John William Scarbrough (October 20, 1885 – March 3, 1960) was a

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.

Early years

John William Scarbrough was born on October 20, 1885 in

Rockdale, Texas Rockdale is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,323 at the 2020 census. It is about 41 miles west of College Station. History In 1873, the town developed as the International-Great Northern Railroad ...

to Eugene Monroe Scarbrough and Ada Ledbetter.

Sewanee

Scarbrough was an All-Southern

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

for the

Sewanee Tigers The University of the South, familiarly known as Sewanee (), is a private Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by 28 Province 4 of the Epis ...

of Sewanee: The University of the South, and

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of its team in 1905. On the dedication of

Harris Stadium McGee Field/Harris Stadium (officially Benjamin Humphreys McGee Field at Eugene O. Harris Stadium) located in Sewanee, Tennessee is the home of the Sewanee Tigers football and lacrosse teams. It was dedicated as McGee Field at homecoming on Octobe ...

, one writer noted "The University of the South has numbered among its athletes some of the greatest. Anyone who played against giant Henry Phillips in 1901-1903 felt that he was nothing less than the best as guard and fullback. Anyone who ever saw a punt from the foot of J. W. Scarbrough." He scored the Tigers' only points in the 68 to 4 loss to Vanderbilt.

References

1885 births 1960 deaths American football quarterbacks American football punters Sewanee Tigers football players Players of American football from Texas People from Rockdale, Texas All-Southern college football players {{collegefootball-player-stub