:S. L. Mains

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1865–1934)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = S. L. Mains

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1865|3|31}}

| birth_place = Danville, Iowa, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1934|2|9|1865|3|31}}

| death_place = Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1894

| player_team1 = Doane

| coach_years1 = 1899–1900

| coach_team1 = Doane

| overall_record = 4–2

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Seward Lincoln "Suey" Mains Sr.{{ref|name|[n1]}} (March 31, 1865 – February 9, 1934) was an American college football player and coach.

Mains was born in Danville, Iowa, in 1865.{{Cite web | url=http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=171230&id=I512 |title = Individual Page}} He attended Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, where he played college football. He played in Doane's first college football game, earned a reputation as "a great general in the field", and missed only two games in the first five years of Doane football. He was also the captain of the Doane football team for two seasons.{{cite news|title=Crete Has a Strong Team: Football at Doane College Growing Steadily in Popularity|newspaper=Nebraska State Journal|date=November 11, 1894|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47173604/crete-has-a-strong-team-football-at/|via=Newspapers.com}} He scored a touchdown in Doane's 12–0 victory over the 1894 Nebraska football team. He graduated from Doane in 1895. He was also the school's champion in the shot put and hammer throw.{{cite news|title=Field Day at Doane College|newspaper=The Nebraska State Journal|date=May 6, 1891|page=1}}

Mains was the sixth head football coach at Doane, serving for two seasons, from 1899 to 1900, and compiling a record of 4–2.[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/naia/gpac/doane/coaching_records.php Doane College coaching records] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525204024/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/naia/gpac/doane/coaching_records.php |date=May 25, 2011 }}

In October 1893, Mains was married to Laura Patton of Ashland, Nebraska. At that time, he was employed in real estate in Crete.{{cite news|title=Married at Ashland|newspaper=Omaha Daily Bee|date=October 27, 1893|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47111868/married-at-ashland/|via=Newspapers.com}} He later operated a confectionery store in Crete, Nebraska, and was employed by the Bankers Life Insurance Company for more than 25 years. He died from a heart attack in 1934 at Lincoln, Nebraska.{{cite news|title=S. L. Mains of Crete Dies Here|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|date=February 10, 1934|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47052246/obituary-for-s-lu-mains-aged-60/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=S. L. Mains Rites Monday: Funeral for Insurance Man to Be Held at Crete|newspaper=The Nebraska State Journal|date=February 11, 1934|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47051952/obituary-for-s-l-mains-aged-69/|via=Newspapers.com}}