Big-time Football at Harvard, 1905 The Diary of Coach Bill Reid

With the intent of providing a how-to manual for future coaches, Reid set down day by day an account of his activities on and off the field. In so doing, he provides clear evidence of what many have suspected for a long time: that the unethical conduct so common in modern-day football has roots in the early history of the game and has not been limited to the so-called football factories. Reid offhandedly discusses such topics as spying on other teams, pressuring faculty members to give players passing grades, requiring that players cut classes to attend practice, and hiding injuries from players to keep them on the field.