS level with games played between HBCU institutions. For the Big Ten, the George Jewett Trophy is the 16th rivalry game trophy — but it’s one that carries a certain significance.

"Dr. George Jewett's academic, athletic, community and cultural accolades transcend time," said Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren. "We are proud that the University of Michigan and Northwestern University will honor Dr. Jewett's extraordinary humanity, courage, intelligence, success and legacy with the first rivalry game trophy featuring an African American football player in FBS and Big Ten history.

“Dr. Jewett's dedication and perseverance to achieve excellence in every area of his life are an inspiration to every man and woman and provide evidence that with hard work and passion there are no limitations to achieving your dreams. We must continue to work together to honor Dr. Jewett by eliminating racism and hate and creating equality in our society."

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