Before the high school football team, Defiance had many organized football teams by area in the city. As early as 1888, teams in the city were known as the Ramblers, the Company G Eleven, the East Defiance Bulldogs and the Defiance Maroons, to name a few. But the high school, usually the Defiance High School Eleven, formally took on the Bulldog name for all their sports teams in 1929.
According to the Defiance Crescent-News, December 4, 1929:
"D.H.S. TEAMS WILL BE CALLED THE "BULLDOGS"
The Defiance Bulldogs!
That name for sports teams representing Defiance High School will be revived during the coming basketball season.
When William (Bill) Rex was cheer leader for the high school a few years ago, that name was selected as the result of a contest.
Since then, it has been somewhat forgotten, but because of the tenacious fighting spirit during the last few season, they have earned the right to be called Bulldogs and such will be their title in the future."
The details of the contest and the other name suggestions have been lost to history, or at least have not found yet, but the winner of the contest, William Rex, was the son of the Rev. and Mrs. W. A. Rex. Reverend Rex served as minister of the Presbyterian church in Defiance.
William, a D.H.S. graduate in 1927, was an outstanding student, winning the local oratorical contest in his senior year, acting in the class play, serving as captain and guard on the 1927 basketball team, and playing on the O line in football. When his father died in 1940, the obituary stated that William Jr. was in Washington, D.C.
Little did he know that ninety-five years later, his contest entry, Bulldogs, would still be in use.
