William J. Leggett

WiJ. Leggett
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
PositionCaptain
Personal information
Born:(1848-10-12)October 12, 1848
Ghent, New York, U.S.
Died:October 28, 1925(1925-10-28) (aged 77)
Nyack, New York, U.S.
Career history
College
  • Rutgers University (1869–1872)
    New Brunswick Seminary School
High schoolClaverack School
Career highlights and awards
  • Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame (1989)

Reverend William James Leggett (October 12, 1848 – October 28, 1925) was an American college football player who was the team captain of Rutgers in the first college football game.[1]

Leggett was born on October 12, 1848, in Ghent, New York. He went to high school at Claverack and attended college at Rutgers University as well as New Brunswick Theological Seminary.[2] In 1869, he organized a football team of Rutgers classmates to play against Princeton University. 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.[3] Under the guidance of Leggett, Rutgers won the first game in football history 6 to 4.[4] In the second game, Rutgers would lose to Princeton 0 to 8. He graduated from Rutgers 1872.[5] 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.[6] Leggett died on October 28, 1925, in Nyack, New York, from a stroke.[7][8][9][10] He was 77 at the time of his death. He was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.[3]

  1. ^ "Funeral Preparations For Rev. Dr. Wm. Leggett". The Daily Times. October 29, 1925. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "REV. WM. J. LEGGETT DIES FROM PARALYSIS". Courier-Post. October 29, 1925. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ a b "William J. Leggett (1989) - Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame". Rutgers University Athletics.
  4. ^ "It Happened Here First". Rutgers Magazine.
  5. ^ "Rev. William J. Leggett". The Central New Jersey Home News. December 27, 1922. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ "REV. W. J. LEGGETT". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 29, 1925. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ "REV. W. J. LEGGETT DIES AT NYACK, N. Y." The Courier News. October 29, 1925. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ "Rutgers Plans Memorial For Grid Veteran". The Courier News. November 3, 1925. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ "PARALYSIS FATAL TO DR. LEGGETT". The Central New Jersey Home News. October 29, 1925. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "STAR OF FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME DIES". The Daily Record. October 30, 1925. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon