Michigan Power T History:
Roots of the Power T
Football historians have tabbed the “T” as the first formation. It was originally called the regular formation, as it was used by most teams. As football evolved the regular formation was surpassed by the single wing, double wing, A formation, and the Notre Dame box. In the late 1930’s and into the 1940’s George Halas and Clark Shaughnessy resurrected the T formation and turned the football world upside down. Halas won an NFL title with the Chicago Bears and Shaughnessy won the Rose Bowl in completion of a perfect 10-0 season while at Stanford University. The success of the T formation began a shift in coaching resulting in most NFL and College football teams researching and implementing the T formation into their schemes.
Elmer Engel was a player and assistant coach Under Ray Elliot at the University of Illinois. Following the emergence of the T formation which Illinois ran. Elmer took a teaching and coaching position at Bay City Michigan in 1950 and implemented the T formation. Elmer would coach for the next 23 years at Bay City Central where he compiled a 165-34-8 record. He won 5 Michigan state football championships.
Irv Sigler was the new HFC in Cheboygan Michigan in 1978. He hired Jim and John Engle (Elmers’ sons) as assistant coaches. Elmer gave Irv a one day clinic on the T formation. Sigler went undefeated that year and began a 44 game winning streak. He continued his success with the Power T with stops at Belding HS and Olivet College. At Belding he went 70-4 while winning a state championship. The success continued at Olivet College where Irv implemented the Power T to turn around the struggling division 3 program. Olivet led the nation at all levels of football, in rushing with 417 per/game.
Jim Engel eventually became the head football coach at Wakefield HS. He taught the offense to Scott Erickson at Hurley HS in Northern Wisconsin. I researched the offense and contacted Erickson who shared the ins and outs of the offense with me. Hurley and Reagan high schools are 2 of 4 teams in Wisconsin currently running the Power T.
Football historians have tabbed the “T” as the first formation. It was originally called the regular formation, as it was used by most teams. As football evolved the regular formation was surpassed by the single wing, double wing, A formation, and the Notre Dame box. In the late 1930’s and into the 1940’s George Halas and Clark Shaughnessy resurrected the T formation and turned the football world upside down. Halas won an NFL title with the Chicago Bears and Shaughnessy won the Rose Bowl in completion of a perfect 10-0 season while at Stanford University. The success of the T formation began a shift in coaching resulting in most NFL and College football teams researching and implementing the T formation into their schemes.
Elmer Engel was a player and assistant coach Under Ray Elliot at the University of Illinois. Following the emergence of the T formation which Illinois ran. Elmer took a teaching and coaching position at Bay City Michigan in 1950 and implemented the T formation. Elmer would coach for the next 23 years at Bay City Central where he compiled a 165-34-8 record. He won 5 Michigan state football championships.
Irv Sigler was the new HFC in Cheboygan Michigan in 1978. He hired Jim and John Engle (Elmers’ sons) as assistant coaches. Elmer gave Irv a one day clinic on the T formation. Sigler went undefeated that year and began a 44 game winning streak. He continued his success with the Power T with stops at Belding HS and Olivet College. At Belding he went 70-4 while winning a state championship. The success continued at Olivet College where Irv implemented the Power T to turn around the struggling division 3 program. Olivet led the nation at all levels of football, in rushing with 417 per/game.
Jim Engel eventually became the head football coach at Wakefield HS. He taught the offense to Scott Erickson at Hurley HS in Northern Wisconsin. I researched the offense and contacted Erickson who shared the ins and outs of the offense with me. Hurley and Reagan high schools are 2 of 4 teams in Wisconsin currently running the Power T.