The unbeaten 99-yard run

One of the oldest and most noteworthy of Cornell’s athletics records is the 99-yard touchdown run of George Phelps ’60.

His teammate, Keith “Turp” North ’60, tells the story.

“At Knox College the Rams had held Knox from scoring and we had the ball on their one-yard line. We called a fullback up the middle play in the huddle. Hall of Famer in three sports, George Phelps, took the handoff and rambled those 99 yards for a Ram touchdown. That record of a touchdown from scrimmage still stands today!”

In fact, it stands as the longest in Midwest Conference history and will never be broken, as 99 yards is the longest possible from scrimmage.

Phelps died in 2019 at age 81. He had been a second-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos. He earned an MBA at the University of Iowa and worked as the CEO of a bank in his hometown of Kingsley, Iowa, from 1965–2018. Phelps was married with one son and was active in service activities including as a city council member.

From his obituary: “Throughout his life, George had every reason to boast about his successes, but he never did. He was a truly humble, kind, and gentle soul who helped people in countless ways, without ever asking for or expecting anything in return.”