They found him at the bottom of the mass.
Back in that time there was no requirement for men on the line of scrimmage. Hell, for a time there was no line of scrimmage. But behind the ball a large group of offensive players would form up into a mass formation, often a wedge of some kind, and charge at a similarly massed group of defensive players.
In 1897 there was very little in the form of protection for players’ heads or necks or, well anything really. So when one charging mass of bulky white boys collides, at full speed, with a similarly charging mass of boys—all of whom have on no real helmet or pads to speak of—people get hurt.