Who Invented The Hidden Ball Trick, And When?

It is often claimed that Pop Warner's Carlisle Indians executed the first hidden ball trick against Harvard in 1903, but that claim is wrong several times over. During the 1903 game, the last game played on Harvard’s Soldiers' Field with the nearly-finished Harvard Stadium looming in the background, Carlisle came close to upsetting the Crimson, as the Bostonians won 12-11.

Jimmy Johnson, Carlisle Q, is stopped on a run as Harvard Stadium looms in the background. ('Smashing Up A Flank Movement,' B...