Knox College Athletics

 The 1919 Knox College football team is the only Knox football team to go undefeated in the 118 year history of Knox College football. The 1919 team was coached by Justin McCarthy Barry and had 18 players and a manager, Walter Scharfenberg '21. Team captains were Bertram Bennett '20 and Dewey Imig '21. The 1919 season started out strong, as team members Adolph "Ziggy" Hamblin '20, Temple "Tink" Price '22, Walt Shafer '22, Freeman "Fatty" Campbell '21, and co-captain Imig returned to school after serving in the United States armed forces. They joined teammates Lane Bridgford '19, Tom Rogers '20, Les Pritchard '21, Frank Welch '22, D. Zenor "Zeke" Field '22, Stewart "Bud" Ross '21, Otis "Otie" Morrison '26, Claude Ludwick '23, Theodore Bergstrom '23, Richard "Doc" Dicus '23, Harlow Gaylord '23, and Glenn Wells '23.

To start the 1919 season, the "Purple and Gold" took on Carthage College, defeating them by a margin of 57-0. The following Saturday, Knox took on their toughest opponent, Cornell College. The game was scoreless until the last 10 minutes, when Bennett blocked a punt and Campbell fell on the ball for a touchdown -Knox 6, Cornell 0. Knox's Purple and Gold continued to blaze through the rest of their opponents, defeating Beloit College 30-0, Illinois College 54-0, and Augustana College 27-0. Knox's perfect season was stopped when Lake Forest College managed to score seven points in the 75-7 tromping they received from the Purple and Gold. Lake Forest was the only team to score against the team, as they went on to defeat Lombard 15-0 and arch rival Monmouth College 31-0 on Thanksgiving Day, 1919. In addition to being undefeated on the season, the Knox College 1919 football team was Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champion, scoring a total of 295 points to their opponents seven during the season.