1939 VPI Gobblers football team

The 1939 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1939 college football season. The team was led by their head coach Henry Redd and finished with a record of four wins, five losses and one tie (4–5–1).

VPI was ranked at No. 110 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.

Randolph–Macon
During the trip to Blacksburg, the manager for the Randolph–Macon team had a ruptured ulcer and had to be taken to the hospital.

The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Hudson (fullback). The substitutes were: Clark, DeMuro and Rose.

The starting lineup for Randolph–Macon was: Robert Golubic (left end), Stuart Pugh (left tackle), R. Miller (left guard), George Chappell (center), Marshall Peterson (right guard), Dick Powell (right tackle), George Sawyer (right end), Billy Fox (quarterback), John Lovett (left halfback), Gordon Harrell (right halfback), Dick Irby (fullback).

Marshall
The starting lineup for VPI was: Willson (left end), Coleman (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Pitts (right tackle), Clark (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Ellison (left halfback), Thomas (right halfback), Warriner (fullback).

The starting lineup for Marshall was: Bob Adkins (left end), Ed Ulinski (left tackle), John Boyd (left guard), Roberts (center), Ray Truitt (right guard), Harold Cox (right tackle), Jack Mattiford (right end), Zach Kush (quarterback), Jackie Hunt (left halfback), Jack Morlock (right halfback), Ev Elkins (fullback).

North Carolina
The starting lineup for VPI was: Clark (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Streiff (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). The substitutes were: DeMuro, Willard Henderson, Hudson, Taylor, Woolwine and Zydiak.

The starting lineup for North Carolina was: Paul Severin (left end), Charles Slagle (left tackle), Leroy Abernethy (left guard), Robert Smith (center), James Woodson (right guard), Claud Kimball (right tackle), James Mallory (right end), Jim Lalanne (quarterback), George Radman (left halfback), Mike Bobbitt (right halfback), Sydney Sadoff (fullback). The substitutes were: Don Baker, Harry Dunkle, Bill Faircloth, Sweet James and Leo Slotnick.

William & Mary
The starting lineup for VPI was: Clark (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). The substitutes were: Rose.

The starting lineup for William & Mary was: Charles Gondak (left end), Hank Whitehouse (left tackle), Buster Ramsey (left guard), Rudolph Tucker (center), John Brodka (right guard), John Dillard (right tackle), Alphonse Chestnut (right end), Mervyn Simpson (quarterback), Lloyd Phillips (left halfback), Waldo Matthews (right halfback), Hollingsworth (fullback). The substitutes were: Burchfield, Jim Hickey and Jimmy Howard.

Washington and Lee
The game against Washington & Lee on October 28 was the first game played at Lynchburg Municipal Stadium.

The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback).

The starting lineup for Washington & Lee was: Howard Dobbins (left end), Richard "Dick" Boisseau (left tackle), Stephen Hanasik (left guard), John "Jack" Mangan (center), James Lindsey (right guard), Kelley Litteral (right tackle), Courtney Wadlington (right end), Dan Justice (quarterback), Charles Didier (left halfback), Preston Brown (right halfback), Alfred "Junie" Bishop (fullback). The substitutes were: Francis Sugrue and Taylor Truehart.

Furman
The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), John Henderson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), DeMuro (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). The substitutes were: Thomas.

The starting lineup for Furman was: Lloyd Coley (left end), Sam Fleming (left tackle), Hugh Wofford (left guard), Johnson Moore (center), Gates Barker (right guard), Hinson (right tackle), Ray Dorman (right end), C. V. Lipscomb (quarterback), Joe Jenkins (left halfback), Dan Martin (right halfback), Rhoten Shetley (fullback). The substitutes were: Brevil and Robert Fitzer.

Richmond
The starting lineup for VPI was: Clark (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). The substitutes were: Hudson.

The starting lineup for Richmond was: Bill Burge (left end), Harold McVay (left tackle), Joseph Mack (left guard), Ed Merrick (center), Bert Milling (right guard), David Robertson (right tackle), Dick Humbert (right end), William Fitzhugh (quarterback), Art Jones (left halfback), Alec Moore (right halfback), Stuart Hoskins (fullback). The substitutes were: Gordon ReMine.

Virginia
The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Bill Tate (left guard), Streiff (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), John Henderson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Hudson (fullback). The substitutes were: Clark.

The starting lineup for Virginia was: James White (left end), Lee McLaughlin (left tackle), Herbert Winokur (left guard), Raymond Murden (center), John Sauerbeck (right guard), R. Walter Jones (right tackle), Nick Gianakos (right end), Mosby Cardozo (quarterback), Jim Gillette (left halfback), Sylvester O'Grince (right halfback), Leroy Neustedter (fullback).

Varsity letter winners
Twenty-two players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1939 VPI team.

Coaching and training staff

 * Head coach: Henry Redd
 * Assistant coaches
 * Backfield coach: Herbert McEver
 * Line coach: Sumner D. Tilson
 * Manager: John Harrington
 * Freshman coaches
 * Freshman head coach: Red Laird
 * Assistant freshman coach and trainer: Willard D. Altman
 * Assistant freshman coach and trainer: Thomas A. Slusser