Doc Fenton

{{Infobox college football player

| name = Doc Fenton

| image =gefenton.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date|1887|4|30}}

| birth_place = Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1968|2|8|mf=y|1887|4|30}}

| death_place = Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.

| currentposition = Quarterback/End

| highschool = Scranton (PA)

| pastschools =

St. Michael's (1904)
Mansfield Normal (1904–1906)
LSU (1907–1909)

| highlights =

| bowlgames =

Bacardi Bowl (1907)

| school = LSU Tigers

| height_ft=5

|height_in=9

| weight_lb = 165

| class = Graduate

| CFBHOF_id= 1230

| CFBHOF_year= 1971

}}

George Ellwood "Doc" Fenton (April 30, 1887 – February 8, 1968) was an American college football player. He was elected to the Louisiana State University Hall of Fame in 1937 and to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Early years

Fenton was born on April 30, 1887, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Robert Emmett Fenton and Catherine Farr. He was known as "Doc" because his father traveled as a singer with an old time Indian medicine show.{{cite web |url=http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=1621834 |title=From 'Eye of the Tiger': G.E. ?Doc? Fenton - LSUsports.net - the Official Web Site of LSU Tigers Athletics |website=www.lsusports.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191930/http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=1621834 |archive-date=2011-06-16}} Fenton was of French, Irish, and Welsh ancestry.

College

After leaving Scranton High School, Fenton began his college football career at St. Michael's College, in Canada, in 1904. At St. Michael's, he played rugby. Fenton later talked about his time at St. Michael's by stating "I got all the fundamentals playing rugby in Toronto. I learned how to kick on the run, and I learned how to operate in an open field." Fenton earned the reputation of doing everything well with a football.{{cite journal|url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv09/CFHSNv09n3b.pdf|title=The Blond Terror|author=Bob Royce|journal=College Football Historical Society|volume=9|number=3|date=May 1996|access-date=2016-04-27|archive-date=2016-09-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911232539/http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv09/CFHSNv09n3b.pdf|url-status=dead}}

=Mansfield=

He later played football at Mansfield State Normal School (now Mansfield University) in Pennsylvania from 1904 to 1906.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14976508/stargazette/|title=Ex-Mountie led LSU to first title|page=76|date=January 13, 2008|work=Star-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|author=Steve McCloskey|access-date=November 8, 2017}} {{Open access}} He started out as an end at Mansfield, but later became a star receiver in 1906, which was the first year of the legal forward pass. Mike Lally was his teammate at both Mansfield and LSU.{{cite web |url=http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1621833 |title=From 'The LSU Football Vault': The 1908 Season |access-date=2014-12-22 |archive-date=2015-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714084737/http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1621833 |url-status=dead }}

One account reads "In Lally and Fenton the University has a pair that can hardly be equaled. In the game Fenton showed that he has lost none of his ability to dodge, his swiftness as a runner, his power as a punter and kicker, and his cool hard work. ... The two work splendidly together."{{cite web|url=http://goldenrankings.com/lsu1908.htm|title=A Season in Time: LSU Tigers 1908}}

=LSU=

File:DocFenton.JPG

Fenton was heavily recruited by LSU and Mississippi A&M (now Mississippi State University). Fenton ultimately ended up signing with LSU for the 1907 season. Fenton was selected for LSU's All-Time football team in 1935.{{cite journal |url=http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16313coll13/id/218 |journal=Tulane University Football Program-The Greenie; L.S.U. Vs. Tulane |author=George Trevor |title=All-Time All-Star Team Louisiana State University |date=November 30, 1935 |access-date=December 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223103449/http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16313coll13/id/218 |archive-date=December 23, 2014 |url-status=dead }} He was nominated though not selected for an Associated Press All-Time Southeast 1869–1919 era team.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1242&dat=19690731&id=TkdTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YoYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2604,3160960|newspaper=Kingsport Post|title=U-T Greats On All-Time Southeast Team|date=July 31, 1969}}

One of Fenton's favorite plays was the "tackle over tackle" play. In this play, Fenton faked a handoff to a back, then gave the ball to a tackle and led the blocking behind the other tackle. "Doc was the hub," recalled tackle Marshall "Cap" Gandy, "and we were the spokes." Fenton was referred to as "the Blond Terror" by sportswriters of the time.{{Cite web|url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv09/CFHSNv09n3b.pdf|title=CONTENTdm|access-date=2016-04-27|archive-date=2016-09-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911232539/http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv09/CFHSNv09n3b.pdf|url-status=dead}}

==1907==

Fenton played at end during the 1907 season in which LSU played in the Bacardi Bowl.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4955784/lake_charles_americanpress/|work=Lake Charles American Press|date=January 18, 1967|page=31|title=Fenton and Flournoy in La. Hall of Fame|access-date=April 15, 2016|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

==1908==

He was shifted to quarterback early during the 1908 season. The team went 10–0 and was selected as national champion by the National Championship Foundation.

Fenton's 125 points (132 by modern rules) led the nation in scoring. He had a school record 36 extra points and 6 field goals.{{refn|group="n"|The six field goals were surpassed in 1965 by Doug Moreau.}} The National Football Foundation selected Fenton as a retroactive Heisman Trophy winner of 1908.{{Cite web |url=http://www.footballfoundation.org/Portals/7/nff/file_file/2009_footballetter_issue_3.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126011919/http://www.footballfoundation.org/Portals/7/nff/file_file/2009_footballetter_issue_3.pdf |archive-date=2013-01-26 |url-status=dead }} Fenton was selected All-Southern by Nash Buckingham in the Memphis Commercial Appeal.{{cite news |url=http://atlnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/atlnewspapers/view?docId=news/aga1909/aga1909-4620.xml&query=%22All%20southern%22%20football&query-prox=10&brand=atlnewspapers-brand |work=Atlanta Georgian |title=All SIAA Teams of Past Six Years |date=November 27, 1909 |access-date=December 22, 2014 |archive-date=December 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213010419/http://atlnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/atlnewspapers/view?docId=news%2Faga1909%2Faga1909-4620.xml&query=%22All |url-status=dead }}

In the 10–2 win over Auburn, Auburn scored a safety when Fenton was knocked unconscious by a spectator's cane as he tried to get out of the endzone.{{cite web|url=http://www.lasportshall.com/inductees/football/george-doc-fenton/|title=George Doc Fenton}}"Auburn Goes Down Before Louisiana", Montgomery Advertiser, November 1, 1908. He returned a kick 95 yards for at touchdown the following week against Mississippi A&M.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5205366/the_timesdemocrat/|work=The Times-Democrat|title=L. S. U. Takes Another|page=16|date=November 8, 1908|access-date=May 9, 2016|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

==1909==

Fenton again started at quarterback on the 1909 team which finished second in the SIAA behind Sewanee. He was selected All-Southern by John Heisman.{{cite news|work=Atlanta Constitution|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1917559//|title=The All-Southern Eleven Picked By Coach Heisman|date=November 28, 1909|access-date=March 4, 2015|via=Newspapers.com|page=3}} {{Open access}}

Later life

George Ellwood "Doc" Fenton was married to the former Gertrude Bauer (1888-1982). The couple had two children, Gertrude Elwood Fenton Renfroe (1912-1993) and Dr. Thomas Terry Fenton (1916-2006) {{Cite web|url=https://obits.theadvocate.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=thomas-terry-fenton&pid=16380733|title = Thomas Terry Fenton M.D. Obituary (2006) the Advocate}} All are interred at Roselawn Memorial Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In 1940, Doc Fenton was a tax collector with the Department of State.https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-01396-00483/124622571?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.ancestry.com%2f1940-census%2fusa%2fLouisiana%2fGeorge-E-Fenton_4by72y&ssrc=&backlabel=Return#?imageId=M-T0627-01396-00483 {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}

Notes

References

External links

{{CollegeFootballHOF|1230}}

Category:1887 births

Category:1968 deaths

Category:American football ends

Category:American football placekickers

Category:American football quarterbacks

Category:All-Southern college football players

Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Category:LSU Tigers football players

Category:Players of American football from Pennsylvania