The 1937 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1937 Big Ten Conference football season. In their ninth and final season under head coach Harry Kipke, the Wolverines compiled a 4–4 record (3–3 against Big Ten opponents) and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 110 to 54. The team ranked 106th of 126 teams in major college football with an average of 6.8 points scored per game.
At the conclusion of the 1937 season, the Michigan players selected guard Ralph Heikkinen as the team's most valuable player and also selected tackle Fred Janke as the captain of the 1938 team. Heikkinen was also the only Michigan player to receive first-team honors on the 1937 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.
The following 26 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1937 Michigan football team. For players who were starters, the list also includes the number of games started by position.
William C. Barclay, quarterback, senior, Flint, Michigan - started 3 games at right halfback
John Brennan, guard, junior, Racine, Wisconsin - started 7 games at left guard
Robert D. Campbell, halfback, senior, Ionia, Michigan
Douglas Farmer, fullback, senior, Hinsdale, Illinois - started 8 games at quarterback
Elmer Gedeon, end, junior, Cleveland, Ohio - started 2 games at left end
Ralph Heikkinen, guard, junior, Ramsay, Michigan - started 7 games at right guard
Fred Janke, fullback, junior, Jackson, Michigan - started 2 games at left tackle
Archie Kodros, center/guard, sophomore, Alton, Illinois - started 7 games at center
Louis Levine, quarterback, junior, Muskegon Heights, Michigan
Earl B. Luby, tackle, senior, Chicago, Illinois
George A. Marzonie, guard, senior, Flint, Michigan - started 1 game at right guard
John E. Nicholson, Jr., end, junior, Elkhart, Indiana - started 6 games at left end, 1 game at right end
Frederick C. "Fred" Olds, guard/tackle, junior, East Lansing, Michigan - started 1 game at left guard
Ernest A. Pederson, guard, senior, Grand Blanc, Michigan
Norm Purucker, halfback, Poland, Ohio - started 1 game at right halfback
Hercules Renda, halfback, sophomore, Jochin, West Virginia - started 3 games at right halfback
Joseph M. Rinaldi, center, senior, Elkhart, Indiana - started 8 games at center
Stark Ritchie, halfback, senior, Battle Creek, Michigan - started 1 game at center; 3 games at left halfback
Roland Savilla, tackle, sophomore, Gallagher, West Virginia - started 2 games at right tackle
Donald J. "Don" Siegel, tackle, junior, Royal Oak, Michigan - started 6 games at left tackle
Dan Smick, end, junior, Hazel Park, Michigan - started 6 games at right end
William A. Smith, tackle, sophomore, Riverside, California - started 6 games at right tackle
Edward Stanton, fullback, junior, Charleston, West Virginia - started 7 games at fullback
Fred Trosko, halfback, sophomore, Flint, Michigan - started 5 games at left halfback
Arthur Valpey, end, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started 1 game at right end
Clarence H. Vandewater, guard, junior, Holland, Michigan
The following players were identified as varsity reserves on the roster of the 1937 Michigan football team.
Harold Floersch, end, junior, Wyandotte, Michigan
R. Wallace Hook, Jr., halfback, junior, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
John H. Kinsey, fullback, sophomore, Plymouth, Michigan - started 1 game at fullback
Dennis A. Kuhn, tackle, sophomore, River Rouge, Michigan
Derwood D. Laskey, halfback, sophomore, Milan, Michigan
Harry K. Mulholland, fullback, sophomore, Bay City, Michigan
Norman J. Nickerson, fullback, junior, Detroit, Michigan
Robert P. Piotrowski, halfback, junior, Manistee, Michigan
Joseph C. Rogers, end, sophomore, Royal Oak, Michigan
Horace Tinker, center, sophomore, Battle Creek, Michigan
Frederick C. Ziem, guard, senior, Pontiac, Michigan
The 1937 all-freshman team included a nucleus of players, including Tom Harmon and Forest Evashevski, that would propel Michigan to the top tier of college football programs when Fritz Crisler took over as head coach in 1938.
Pierce Barker, Detroit, Michigan
Richard C. Bennett, Springfield, Illinois
Irwin S. Clamage, Detroit, Michigan
George L. Clark, Carthage, Illinois
Edward W. Czak, Elyria, Ohio
Forest Evashevski, Detroit, Michigan
Thomas G. Ford, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Harlin E. Fraumann, Pontiac, Michigan
Ralph Fritz, New Kensington, Pennsylvania
William H. Gambill, Centralia, Illinois
Jack D. Grant, Chicago, Illinois
Tom Harmon, Gary, Indiana
William J. Hermann, Detroit, Michigan
Robert Horst, Detroit, Michigan
Reuben Kelto, Bessemer, Michigan
Thomas P. Kieckhefer, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Harry E. Kohl, Dayton, Ohio
Paul Kromer, Lorain, Ohio
Robert E. Larkin, Oak Park, Illinois
Blaz A. Lucas, Jr., Gary, Indiana
George S. Manolakas, Detroit, Michigan
Howard H. Mehaffey, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jack Meyer, Elyria, Ohio
James R. Miller, Highland Park, Michigan
Charles E. Norton, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
Arthur Paddy, Benton Harbor, Michigan
Lester Persky, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Richard G. Pugh, Detroit, Michigan
Charles R. Ross, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Robert S. Ross, Menasha, Wisconsin
Melvin S. Schlemenson, Memphis, Tennessee
Robert M. Seltzer, Chicago, Illinois
Edward Shelberg, Lansing, Michigan
Jacob Speelman, Jr., Lansing, Michigan
Dave Strong, Helena, Montana
George S. Thomas, Detroit, Michigan
William E. Vollmer, Manistee, Michigan
Colin C. Weymouth, Detroit, Michigan
Awards and honors
Captain: Joe Rinaldi
All-Conference: Ralph Heikkinen
Most Valuable Player: Ralph Heikkinen
Meyer Morton Award: Fred Trosko
Head coach: Harry Kipke
Assistant coaches
Backfield coach: Wally Weber
Line coach: Heartley "Hunk" Anderson
End coach: Bennie Oosterbaan
Other assistant coaches: Franklin Cappon
Trainer: Ray Roberts
Manager: Fred Colombo, assisted by John Fecknay, Ralph Dubois, Warren Slater, Philip Woodworth
