Sidney John Watson (May 4, 1932 – April 25, 2004) was an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player and college
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
coach. He played
halfback in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. He played
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 ...
at
Northeastern University
Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
. He was also the head hockey coach at
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...
from 1959 to 1983.
Early life
Watson was born in
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 387. As of th ...
and attended
Punchard High School.
College career
Watson attended and played
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
as a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
at
Northeastern University
Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
, where he averaged more than 100 rushing yards per game and 7.1 yards per carry during his career.
He played on Northeastern's 1951 undefeated team, and was chosen Little All America in 1953 and captained the 1954 team.
He still holds Northeastern's school records for most single-season points (74)
and held the record for most career points (191) until 1997.
In addition to lettering in football for three years, Watson also received one letter in
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
and three in
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
.
Professional football career
After graduating from college, Watson played in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
from 1955 to 1957. He then played with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in 1958.
Hockey coaching career
Watson became co-head coach of the
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team with C. Nels Corey in 1958.
He then became the full head coach in 1959, a position he held until 1983. While coach, he led the Polar Bears to the
ECAC 2 playoffs 16 times and won
conference championships in 1971, 1975, 1976 and 1978.
Watson was awarded the
Eddie Jeremiah Memorial Trophy, recognizing the national Small College Coach of the year in 1970, 1971 and 1978.
In 2001, he was awarded the prestigious
Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award
The Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award is an annual award presented by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee to honor "one of the all-time great contributors to the game of college hockey."
In 1981, the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Comm ...
.
Head coaching record
Administrator career
After retiring as a coach, Watson served as Bowdoin's
Athletic Director
An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...
. He was also the chairman of the NCAA ice Hockey Rules and Tournament Committee for six years, and served as president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and a member of the board of governors of the American College Hockey Coaches Association.
Legacy
In 1996, Bowdoin dedicated the Sidney J. Watson Fitness Facility in his honor.
In 2004, following Watson's death, the Division III Men's Player of the Year Award was renamed the
Sid Watson Award. In 2009, Bowdoin named their new ice hockey arena the
Sidney J. Watson Arena, which holds approximately 2,300 spectators and is
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a
green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
(LEED) certified.
Personal life
Watson was married and had five children and 11 grandchildren. He died after suffering a
Myocardial infarction
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...
in
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the historical city (i.e. in the immediate vicinity of downtown Naples) was 19,115. Naples is a principal city of the Naples-Marco Island, Flori ...
on April 25, 2004.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Sid
1932 births
2004 deaths
People from Andover, Massachusetts
American football halfbacks
Northeastern Huskies football players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Washington Redskins players
American ice hockey coaches
American men's ice hockey players
Ice hockey coaches from Massachusetts
Bowdoin Polar Bears men's ice hockey coaches
Northeastern Huskies men's ice hockey players
Northeastern Huskies men's basketball players
Players of American football from Essex County, Massachusetts
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Essex County, Massachusetts
Ice hockey players from Massachusetts