another year of college football in 1919. | Russ Finsterwald |
| 5'9" | 165 lbs |
| HS: Athens | Athens, OH |
| Born: 8/12/1896 | Athens, OH |
| Season | Cl | Pos | G | GS | FG | FGA | % | FT | FTA | % | Fls | DQ | Pts | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917-18 | Jr | G | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
--- |
0 |
0 |
--- |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
| Career | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
--- |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
Russ Finsterwald was an excellent athlete, lettering in three sports at Syracuse. He was often called Bill Finsterwald while at Syracuse. He was on the basketball team for the 1918 season (though he never appeared in a game), lettered in football in the 1916 and 1917 seasons, and lettered in baseball in the 1918 and 1919 seasons. He transferred to Ohio University for his final year of collegiate athletics, where he played another year of college football in 1919.
Finsterwald spent time between 1918 and 1919 in the Army, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.
He played one year of professional football as a wingback with the NFL's Detroit Heralds in 1920.
| Seasons | Pos | G | Rush Att | Yards Rush | YPA | Rec. | Rec. Yards | TDs | Rush Yds/G | Pass Yds | Pass Att. | Pass Com. | % | TDs | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WB | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Finsterwald returned to his hometown of Athens, Ohio, to coach Ohio University's football and basketball teams. From 1920-1922, he led the football team to a 13-10-1 record, and from 1921-1922 he led the basketball team to an impressive 34-6 record. He was inducted into the Ohio University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Finsterwald passed away in 1962. His son Dow Finsterwald won the 1958 PGA Championship.
©RLYoung 2005, 2006, 2014