Tubby Meyers

Who was Tubby Meyers?

Melvin J. "Tubby" Meyers, sometimes spelled "Myers," was an American football player and coach. He was the first head coach and first captain of the Western Michigan Broncos football program, holding both titles as a player-coach during the 1906 college football season.

Meyers was born in Gobleville, Michigan in 1887, and moved with his family to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1895. His father, Rollie Meyers was a Michigan native who worked as a mail clerk at the post office. His mother, Vivia Meyers, was an Ohio native. He had an older brother, Rauel, a younger brother, Carl, and a younger sister, Fern.

Meyers enrolled at the Western State Normal School in Kalamazoo as a student in the Manual Training department. He was the coach, captain and halfback for the football team in the school's inaugural season of college football in 1906. He is recognized both as the first head football coach and "the first great player" in the history of the Western Michigan Broncos football program.

After graduating from Western State in 1909, Myers was hired by Port Huron High School in Port Huron, Michigan. He served as supervisor of manual training and director of athletics at the school. He also served for many years as the school's football coach. In June 1917, Myers completed a draft registration card stating that he was employed at Port Huron High School as a manual training and athletics instructor.