CHICAGO – The No. 18-ranked Michigan Wolverines head to Illinois to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in the George Jewett Trophy rivalry game inside Wrigley Field.
The 7-2 Wolverines have the chance to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive by retaining a chance to keep another trophy, in their case, as they’ll honor Jewett, the first African American football player to play Big Ten football.
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On Saturday we'll play for the George Jewett Trophy, honoring George Jewett, an alumnus of both Michigan and Northwestern and the first African American to play for both football programs.
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) November 12, 2025
Fluent in four languages, Jewett studied medicine while starring on the gridiron for the… pic.twitter.com/UHvBUXzZyx
George Jewett
Jewett graduated from Pioneer High School (formerly Ann Arbor High School) as valedictorian of his class in 1889. He was also an outstanding athlete who starred in baseball and football.
Jewett broke the color barrier in the Big Ten in 1890 by becoming the first African American football player at the University of Michigan.
The superstar athlete played fullback and tailback for the men in maize during his freshman season, excelling on defense and as a placekicker.
The Swizz Army Knife helped guide the Wolverines to a near-perfect season, finishing with a 4-1 record.
Jewett didn’t attend school during the 1891 season, but that team was the first Michigan football program to lose five games in a season, finishing 4-5.
He returned during the 1892 season, starting every game in the backfield, to help the men in maize become the first team to finish with a 7-5 record and the first to reach the seven-win mark in program history.
During his time with the Wolverines, Jewett, who was achieving success, faced much ridicule due to the color of his skin, as the Jim Crow laws were still in effect.
Some called Jewett the Jackie Robinson of the Wolverines football team.
Still, he was determined to lay the foundation for future African American athletes like Anthony Carter, Braylon Edwards, Denard Robinson, Mike Hart, national champion Blake Corum, and Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson.
Jewett transferred to Northwestern for two seasons after spending two seasons with the Wolverines while earning his medical degree.
This led to the announcement in 2021 that the winner of the Wolverines—Wildcats matchup would receive the George Jewett Trophy.
Saturday’s (Nov. 15) matchup is crucial, as the 7-2 Wolverines’ College Football Playoff hopes are on the line in a neutral-site game against a tough 5-4 Northwestern.
The game marks the third meeting between the football programs for the rivalry trophy named after an African American player in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history.
Michigan won the inaugural trophy game in 2021 with a 33-7 victory and also won last year’s matchup 50-6. Both previous games were held at Michigan Stadium.