J. William Williams

John William Williams
Sport(s) College football
Current position
Team Dickinson College
Biographical details
Born September 12, 1880
Ocean View, Delaware
Died May 10, 1908 (aged 27)
Pueblo, Colorado
Playing career
1901–1904 Dickinson College
Position(s) team captain
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1905-1906 Dickinson
Head coaching record
Overall 7-6-2

John William Williams (September 12, 1880 – May 10, 1908) was an American football player and coach. His was one of the early deaths that was at least partially attributed to injuries incurred from a college football game.[1]

Playing history

Williams played college football at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania from 1901 until 1904, where he was team captain.[2] In 1903, he and his teammates defeated Penn State by a score of 6-0[3] while completing their season at 7 wins and 5 losses under coach Charles Hutchins[4] As of completion of the 2007 season, Williams still holds the school record for the most touchdowns in a game with 5 and has several other all-time top achievements, including a 90-yard touchdown return.[5]

At the time, Dickinson was in the Eastern Independent Conference and played games against teams such as Princeton University, Navy, Penn State, and Notre Dame.[6]

Coaching history

After a year of studying law in Virginia, Williams was named the sixth head football coach for his alma mater, the Dickinson College Red Devils[7] and he held that position for two seasons, from 1905 until 1906.[8] His coaching record at Dickinson was 7 wins, 6 losses, and 2 ties.[9] This ranks him 15th at Dickinson in terms of total wins and tenth at Dickinson in terms of winning percentage.[10]

By 1905, the conference had grown to 19 teams, which included adding Penn, Wabash, and Villanova.[11] but had trimmed down to 13 teams by 1906.[12]

Coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Dickinson (Eastern Independent Conference) (1905–1906)
1905 Dickinson 4-3-0
1906 Dickinson 3-3-2
Dickinson: 7-6-2
Total: 7-5-2
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title
†Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl, or College Football Playoff (CFP) game.
#Rankings from final Coaches Poll.

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.[13]

References

  1. ↑ New York Times "HIS DEATH DUE TO FOOTBALL-Injuries of John Williams of Dickinson Developed Into Consumption" May 17, 1908
  2. ↑ Dickinson College Chronicls "John William Williams (1880–1908)"
  3. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Penn State 1903 Football records
  4. ↑ College Football Reference Dickinson College 1903 Records
  5. ↑ Dickinson College Football Guide
  6. ↑ College Football 1901 Conferences
  7. ↑ Dickinson College Football records
  8. ↑ Centennial Conference "2008 Centennial Conference Football Prospectus"
  9. ↑ “The History of Football at Dickinson College, 1885–1969.” Gobrecht, Wilbur J., Chambersburg, PA: Kerr Printing Co., 1971.
  10. ↑ http://www.centennial.org/football/mediaguide/PDF/21-23-Dickinson.pdf
  11. ↑ 1905 Eastern Independent Conference
  12. ↑ 1906 Eastern Independent Conference
  13. ↑ Dickinson College Archives John William Williams