John William Williams (September 12, 1880 – May 10, 1908) was an American

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

player and coach. His was one of the early deaths that was at least partially attributed to injuries incurred from a college football game.

Playing career

Williams played

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...

from 1901 until 1904, where he was team captain. In 1903, he and his teammates defeated

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

by a score of 6–0 while completing their season at 7 wins and 5 losses under coach Charles Hutchins As of completion of the 2007 season, Williams still holds the school record for the most touchdowns in a game with five and has several other all-time top achievements, including a 90-yard touchdown return.

Coaching career

After a year of studying law in Virginia, Williams was named the sixth head football coach for his alma mater,

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

and he held that position for two seasons, from 1905 until 1906. His coaching record at Dickinson was 7–6–2.

Personal life

Williams's health deteriorated while coaching and he was forced to resign in the spring of 1907. He returned to his home state of Delaware that summer until the autumn of 1907 working at a local business. It became clear that he was suffering from tuberculosis, and he decided to move west to Pueblo, Colorado. In Colorado, Williams taught physics and chemistry in the local public school system until he died at age twenty seven on May 10, 1908.Dickinson College Archives
John William Williams

Head coaching record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, J. William 1880 births 1908 deaths Dickinson Red Devils football coaches Dickinson Red Devils football players People from Ocean View, Delaware Sportspeople from Sussex County, Delaware 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Colorado