They each put together competing teams, but practical considerations helped to decide the future of football at Minnesota.
Alfred F. Pillsbury arrived on campus and he owned a brand-new rugby ball, which was rare in those days.
[2]: 15 After not fielding a team in 1884 and 1885, the 1886 season saw the debut of Alf Pillsbury, a crucial figure in the early days of Minnesota football.
Due to a lack of rules regarding eligibility in college football, he played on the team for eight years and was captain for two of them.
Nickerson, Christopher Graham, J. Paul Goode, Birney E. Trask, Charles H. Alden; Quarterback, Howard T. Abbott (captain); Halfbacks, John F. Hayden, Herschel J. Mayall and E.R.