| Auburn Tigers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Halfback |
| Career history | |
| College | Auburn (1894–1896) |
William M. Williams was a college football player and lawyer. He attended Auburn University, then known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama. [1] In 1915, John Heisman selected his 30 best Southern football players, and mentioned Williams second. [2]
The Auburn football team executed a "hidden ball trick" in the game against Vanderbilt, as Auburn seemed to run a revolving wedge. [3] Vanderbilt still won however, 9 to 6; the first time in the history of southern football that a field goal decided a game. [4] Williams recalled: [5]
I was playing left half for Auburn and Tichenor was quarterback. We were on Vandy's 15-yard line and had the ball in our possession. Tich passed the ball to me; I raised his jersey and hid the ball under it, at the same time dashing toward our right end, protected by several members of the Auburn team...Vandy thought I had the ball. Tich journeyed around his own left and went over the Vanderbilt's goal line. The first time the Vandy players knew Tich had the ball and had made a touchdown was when they saw him pulling the ball from under his jersey.
Quarterback Reynolds Tichenor described the nature of the play as follows: [4]
"The play was simply this. When the ball was snapped it went to a halfback. The play was closely massed and well screened. The halfback then thrust the ball under the back of my jersey. Then he would crash into the line. After the play I simply trotted away to a touchdown.