Glenn Scobey “Pop” Warner (1871-1954) had never even touched a football before stepping onto campus at Cornell in 1892. But then head coach Carl Johanson, who happened to meet Warner on a train to Ithaca, N.Y., convinced him to join the team, a small act that led to big changes to the sport.
 
Warner was an offensive lineman for the Big Red, but then got a taste of coaching when he served as player-coach. That led to a coaching career that lasted 44 years and saw Warner accumulate 319 wins and four national championships. He also came up with innovations that had major impact on the sport of college football, including the single and double wing formations (which led to the modern spread and shotgun formations), the three-point stance and body blocking technique, and plays like the trap run, bootleg, naked reverse, screen pass, the huddle, the spiral pass and spiral punt. He also worked to improve player safety, with improved shoulder and thigh pads.
 
For his role in shaping the game, and his impressive coaching career, Warner was inducted as a coach to the College Football Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1951.
 
Warner’s impact is still felt on the game today, not only on the field, but also off with the Pop Warner Little Scholars, an organization he founded in 1929 in Philadelphia to keep children out of trouble. The program currently has 325,000 participants ranging from ages 5-16 years and maintains the mission of balancing academics and athletics.

---

Throughout the 2019 season, the Ivy League will celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football (CFB150) with 150 consecutive days of original content illustrating the League’s storied tradition, modern success and continued impact on the game. Follow @IvyLeague or visit ivylg.co/Ivy150 for daily content updates through regional rivalry weekend on Saturday, Nov. 23.