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Living Loud: Paul Hubbard - Inventor of the Football Huddle
Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., founded in 1864, was the first school for the advanced education of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Its programs are uniquely designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing learners.
The First Football Huddle
Paul Hubbard in the 1894 football team photo at Gallaudet University. (Photo Credit: Gallaudet University Archives, Football -- Team (1894))
Historically, the Gallaudet University Bison football team played a schedule against deaf and hearing squads. When the Bison first fielded a football team, its plays were communicated in sign language from the sidelines, and players signed on the field near the line of scrimmage, all out in the open. Deaf opponents could read the signs; hearing opponents learned enough sign language to understand — so it was easy for the opponent to defend against a play they knew was coming! Something needed to change.
In 1894, Paul D. Hubbard was the quarterback for Gallaudet University, and he realized they needed a new and better strategy for calling plays. Hubbard gathered his team into a circle around him, so no one could see inside his group of players while he was signing a play — and the first huddle was invented!
Huddles Pay Off!
The Bison had a winning record of 5-2-1 in 1894 with Paul Hubbard as quarterback. They defeated their two deaf opponents: the Pennsylvania Deaf School by 24-0, and the New York Deaf School by 20-6. Under Hubbard’s leadership as star quarterback from 1892 to 1895, Gallaudet University was often labeled the D.C. city champs, defeating powerhouses such as the Naval Academy.
Gallaudet football players from 1927 in "signal practice" before an upcoming game.
(Photo Credit: Gallaudet University Archives, Number 14692-6A Gift of Reuben I. Altizer, '30)
Paul Hubbard moved to Kansas after college, working as an instructor at the Kansas School for the Deaf in Olathe, Kansas. He also began and coached the school’s football team, using the huddle again in 1899.
It didn’t take long for the use of “the huddle” to spread far and wide, beginning with teams in the Midwest. Robert Zuppke, who coached at the University of Illinois, is quoted as admitting he took the huddle idea from “a deaf team he saw somewhere.”
The Kansas School for the Deaf football team in 1900. Paul Hubbard was the coach and is in the center of the photo. (Photo Credit: Kansas School for the Deaf)
Hubbard became the first Athletic Director for the Kansas School for the Deaf. He retired in 1942 after being on the staff for 43 years. In his honor, the Kansas School for the Deaf football field was named Paul D. Hubbard Field. Paul Hubbard was inducted into the Gallaudet University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.
More Sports Innovation
The huddle isn’t the only deaf contribution to sports. Baseball Major Leaguer William “Dummy” Hoy could not hear the umpire’s call, and is often credited with the development of the hand signals that are still used today for balls and strikes. Hand signals were the way Hoy could keep track of at-bats while batting and while playing in the outfield.
Learn more in our article about William “Dummy” Hoy.
Sports at Gallaudet Today
Today’s sports squads at Gallaudet University play mostly hearing opponents. Administrators, staff, and students of Gallaudet retain a great sense of pride in knowing their university contributed such a great innovation to the game of college football, as well as to countless other sports! Thanks to the thoughtful insight of Paul Hubbard, Gallaudet University is genuinely the Home of the Huddle™.
Home of the Huddle Gear
You can find official "Home of the Huddle" gear, such as shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and more at the Gallaudet Athletics Store.
The first huddle was used by Deaf football player Paul Hubbard at Gallaudet University in 1894 to conceal their signing of plays from opponents. Paul Hubbard is the inventor of the football huddle (and Gallaudet University has tradmarked "Home of the Huddle." (Photo Credit: Everett Collection. Shutterstock.)
See It Signed - Example Sentence
See this example sentence about Hubbard:
ASL Gloss: YEAR 1894. P-A-U-L H-U-B-B-A-R-D HIMSELF GALLAUDET FOOTBALL Q-B HE DECIDE NEED SECRET DISCUSS P-L-A-Y INVENT HUDDLE.
English Example: Paul Hubbard was the quarterback for Gallaudet University in 1894 and he realized they needed a way to discuss plays in secret so he invented the football huddle.
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Resources
Adapted from: Cartwright, B. & Bahleda, S. (2015). Did You Know? The Football Huddle. In Lessons and Activities in American Sign Language (p. 46). RID Press.
- Gallaudet University. (n.d.). Gallaudet Athletics http://www.gallaudetathletics.com/landing/index
- Gallaudet University. (n.d.). Home Of The Huddle. https://www.gallaudetathletics.com/sports/fball/homeofthehuddle
- Gallaudet University. (n.d.). When We Invented the Huddle... We Changed the Game. https://www.gallaudet.edu/about/huddle/
- Paul D. Hubbard. (2021, March 19). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_D._Hubbard&oldid=1013063129
- Walston, M. (1987). The Huddle: Hiding the Play. In Washington Magazine (Reprinted, pp. 20). Gallaudet University. https://www.gallaudetathletics.com/sports/fball/archive/pdf/gallaudet-huddle-history.pdf