Reverend William James Leggett (October 12, 1848 – October 28, 1925) 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 who was the team captain of

Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...

in the first college football game. William Leggett was born on October 12, 1848 in

Ghent, New York Ghent is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States, with a ZIP code of 12075. The population was 5,303 at the 2020 census, down from the 2010 census. Ghent is centrally located in the county and is northeast of the city of Hudson. His ...

. He went to high school at Claverack and attended college at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

as well as New Brunswick Theological Seminary. In 1869, he organized a football team of Rutgers classmates to play against

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

. He was named captain by his teammates. Shortly before the game started, Leggett and William S. Gummere, the Princeton captain, developed the rules of play. Under the guidance of Leggett, Rutgers won the first game in football history 6 to 4. In the second game, Rutgers would lose to Princeton 0 to 8. He graduated from Rutgers 1872. In 1875, Leggett became a pastor, which was his occupation until 1917. After 1917 he became the vice president of the Dutch Reformed Church where he would serve until his death in 1925. Leggett died on October 28, 1925 in

Nyack, New York Nyack () is a Village (New York), village located primarily in the Town (New York), town of Orangetown, New York, Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, Rockland County, New York (state), New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, it retai ...

from a stroke. He was 77 at the time of his death. He was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.

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* 1848 births 1925 deaths 19th-century players of American football Rutgers Scarlet Knights football players Players of American football from New York (state) {{Collegefootball-player-stub