John R. Bender was a successful Native American college football player and coach in the early 20th century. Inevitably, he was given the nickname "Chief" Bender (not to be confused with the baseball player with the same nickname). An Atsina named Assiniboin Boy Photo by Edward S. Curtis. ... A college football game between Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy. ...

A native of Sutton, Nebraska, Bender played college football at the University of Nebraska from 1900 to 1904. He starred at halfback for undefeated teams in 1902 and 1903, served as captain of the 1903 team, and graduated as the leading scorer in Nebraska history. However, due to loose eligibility standards, he played five seasons for Nebraska. One story also recounts that he refused to play against the national powerhouse University of Minnesota until Nebraska paid him an acceptable amount of money.[1] Sutton is a city located in Clay County, Nebraska. ... Seal of the University of Nebraska The University of Nebraska is one of two public university systems in the state of Nebraska, USA. The system has four universities and a technical college: University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Nebraska at Omaha University of Nebraska at Kearney University of Nebraska Medical... Washington Avenue Bridge at night The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, almost always abbreviated U of M, is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. ...

After graduating, Bender served as head football and basketball coach at Washington State in 1906 and 1907, posting a remarkable 13-1 record in football. His 1907 basketball squad also recorded a 12-3 mark – by far the best in school history to that point. Between 1907 and 1911, Bender coached football at Haskell Indian Nations University and St. Louis University. During the 1911 season, reporters in St. Louis commented that Bender looked like a charm doll called a Billiken, which were a national fad at the time. His squad became known as "Bender's Billikens," which is the genesis of SLU's athletic nickname.[2] Bender returned to coach Washington State football from 1912 to 1914. For the state of Washington in the United States, please see Washington. ... Haskell Indian Nations University is a four year degree granting university in Lawrence, Kansas which offers free tuition to members of registered Native American tribes in the United States. ... Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic university in the United States. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Gateway City, Gateway to the West, or Mound City Location Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Missouri Independent City Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 66. ... Wooden statue of Billiken enshrined in Tsutenkaku Tower Billiken was a charm doll created by an American art teacher and illustrator, Ms. ...

In 1915, Bender was hired as head football coach at Kansas State. In his one season at K-State his team posted a mediocre 3-4-1 record. However, Bender left a lasting mark by instituting two long-term traditions at Kansas State in 1915: starting the annual Homecoming event and adopting the nickname Wildcats. Kansas State University (sometimes referred to as K-State) is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States. ... Students participate in one of the largest collegiate homecoming parades in the United States at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. ...

Prior to the 1916 season, Bender moved to the University of Tennessee. (At the same time, the sitting head coach at Tennessee, Zora Clevenger moved to Kansas State, in effect trading jobs with Bender.) Bender served as head football coach at the University of Tennessee from 1916 to 1920. During his tenure, he compiled a record of 18-5-4 (.741). His best season came in 1916, when his team went 8-0-1, marred only by a 0-0 tie against Kentucky. Tennesse did not field football teams in 1917 and 1918, and Bender posted his worst record in 1919, when his team went 3-3-3. In his final season, he went 7-2 and recorded Tennessee's 100th victory in football, with the two losses coming against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. He is also credited with installing the short punt formation at Tennessee.[3] The University of Tennessee (UT), sometimes called the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville or UTK), is the primary institution of the statewide land-grant University of Tennessee system, Tennessees flagship public university. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The University of Kentucky (also as UK or simply Kentucky) is a public, co-educational university located in Lexington, Kentucky. ... Vanderbilt University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Drill Field on the Mississippi State University campus Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in north east-central Mississippi, in the town of Starkville. ...

While at Tennessee, Bender also served as basketball coach for the 1917, 1920, and 1921 seasons, recording a 29-15 mark.

Bender is a member of the American Indian Athletics Hall of Fame.

Football coaching record

1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ...

External links

• Profile as a player
• Major college football coaching record
• UT sports coaching records