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George W. McMillan
d. 4/7/1911
Butte Athletic Club - Player/Coach
Anaconda Club - Founder/Player/Coach
Multnomah Amateur Athletic
Club - Guard/Halfback/Coach
1895 - 1911
George W. McMillan, regarded as the real "football king"
in Portland during his tenure at the M.A.A.C., was elected
President of the Club in 1907 and again in 1908. At the game since the
early 1890's, he did not reach the point of giving up the
game even as he was getting along in years. He would
go in for a short time and while in the game, gave his
opponents ample opportunity to become aware of his presence.
His legend began at Stanford where he started playing in
1891. During an 1893 game against the Reliance
Athletic Club of San Francisco, George lined up against "the
Mighty William 'Pudge" Hefflefinger" football's first
professional football player (paid by the Chicago Athletic
Association) and All-American at Yale from 1889-1891.
The small guard (under 175 lbs) kept the great eastern man
busy and his opponent pronounced him a wonder. From
that time on, George never saw the side lines. After
Stanford he played for the Reliance team of San Francisco
(1895), then the great
Butte team out of Montana (1896-1897) and the building the
great Anaconda eleven playing his last game on July 3 1898,
before playing for Multnomah from late 1898 to 1908.
Becoming a coach at the M.A.A.C. and player on both sides
of the ball as a defensive lineman and halfback on offense
in 1898 made him one of the most favorably known players on
the Pacific coast.
In 1900 George was targeted as a heralded candidate for
the University of Idaho's first permanent physical director
(today's athletic director position) after being named the
year's Northwest Football Player by the San Francisco
Examiner and Portland Oregonian.
He would earn All-League honors in 1907.
He ran well and scored in a 5-0 1903 New Year's Day
victory over his old Reliance team.
McMillan died in April of 1911
at the age of 38, by a freak train accident while crossing
the tracks on his way home.
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