Amos Alonzo Stagg, the charismatic "Grand Old Man" of college football, was one of the sport's immortal leaders and innovative strategists. Stagg coached on the college level for an astounding 57 seasons. He started out at Springfield College in Massachusetts and, in 1892, became head football coach and associate professor of physical culture at the University of Chicago, where he enjoyed his lengthiest coaching tenure of 40 years. After retiring from the Big Ten school in 1932, he went on to the College of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where he headed up the football program through 1946.

Stagg was born in West Orange, New Jersey, and attended Yale University, where he participated in several sports. In 1886, he pitched Yale to a victory over Harvard to win the college championship. He also played end on the football team, coached by Walter Camp and made the 1889 All-America squad...