Hope Sadler


David Hope Sadler was an American football player for John Heisman's Clemson Tigers of Clemson University. He was captain of the Southern [Intercollegiate Athletic Association|SIAA] champion 1902 [Clemson Tigers football team|1902] and Clemson Tigers football team">Clemson Tigers football">Clemson Tigers football teams coached by Heisman, selected All-Southern Team|All-Southern] the same years. One publication reads "Vetter Sitton and Hope Sadler were the finest ends that Clemson ever had perhaps." Sitton played on the left; Sadler on the right.

Early years

Sadler was born on October 12, 1882, in York County, South Carolina, to Rufus Earle Sadler and Lillian Emily Crawford.

College football

In the "1903 SIAA championship game" against the 1903 [Cumberland Bulldogs football team|Cumberland Bulldogs], which opened its season with an upset of 1903 [Vanderbilt Commodores football team|Vanderbilt], the winning team was to be awarded the ball. The game ended in an 11-11 tie. Captain W. W. Suddarth of Cumberland wanted captain Sadler to get the ball, and Sadler insisted Suddarth should have it. Some ten minutes of bickering was resolved when the ball was given to patrolman Patrick J. Sweeney, for warning the media and fans to stay down in front and allow spectators to see the game.

High school football

Sadler coached the University School for Boys in Stone Mountain, Georgia, in 1904. Later Oglethorpe coach Frank B. Anderson was an assistant.