Niagara Purple Eagles football
College football team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Niagara Purple Eagles football program were the intercollegiate American football team for Niagara University located in Lewiston, New York. The school's first football team was fielded in 1895. Niagara participated in football from 1895 to 1950, compiling an all-time record of 181–205–31.[2] The football program was discontinued at the conclusion of the 1950 season.[3]
| Niagara Purple Eagles football | |
|---|---|
| First season | 1895 |
| Last season | 1950 |
| Location | Lewiston, New York |
| NCAA division | University division |
| Conference | Independent |
| Colors | Purple and white[1] |
| All-time record | 181–205–31 (.471) |
| Conference championships | |
| 4 | |
| Rivalries | Canisius Golden Griffins St. Bonaventure Brown Indians |
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Dan DeSantis: Halfback, Philadelphia Eagles 1941
- Al Gutknecht: Guard, Brooklyn Dodgers 1943, Cleveland Rams 1944
- John Tosi: Offensive lineman, Pittsburgh Pirates 1939, Brooklyn Dodgers 1939, Philadelphia Eagles 1944
Year-by-year results
Championships
Conference championships
Conference affiliations:
- 1895–1925, Independent
- 1926–49, Western New York Little Three Conference
- 1950, Independent
| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Western New York Little Three Conference | Pete Dwyer | 4–3–1 | 2–0–0 |
| 1932 | Western New York Little Three Conference | Shel Hecker | 5–3–0 | 2–0–0 |
| 1938 | Western New York Little Three Conference | Joe Bach | 7–2–0 | 2–0–0 |
| 1940 | Western New York Little Three Conference | Joe Bach | 6–1–1 | 2–0–0 |
| Total conference championships | 4 | |||
