| Harvard Crimson | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard, Center |
| Class | Graduate |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 18, 1865 Sheridan, New York, U.S. |
| Died: | December 17, 1931 (aged 66) Waban, Massachusetts, U.S.[1] |
| Career history | |
| College | Harvard (1889–1890) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
John Samuel Cranston (November 18, 1865 – December 17, 1931) was an American football player and coach. He played for Harvard University from 1888 to 1890. He was selected as an All-American in 1889 and 1890—the first years in which College Football All-America Teams were selected. He was also the first football player to wear protective "nose armor", which was invented by a Harvard teammate to protect his "weak nose". He later served as a football coach at Harvard from 1893 to 1903. During the 1905 football reform movement, Cranston was part of the reformist camp and proposed the abolition of professional coaches.