Robert Acton (July 26, 1867 – November 22, 1900) was Irish-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 and physician. He attended

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

and he played football as a left

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

for the

Crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, ''Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colo ...

from 1893 to 1895 and was also a member of the rowing team. Acton was the fifth head football coach at

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

, serving for three seasons, from 1896 to 1898, and compiling a record of 10–7–3. He died on November 22, 1900, at Presbyterian Hospital in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

after an overdose of

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a analgesic, pain medication, and is also commonly used recreational drug, recreationally, or to make ...

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acton, R. G. 1867 births 1900 deaths 19th-century players of American football 19th-century American sportsmen 19th-century American physicians 20th-century American physicians American football guards Harvard Crimson football players Vanderbilt Commodores football coaches Harvard Medical School alumni Irish emigrants to the United States Irish players of American football Sportspeople from County Cork Physicians from New York City Drug-related deaths in New York City