College Football’s Golden Era & Willard “Billy” Anderson

Before college, Willard was a star full-back for the Muskegon, Michigan Muskies. Muskegon High School, to this day, is the winningest high school program in Michigan, and ranks 7^th in the nation. During his Junior year his team won the Western State Championship and he was elected Captain of the Michigan All-State Team. Following his Junior year, he enlisted in the Navy to serve his country in WWI. While overseas he played in a football game at the Royal Cricket Grounds between Destroyer Flotilla United States and Battle Squadron of the United States. The final score was 0-0 but it was reported that “Anderson was a star.”

Upon returning home, Billy was fighting for a starting position on the 1920 Syracuse Warriors varsity football team. After a strong year on the Freshman team he would be listed as the starter at left half-back days before the opening game against Hobart. The team had high expectations going into the season and the Syracuse Herald was quoted as saying: “Together with many other leading universities the Syracuse football machine, already touted as destined to become one of the greatest football elevens in the eastern circles, will this afternoon open its 1920 gridiron season against the Hobart College Warriors”. The game would end in a rout, as Willard would score a touchdown to make it 21-0 early in the game. Syracuse would go on to win 55-7 despite most of the starters being pulled at halftime as they cruised to victory. During his time at Syracuse each of his teams had winning records.

At the Anderson Group we are proud of what Billy accomplished both on and off the field. Much has changed in the 100 years since he took the field for Syracuse, but our family’s love of football and sports remains as strong as ever. Billy’s son Bill would even go on to play a part in the founding of the Albany Metro Mallers in the 1970’s. Though we’ll never get to see him play, we can’t help to imagine what it would have been like to attend a game during college football’s golden era.  

“In 1922, Walter Camp, The Father of American football wrote: “No one knows where the enthusiasm of the public for football will stop but it is easy to see why it started”. Big games in the 20’s began to draw 75,000+ enthusiastic fans who paid $3.00 for their seats to cheer on their favorite teams.”