The 1895 Chicago Athletic Association football team represented the Chicago Athletic Association (CAA) during the 1895 college football season. Under the management of Harry Cornish, the AAs athletic manager since the 1893 season, the CAA compiled a 10–3–1 record, including an exhibition game with the Swift & Co Stock Yarders. The CAA outscored its opponents by a total of 214 to 52 and achieved an undefeated record at home. The athletic association played its home games at CAA Field (formerly South Side Park), located on the corner of 35th Street and Wentworth Avenue in Chicago.
Schedule
Preseason
August
August 1: Captain E. B. "Jake" Camp began preparations for the 1895 Chicago AA football team. He asserted that the majority of last years players would join.
September
September 7: An interest meeting was held in the club gymnasium. Returners from the 1894 team included John Slater, Oberne, Lucas, Brown, Jake Camp, and Ben Thomas. New players were R. E. Grout, R. T. Hoagland, E. M. Smith, C. B. Coffeen, H. A. Parkyn, D. A. Stone, R. Bartl, H. G. Hadden, L. McKinley, Harvey, Barr, and Gage. The experience of the men ranged from the high school team at Hyde Park, the local YMCA, minor teams like Oak park, athletic clubs like Chicago AA and Johnstown AC, and major colleges like Illinois, Michigan, Virginia Military Institute, Iowa, Minnesota, and Cornell. A schedule was announced for the season as well. September 14: vs. "Swift Eleven" at CAA field September 21: Englewood YMCA at CAA field October 5: Rush Medical College at West Side October 12: Illinois at CAA field October 19: Lake Forest in Chicago October 26 to November 9: a trip to play football teams in the East November 23: Rush Medical at CAA field November 28: (Thanksgiving Day): Boston Athletic Association
Games would also be arranged with Northwestern and Chicago universities, and a trip to California may be taken around Christmas time. Practices would begin on September 10, and be held every Tuesday and Thursday.
September 14: Swift & Co.
Chicago AA defeated the Swift & Co. Stock Yarders 28 to 0 at their own CAA field. The game was an exhibition for the coming season, and so the Stock Yarders were given a chance to continue playing many times after fumbles and turnovers. CAA played well, scoring six touchdowns, although there was an instance where Thompson, playing left tackle, accidentally tackled Captain Camp, confusing him for a Stock-Yard player, and consequentially stopped a sure touchdown for the AA.
September 16: A game is arranged with Chicago University for the twenty-eighth of September at Marshall Field. It was dubbed as the first real contest for each team.
September 18: The Armour Institute of Technology released their schedule for 1895, and they were set to play the CAA on October 16.
September 21: Englewood YMCA didn't show up for their match with Chicago AA. The team instead played against itself, with some additional players from Swift & Co. The "regulars" won 4–0 in a 30-minute contest.
Regular season
September 28: Chicago
Chicago AA lost to the Chicago University Maroons, 0–8, in their first recognized game of the 1895 season. It was an overcast day with a light drizzle. Chicago AA's quarterback was injured in the game, although it was slight. Chicago AA was favored 3–2 over Chicago. Chicago would hold CAA scoreless, which would only happen again in the athletic associations blowout loss to Orange AC. Stone was credited with the best CAA performance of the day, along with right halfback Slater. The attendance figure is unknown, but there was reportedly a large crowd around Marshall field spectating the affair.
October
October 2: There was a report that star center Stevenson would play for Rush Medical for the remainder of their 1895 season, but this claim would never materialize.
October 5: Rush Medical College
Chicago AA defeated Rush Medical 30 to 0. It was reported that a great deal of fumbles killed any chance for Rush Medical to win the contest. Another report speculates that Chicago AA would have scored yet another touchdown, but were only given 3 downs instead of 4 by mistake. Slater had the best performance, and scored the most touchdowns in the game. Haddon, Hoagland, and Thompson also scored. The most points of the day were the result of fullback Brown and his five PATs (at the time called goals after touchdowns, and worth 2 points) for 10 points.