1896 Detroit College Tigers football team

The 1896 Detroit College Tigers football team represented Detroit College (renamed the University of Detroit in 1911) during the 1896 college football season. Detroit outscored opponents by a combined total of 66 to 40 and finished with a 5–2 record in their first year of intercollegiate football.^[1][2] The team's head coach was William S. Robinson.

In the only intercollegiate football game of the season, Detroit was shut out by St. Ignatius College by a 20 to 0 score on Thanksgiving Day.^[3]

Leo J. Keena played at the fullback position for the 1896 Detroit team,^[4] and later played for Michigan from 1897 to 1899. Ernest O'Brien was the captain of the 1896 team.^[2]

The team included the following players:

• Francis T. Atkinson, quarterback^{[7][8][4][10][3]}
• Ernest A. O'Brien,^[11] halfback^{[7][8][4][10][3]}
• W. Alfred Debo,^[12] halfback^{[7][8][4][10][3]}
• Leo J. Keena, fullback^{[7][8][4][10][3]}
• William Van Dyke, center^{[7][8][4][10][3]}
• James I. Atkinson, guard^{[7][8][4][10][3]}
• Maurice W. Chawke,^[13] guard^{[7][8][4][10][3]}
• C. O'Reilly "Riley" Riley Atkinson, tackle^{[7][8][4][10][3]}
• Robert E. Lee, tackle^[7]
• John J. Walsh, tackle^{[8][4][10][3]}
• Alfred B. Moran, end^[7][8]
• Dohaney, end^[4][10]
• Frederick V. Burnham, end^[3]
• Otto F. Lang, end^{[7][8][4][10][3]}