Charles Roller
Charles Summerville Roller Jr. (September 8, 1879 – March 16, 1963)[1] was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Furman University from 1901 to 1902 and at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) from 1907 to 1908, compiling a career college football coaching record of 14–10–5. Roller's 1902 Furman Purple Hurricane football team had wins over North Carolina A&M and South Carolina. From 1903 until 1913 Furman did not field a football team.
 Roller pictured in The Bomb 1908, VMI yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 8, 1879 Augusta County, Virginia |
| Died | March 16, 1963 (aged 83) Fort Defiance, Virginia |
| Alma mater | Virginia Military Institute |
| Playing career | |
| 1900 | VMI |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1901–1902 | Furman |
| 1907–1908 | VMI |
| 1908 | Washington and Lee (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 14–10–5 |
Roller played at VMI, where he was an All-Southern quarterback. He worked as an assistant football coach at Washington and Lee University in 1908.[2]
Roller attended the Augusta Military Academy in Fort Defiance, Virginia, where his father, Charles Summerville Roller, was a founder of the school and commandant. The younger Roller served as commandant and principal of that school later in his life. During World War I he served as a major with the Red Cross in Europe. Roller died in Fort Defiance on March 16, 1963.[3]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furman Purple Hurricane (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1901–1902) | |||||||||
| 1901 | Furman | 1–2–1 | |||||||
| 1902 | Furman | 4–3–4 | 1–2–1 | 11th | |||||
| Furman: | 5–5–5 | ||||||||
| VMI Keydets (Independent) (1907–1908) | |||||||||
| 1907 | VMI | 5–3 | |||||||
| 1908 | VMI | 4–2 | |||||||
| VMI: | 9–5 | ||||||||
| Total: | 14–10–5 | ||||||||
References
- "Person Details for Charles S. Roler, "Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1917". FamilySearch. Intellectual Reserve. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- "Calyx". Archive.org. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
- "Salute To Be Given AMA President". The Progress-Index. Petersburg, Virginia. Associated Press. March 18, 1963. p. 10. Retrieved October 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com
