Michigan State University Athletics
Jerry DaPrato: MSU's First Football All-American
Jerry DaPrato: MSU's First Football All-American
DaPrato will be inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Sept. 7.
Sept. 1, 2001
A member of the Spartan football team from 1912-15, Jerry DaPrato will be inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame on September 7, 2001. Joining DaPrato in this year's class is Sue Ertl (golf, 1977-80), George M. (Jud) Heathcote (basketball coach 1976-95), Sherman Lewis (football/track, 1961-64), Weldon Olson (ice hockey, 1951-55), Steve Smith (basketball, 1987-91) and John D. Wilson (Football, 1950-52).
DaPrato led the nation in scoring in 1915, running for 15 touchdowns, booting 28 extra points and converting two field goals for 124 points and was named to the International News Service All-America team. Twice he scored 32 points in a single game. He had spent the previous three seasons as an understudy to Carp Julian and was known as a promising kicker heading into his senior season.
Michigan State, then the Aggies, won five and lost one in 1915, outscoring its opponents 259 to 18 points. The Aggies opened the season with four straight wins: defeating Olivet, 34-0, Alma, 77-12 and Carroll, 56-0, before recording Michigan State's first shutout over Michigan, 24-0.
The 170-pound fullback pounded out 153 yards against the Wolverines and scored two touchdowns, a field goal and three extra points. He was named "king of the campus" upon the team's return to East Lansing. For Michigan, it was the worst home defeat a team coached by Fielding Yost had taken at home.
The Michigan Daily, U-M's student newspaper, wrote: "For MAC, its team, its spirit and supporters, Michigan has but the highest praise. MAC won by playing the most brilliant, savage and vicious game seen on Ferry Field in a long time."
The following week, Oregon handed the Aggies a 28-0 defeat. Michigan State closed out the season with a 68-6 triumph over Marquette.
Recalling the 1915 season as told to Ron Kohls, DaPrato says, "As a freshman I did a lot of ball carrying, but in the two succeeding years I was a blocking back. After Carp graduated, I again became a ball carrier. During my senior year, everything seemed to break pretty well and besides, someone had to carry the ball.
"Naturally, the thing that any Aggie football player would remember most would be that he helped beat Fielding Yost's famous University of Michigan eleven. Beyond questions, that was the high spot of the 1915 season."
His brilliant performance on the football field was lost nearly 40 years due to inaccurate records. In 1952, former assistant MSU sports editor Ted Emery spied DaPrato's name while thumbing through a national sports information record book. Up until then, DaPrato had never been listed as an All-American in the Spartan record book.
The Iron Mountain, Mich., native was inducted into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
DaPrato, who resided in Parkesburg, Pa., was active in the Parkesburg Fire Company from 1930 to 1958. In 1955, the Parkesburg Fire Department honored DaPrato by making him a Life Member for meritorious service associated with the building of the fire hall in 1935 and long service as company treasurer.
DaPrato was the husband of the late Elizabeth Parke DaPrato, whose ancestors founded Parkesburg. He died on April 29, 1984, at the age of 92.
** Today marks the first installment of a seven-part series unveiling the members of the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2001. MSU golfer Sue Ertl will be featured on Sunday, Sept. 2.
** The MSU Athletics Hall of Fame, which is located in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center on the campus of Michigan State University, was dedicated on Oct. 1, 1999. It is open to the general public on home football Saturdays, normally two hours after the game. The $250,000 Hall of Fame displays key moments in Spartan athletic history as well as plaques of the 72 current inductees. The charter class of 30 former Spartan athletes, coaches and administrators was inducted in 1992.