Art Poe facts for kids
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| Date of birth: | March 22, 1879 |
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| Place of birth: | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Date of death: | April 15, 1951 (aged 72) |
| Place of death: | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S. |
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Career information
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| Position(s): | End |
| College: | Princeton |
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Organizations
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Career highlights and awards
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Arthur Poe (born March 22, 1879 – died April 15, 1951) was a famous American football player and a successful businessman. He was one of six brothers, known as the "Poe brothers," who played football at Princeton University. These brothers were distant relatives of the famous author Edgar Allan Poe. Arthur was chosen as the best college football player in the country for 1899. Later, in 1969, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame.
College Football Star
Arthur Poe went to Princeton University. He was named to the All-American team, which means he was one of the best college football players in the nation. He was on the second team in 1898 and the first team in 1899.
The Poe Brothers
Arthur was part of the famous Poe Brothers. There were six of them, all distant cousins of writer Edgar Allan Poe. They all played football for Princeton in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Heroic Plays Against Yale
Arthur made some amazing plays that helped Princeton win against their big rival, Yale.
"Poe's Run" in 1898
In 1898, Arthur made a legendary play known as "Poe's Run." He took the ball right out of a Yale player's hands. Then, he ran 100 yards for the only touchdown of the game. He did this even though he had a bad knee! Later in the same game, he almost did it again. He ran 90 yards with a Yale fumble (when a player drops the ball). But the play was stopped before he could score another touchdown.
Game-Winning Kick in 1899
In 1899, with only 30 seconds left, Arthur volunteered to try a game-winning field goal. A field goal is when a player kicks the ball through the goalposts for points. Princeton's usual kickers were both injured. Even though Arthur had never kicked in a game before, his kick was good! This gave Princeton an 11-10 victory over Yale. In 1914, a newspaper called this last-minute kick "Football's Greatest Moment."
Overcoming Injury
Arthur's success in his junior and senior years at Princeton was incredible. He had a very bad leg injury during his first year. Doctors thought he might never play football again. But he made a remarkable comeback.
Tough and Talented
Arthur was only 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 146 pounds. This was small for a football player back then. But he was a standout on defense. Besides his famous plays against Yale, he also had an 80-yard touchdown run against Navy. He also had a 40-yard run to help beat Brown in his junior year.
Arthur was also the best wrestler at Princeton. His classmates voted him the most popular man in his class. A player named Fred Crolius, who played with Arthur later, described how tough he was. He said Arthur was "about as game a man as the football world ever saw." Crolius also mentioned Arthur's knee, which would often slip out of place. Arthur would quietly ask teammates to "Pull my bum knee back into place." Then he would jump up and keep playing as if nothing happened.
Professional Football Career
After college, Arthur Poe continued to play football professionally.
Homestead Library & Athletic Club
In 1900 and 1901, Poe played for the Homestead Library & Athletic Club. This team won the unofficial professional football championship in both of those years.
Pittsburgh Stars and NFL Title
In 1902, Arthur joined many of his former Homestead teammates. They played for the Pittsburgh Stars in the first National Football League. The Stars went on to win the league championship that year.
Life After Football
After graduating from Princeton in 1900, Arthur Poe married Anne Emerson King in 1904. They moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There, he became a successful businessman.
Working at Quaker Oats
Arthur worked for the Quaker Oats Company. He started as an assistant plant manager and later became the plant manager.
Community Leader
Arthur was also a very active leader in his community in Cedar Rapids. He helped many organizations, including:
- The Red Cross
- The Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce
- The Coe College Board of Trustees
- St. Luke's Hospital
- The Y.M.C.A.
Honored After Death
Arthur Poe passed away in 1951. The Quaker Oats Company honored him by building a chapel on the Coe College campus. It is called the Poe Chapel and was built in his memory.
