Jock Sutherland

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Jock Sutherland (March 21, 1889 – April 11, 1948) was a Scottish-American football star and coach who helped shape early American football. He played at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) as an end under coach Pop Warner, earning All-American honors and helping Pitt win national titles in the 1910s, including an undefeated 1917 season nicknamed The Fighting Dentists. After a brief stint with the Massillon Tigers, he coached Lafayette College (1919–1923), winning the 1921 Eastern Championship, then Pitt from 1924 to 1938. At Pitt, he used a double-wing offense known as the Sutherland Scythe and led teams to seven Eastern titles and four Rose Bowls. His squads were named national champions in several years by various selectors, with Pitt officially recognizing championships in 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, and 1937. After leaving Pitt, he coached the Brooklyn Dodgers (1940–41), served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and returned to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers (1946–1947), guiding them to their first playoff appearance in 1947. Sutherland died in 1948 after brain surgery. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.