The Geneva Golden Tornadoes football program represents Geneva College in college football. The team competes in NCAA Division III and is affiliated with the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). The team is also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association. Since its initial season in 1890, the team has won over 500 games. Home games are currently played at Reeves Field, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Several Geneva College players have received national attention, including Cal Hubbard and Larry Bruno.
History
Early years (1890–1925)
Geneva College played its first season of football in 1890. The season consisted of one game, where the team played against the University of Pittsburgh, then known as the "Western University of Pennsylvania". Geneva lost the game, 10–4. Notably, the game was Pitt's first victory. The following year, Geneva played its first full season of football. The team posted a 4–2 record, defeating the University of Pittsburgh twice (12–4 and 6–4), as well as the students from Pitt Medical. The 1891 team also played its future rival Westminster College, winning the game 42–0. These first teams were coached by Professor William McCracken, who coached the team through the 1896 season. During this period, the team played local teams, including Washington & Jefferson College, Grove City College, Mount Union College, Beaver Falls High School, and West Virginia University.
In 1900, Samuel G. Craig, often referred to as J. B. Craig, took over as coach, leading the 'Covies' as they were then called to a 5–1–1 record in 1900. Craig coached the team for the next three seasons. In 1902, the Covies posted the first undefeated season in school history, going 7–0. During 1902, the defense surrendered a total of two points the entire season. In 1903, the Craig-led Covies posted an impressive 9–1 record, with their only loss coming to then national-power Washington & Jefferson. This game witnessed one of the most unusual plays in college football history. Losing 6–0 late in the fourth quarter, the Covies ran a reverse which sprung future World War I hero Joe Thompson into the open. As Thompson neared mid-field, a player came off of Washington & Jefferson's bench and tackled Thompson. Fans then swarmed the field, and by the time the playing surface were cleared, the game was called due to darkness. The 6–0 loss was the only game in which Geneva was scored upon all season. After Craig left in 1903, the Covies' success fluctuated, posting several season without a victory. During this time, Geneva frequently played national powers like Penn State, Pitt, Slippery Rock University, and West Virginia.
Bo McMillin, Cal Hubbard, and decade of success (1925–1935)
Coach Bo McMillin came to Geneva in 1925, and in his first season as coach led the team to a 6–3 record. McMillin was a three-time All-American player at Centre College. He would later go on to coach at the collegiate level at Kansas State University and Indiana University, where he won a Big Ten championship in 1945. Coach McMillin later moved into the professional ranks, as he coached the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Often regarded as one of the best coaches in school history, McMillin scheduled some of the top teams in the country. In 1926, the Covies posted an 8–2 record, including a victory over national power Harvard University, 16–7. Geneva played a post-season game in which it beat Oglethorpe 9–7 in Jacksonville, Florida. Held on New Year's Day at Fairfield Stadium, the "football classic" for the Orange Blossom Festival. The post-season victory cemented Geneva's claim to a Championship Season.
Geneva was led by standout All-American Cal Hubbard, who was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in its initial class in 1963. Hubbard played for the New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates (to be renamed the Steelers) during his professional career. He was named to the 1920s All-Decade Team and was voted the greatest offensive tackle in the first fifty years of the NFL. Hubbard is the only person to be inducted into both the Pro Football, and the Baseball Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, being inducted in 1962. Offensively, the 6'4" Hubbard played tackle for Geneva. On defense, he played end, but lined up off the line of scrimmage in a manner more similar to modern linebacker. Hubbard's number 36 is one of three numbers retired by Geneva College.
In 1927, McMillin led the Covies to another impressive season. The 8–0–1 record included a victory over Boston College. The lone tie was against Bucknell.