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Martin Wheelock
Martin Frederick Wheelock (June 5, 1874 – May 25, 1937)[1] was an American college football player who achieved a national reputation while playing for the Carlisle Indian School from 1894 to 1902. Captain of the 1899 Carlisle Indians football team, Wheelock was selected as a first-team All-American by the New York Sun in 1899, a second-team All-American by Walter Camp in 1901, and to the All-University Team by the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1902.[1] In later life, he worked as a blacksmith and farmer. In 1913, coach Pop Warner named Wheelock to the All-Time American Indian Football Team. In 1980, he was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame.[1] Early life and educationMartin Frederick Wheelock was born into the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin at Oneida in 1874. He first attended local schools. The Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania recruited students from all Native American tribes. It recruited Wheelock, at age 16, and several other Oneida youth as students, who started at the school in September 1890. In the late 19th century the school started to build up its football team and competed against college football teams by the turn of the century. FootballWheelock played tackle for the Carlisle Indians football team from 1894 to 1902.[1] He was captain of the team in 1899. The success of the Carlisle football team against college teams was a source of great pride for Native Americans. In 1897, the Indian Helper (the Carlisle school newspaper) described a celebration that greeted the football team on its return from a game played in New York City against students from Yale University:
In nine years playing for the Carlisle football team (from age 20 to 29), Wheelock was one of the school's greatest stars. He played on the renowned Carlisle teams of 1899-1902, which were coached by football legend Pop Warner. These teams defeated many of the best college teams in the United States. Wheelock was selected as a first-team All-American by the New York Sun in 1899, a second-team All-American by Walter Camp in 1901, and to the All-University Team by the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1902.[1] In 1897, Wheelock became one of the first football players to receive an x-ray to assess an injury, after being hurt in a game against Brown University. The following account was published in newspapers across the country:
Later yearsWheelock left the Carlisle Indian School in 1902 at age 28. He returned to the Oneida reservation, where he worked as a blacksmith and farmer. Marriage and familyWheelock married Lena Webster, an Oneida and fellow former Carlisle student. At the time, he was living in Seymour, Wisconsin.[4] They had four children together: Eleanor and Elmer (twins), Ervin and Martin. Their son Martin Wheelock began working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1938 with the Ute Indians in Utah.[5] Legacy and honorsIn 1913, Pop Warner named Wheelock to his "All-Time American Indian Football Team." He included such renowned players as Jim Thorpe, Jimmy Johnson, Bemus Pierce, Joe Guyon, and Albert Exendine.[6] In 1980, Wheelock was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame, based at Haskell Indian Nations University.[1] References
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