[2] Maulbetsch was an All-American running back at the University of Michigan in 1914, where he earned the nickname the "Human Bullet".
With his name recognition, he was able to recruit big-name talent to Phillips, including future Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Owen, and future United States Olympic Committee President Doug Roby.
Maulbetsch quickly turned Phillips into a major contender in the southwest, as his teams beat Oklahoma and Texas and lost only one game in the 1918 and 1919 seasons.
The 1919 team, known as "Mauley's Iron Men", was considered by many experts to be the finest football squad in the southwest that season.
[6] One Texas newspaper reported that Phillips had "whitewashed the Longhorns in their own corral.