Twenty-one students played on the team of 1899. Although they became known as the “Iron Men,” they played through pain and injury, often refusing to leave the game. Some of them suffered greatly for years afterward. They all played with courage, spirit and determination. The story of these players —with nicknames like Diddy, Deacon, Warbler and Wild Bill —needs to be preserved for posterity.
Henry Diddy Seibels
Henry Diddy Seibels
Ormond Simkins
Ormond Simkins
Wild Bill Claiborne
Wild Bill Claiborne
William H. Poole
William H. Poole
Harris G. Cope
Harris G. Cope
Coach Billy Suter
Coach Billy Suter
Manager Luke Lea
Manager Luke Lea
Coach Heisman at Auburn
Coach Heisman at Auburn
Varsity Lettermen
| Player | Position | Games Started | Hometown | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Elliot Bolling | Tackle | 10 | Edna, Texas | 5’10” | ||
| William “Wild Bill” Claiborne | Guard | 11 | Amherst Co., Virginia | 6’0″ | 190 | |
| John William “Deacon” Jones | Tackle | 11 | Marshall, Texas | |||
| Henry Sheridan Keyes | Guard | 10 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | |||
| Hugh Miller Thompson “Bunny” Pearce | End | 9 | Jackson, Mississippi | 5’3″ | 125 | |
| William Henry Poole | Center | 10 | Glyndon, Maryland | 6’0″ | 185 | 19 |
| Bartlet et Ultimus Sims | End | Bryan, Texas | 6’0″ | 185 |
Backfield
| Player | Position | Games Started | Hometown | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Quintard Gray | Halfback | 4 | Ocala, Florida | |||
| Ringland F. “Rex” Kilpatrick | Halfback | 9 | Bridgeport, Alabama | 6’1″ | 185 | 18 |
| Henry “Diddy” Seibels | Halfback | 9 | Montgomery, Alabama | 5’10” | 170 | 23 |
| Ormond Simkins | Fullback | 10 | Corsicana, Texas | 5’10” | 163 | 20 |
| William “Warbler” Wilson | Quarterback | 11 | Rock Hill, South Carolina | 5’10” | 154 | 22 |
Substitutes
| Player | Position | Games Started | Hometown | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Peters Black | End | 1 | Atlanta, Georgia | 6’0″ | 158 | |
| Preston Smith Brooks, Jr. | Back | 1 | Sewanee, Tennessee | |||
| Harris Goodwin Cope | Quarterback | Savannah, Georgia | 117 | 16 | ||
| Albert T. Davidson | Augusta, Georgia | |||||
| Andrew Cleveland Evins | Spartanburg, South Carolina | |||||
| Daniel Baldwin Hull | Fullback | 1 | Savannah, Georgia | 5’10” | 160 | |
| Joseph Lee Kirby-Smith | Tackle | 1 | Sewanee, Tennessee | 156 | 17 | |
| Landon Randolph Mason | Marshall, Virginia | |||||
| Floy Hoffman Parker | Canton, Mississippi | |||||
| Herbert E. Smith |
Coaching Staff
Head coach: Billy Suter
Manager: Luke Lea
Trainer: Cal Burrows