Edward Slaughter - Michigan

Michigan

Slaughter enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1921 and played on Fielding H. Yost's football team as a guard from 1922 to 1924. Yost later credited Slaughter with "the greatest play in football I ever saw." The play took place in the last 18 seconds of the 1923 Michigan–Wisconsin game. Wisconsin had the ball at its own 35-yard line and needed to gain 65 yards for a score. A Wisconsin player caught a pass and appeared to be heading to a game-winning touchdown. Yost described Slaughter's "diving shoe-string tackle" as follows:

"Suddenly, with a great burst of speed, a Michigan man went for him, grabbed him and downed him. I looked for the number of the Michigan man. Lo and behold, it was 'Butch' Slaughter, a guard, who, under ordinary circumstances, would have no more business in that part of the field than I would. Down Harris and Slaughter went on our 20-yard line, and with them went the chance of all chances for Wisconsin, for the whistle which ended the game blew at that moment."

Slaughter's play preserved an undefeated season for the 1923 team and helped them win the national football championship. At the end of the 1923 season, sports writer Lawrence Perry selected Slaughter as a first-team All-American at the guard position.

In the 1924 season, Michigan overcame a late 6–0 deficit to win, 16–6, against Ohio State. Slaughter scored a touchdown in the game to help George Little win his only game as coach against Ohio State.

At the end of the 1924 season, Slaughter was selected as a first-team All-American by Walter Camp for Collier's Weekly, Norman E. Brown, and Lawrence Perry. on the last All-American team selected by Walter Camp. In announcing his choice of Slaughter as an All-American, Walter Camp wrote:

"Slaughter is a veteran guard who has always towered in any line of forwards. A big man, extremely active, he provides the pivotal spot upon which a line-plunging attack may rest. He carries his charge through so that he is never shoved back upon his runner. He is never guilty of 'knifing' through. Slaughter has unlimited endurance."

Sports columnist Norman E. Brown wrote, "Slaughter is one of the greatest defensive guards the Big Ten has had in recent years. ... On offense Slaughter could be counted on not only to open up a hole but "carry through" with the play." Life magazine wrote 25 years later that Slaughter had been "famous and feared for vicious tackling at Michigan."

Slaughter graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor of science degree in engineering.