John Beckett (American football)

John Wesley Beckett (January 5, 1892 – July 26, 1981) was an American football player and coach and United States Marine Corps officer. He played college football as a tackle at University of Oregon and for the Mare Island Marines. Beckett was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1972.

John Beckett
Biographical details
Born(1892-01-05)January 5, 1892
Eightmile, Oregon
DiedJuly 26, 1981(1981-07-26) (aged 89)
La Jolla, California
Playing career
1913–1916Oregon
1917Mare Island Marines
1920Buffalo All-Americans
1922Columbus Panhandles
Position(s)Tackle, halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1920Mare Island Marines
1921–1924Quantico Marines
1925San Diego Marines
1926–1928Navy (assistant)
1931–1932San Diego Marines
Head coaching record
Overall56–19–3
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
MVP of 1917 Rose Bowl
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1972 (profile)

Early life

Born in rural northeastern Oregon, Beckett attended Eugene High School in Eugene before enrolling at the University of Oregon.[1]

University of Oregon

Although primarily used as an tackle, Beckett excelled at several positions, occasionally playing halfback and punter.[1] Beckett was the team captain in his senior year of 1916 and was named to the all-Pacific Coast Conference team.[1][2] He led the team to an undefeated record and tie for the conference championship with the University of Washington. Oregon was chosen to represent the conference in the 1917 Rose Bowl where they defeated Pennsylvania, 14–0, with Beckett later named the game's most valuable player.[1][3] Beckett stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and weighed 191 pounds (87 kg).

U.S. Marine Corps service

With the United States' entry in World War I, Beckett joined the Marines in his senior year, and was assigned to the Marine base at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California.[1] He joined the Mare Island football team, coached by Beckett's Oregon coach Hugo Bezdek, and was selected as team captain.[1] With the U.S. at war, the 1918 Rose Bowl featured two service teams: Beckett's Mare Island team and the U.S. Army's Camp Lewis team, with Mare Island winning, 19–7. Beckett is the only person to have been the captain of two different Rose Bowl teams.[1]

Beckett served 50 years in the Marines, coaching Marine teams at Mare Island, Quantico, and San Diego, amassing an overall coaching record of 56–19–3.[1] He achieved a final rank of brigadier general.[1]

Professional career

Beckett also spent two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Buffalo All-Americans and Columbus Panhandles.[4][5]

Legacy

Beckett was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972, and was a charter member of both the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992,[3] and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.[6] He died in La Jolla, California, in 1981.

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Mare Island Marines (Independent) (1920)
1920 Mare Island Marines
Quantico Marines Devil Dogs (Independent) (1921–1924)
1921 Quantico Marines 8–0National Service champions[7]
1922 Quantico Marines 8–0National Service champions[7]
1923 Quantico Marines 7–2–1
1923 Quantico Marines 7–0–1
Quantico Marines: 30–2–2
San Diego Marines (Independent) (1925)
1925 San Diego Marines
San Diego Marines (Independent) (1931–1932)
1931 San Diego Marines 6–4
1932 San Diego Marines
Total:56–19–3
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

  1. "John "Jack" Beckett". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
  2. "All-Pacific Coast Conference Selections". GoDucks.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
  3. "John Beckett". GoDucks.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
  4. "JACK BECKETT". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  5. "Jack Beckett". Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  6. "Hall of Fame Roll of Honor Members". Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  7. "Quantico Football 1918 thru 1942 ROSTERS" (PDF). jarheadjocks.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 19, 2019 via Wayback Machine.
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