Reuben Sanders - Football

Records are not available, but it is not likely that any other football player ever played in more games than did Reuben Sanders, the great Indian athlete. His career started in 1895 and ended when Sanders played his last football game against the Multnomah Athletic Club in 1917. After completing his studies at the Chemawa Indian School (Salem, Oregon), Sanders played with Willamette University and then the Capital City Athletic Club of Salem, the Multnomah Athletic Club team and with the Sherman Indians. Sanders, a wiry athlete of about 175 pounds, played as many as three games a week. After his football career ended, he turned his attention to coaching and assisted in the mentorship of football, basketball and baseball teams at Chemawa until he retired at the age of 65. Sanders was a natural athlete – in football he might play tackle, guard or fullback, it made no difference; in baseball he pitched, hit and played the field; in track he could run, throw the hammer and put the shot, among other skills.