John DeWitt (athlete) facts for kids
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| Princeton Tigers | ||||||||||||||
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| Position | Guard | |||||||||||||
| Class | 1904 | |||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born: | October 29, 1881 Phillipsburg, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Died: | July 28, 1930 (aged 48) New York, New York, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| College | Princeton (1901–1903) | |||||||||||||
| High school | Lawrenceville Prep | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| College Football Hall of Fame (1954) | ||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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John Riegel DeWitt (born October 29, 1881 – died July 28, 1930) was an amazing American athlete. He was famous for playing college football at Princeton University. He also competed in the hammer throw, where he set a world record. John DeWitt even won a silver medal at the 1904 Summer Olympics.
Contents
Early Life and School
John DeWitt was born in October 1881 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. His family later moved to Riegelsville, Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He went to a school called the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey.
College Football Career
John DeWitt was a star football player for the Princeton Tigers. He played from 1901 to 1903. He was so good that he was chosen as an All-American player in both 1902 and 1903.
Starting at Princeton
DeWitt started at Princeton University in 1900. He hurt his hand in his first year, so he couldn't play football then. But in his second and third years, he became a key player. He helped the 1901 and 1902 Princeton Tigers football teams win many games. They only lost to their big rival, Yale.
John mostly played as a guard. He also played some tackle. People knew him as an amazing kicker. He could make incredible drop kicks and punt kicks. After the 1902 season, a famous sports writer named Walter Camp picked DeWitt for the All-America team.
Leading the 1903 Team
In December 1902, John DeWitt's teammates chose him to be the captain. He led the 1903 Princeton Tigers football team. Before the season, a newspaper said he was "the greatest athlete in the colleges of America today." They also said he was perhaps the best field goal kicker ever.
DeWitt led his team to an amazing season in 1903. They won all 11 of their games! They scored 259 points and only let opponents score 5 points. Many experts say the 1903 Princeton team was the national champion that year.
Winning Against Yale
The most important game was against Yale. Princeton hadn't beaten Yale since 1899. DeWitt was the hero of this game, scoring all of Princeton's points in their 11–6 victory.
In the first half, he picked up a Yale fumble and ran 73 yards for a touchdown! The game was tied 6–6 with only one minute left. DeWitt then kicked a game-winning field goal from far away. It was worth five points back then.
A newspaper described how tough DeWitt was during the game. He had bandages on his head and wrist. His jersey was torn off, showing his strong muscles. Everyone watched as he made the winning kick. The ball flew "straight as an arrow" between the goal posts.
During John DeWitt's three years, Princeton's football team had an amazing record. They won 28 games, lost only 2, and tied 1. Both losses were against Yale.
In 2009, the National Football Foundation looked back at old football seasons. They chose John DeWitt as the best player for 1903. He was also named a runner-up for 1902. Walter Camp, the famous sports writer, even put him on an all-time All-America team. Many people think he was Princeton's greatest football player ever. He was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
Track and Field Achievements
Besides football, John DeWitt was also a great track and field athlete. He was part of Princeton's track team. In 1903, he set a new record in the hammer throw. He threw the hammer 168 feet and four inches!
He represented the United States at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. In the hammer throw competition, he won the silver medal. Another American, John Flanagan, won the gold. But Flanagan's winning throw was not as far as DeWitt's record from the year before.
Later Life
After finishing college at Princeton, John DeWitt worked for a company called National Bag Corp. He married Elsie Casey in 1915. He also helped coach the Princeton football team for a while. John DeWitt passed away in July 1930 when he was 49 years old.
