Eddie Cochems
Football Coach
Coach of St. Louis University football who was the first one to embrace the forward pass as a regular part of the offense.
He took over in 1906 as head coach of St. Louis during the same season college football for the first time allowed the forward pass, and on September 5 that very year the first college football forward pass was thrown.
Despite his tireless promotion for the forward pass and a ball more aerodynamically shaped, the play did not catch on right away.
He was born in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, one of 11 children, including seven brothers, in the family.
Knute Rockne at Notre Dame was the first major adopter of his forward pass techniques.