James Bond (American football)

James Donald Bond Jr. (February 14, 1894[1] – April 9, 1956) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh from 1915 to 1920, with his career being interrupted by military service and injuries sustained in World War I. He also played in the National Football League for the Brooklyn Lions in 1926. He coached college football at Centre College (1922), the University of Buffalo (1923), Canisius College (1924), and Albright College (1925).

James Bond

Born:	(1894-02-14)February 14, 1894 Painesville, Ohio
Died:	April 9, 1956(1956-04-09) (aged 62) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Career information
Position(s)	Guard
College	Pittsburgh
Career history
As coach
1922	Centre (assistant)
1923	Buffalo
1924	Canisius (assistant)
1925	Albright
As player
1915–1916	Pittsburgh
1919–1920	Pittsburgh
1926	Brooklyn Lions
As athletic director
1925–1926	Albright
Career stats
Head coaching record	4–11–1
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	U.S. Army
Years of service	1916–1918
Unit	82nd Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War I Western Front Battle of Saint-Mihiel

Pittsburgh

Bond from "The Owl" of 1922

Bond was born in Painesville, Ohio, and grew up in the Morningside neighborhood in Pittsburgh.[2] He attended Central High School in Pittsburgh, where he competed for the school's football, baseball, and track teams.[2]

In 1914, Bond enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh and played college football as a reserve guard in 1915 and 1916 for the Pittsburgh Panthers under head coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner. His college career was interrupted by military service during World War I. He was assigned to Camp Gordon, where he played for the camp's football team. He was subsequently deployed with the 82nd Infantry Division to France where he was "wounded and gassed" at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel.[2]

After several months recuperating, Bond returned to Pitt in August 1919.[2] The Pittsburgh Press reported on Bond's return as follows: "Jim Bond ... is another hero of the world war, and was injured in action in France. He has entirely recovered from his wound, and will be with the Panthers this fall."[3] After the 1919 Pitt-West Virginia game, one sports columnist wrote: "Pop Warner did not have to waste much time in making a guard out of Bond, who looks like a find."[4] He played for Pitt's varsity football teams in 1919 and 1920, graduating in 1921.[2]

Coaching career

Bond began his coaching career as an assistant coach under Charley Moran at Centre College in 1922.[2] Centre's 1922 team finished with an 8-2 record, including victories over Clemson (21–0), Ole Miss (55–0), Virginia Tech (10–6), Louisville (32–7), Kentucky (27–3), and South Carolina (42–0), and a narrow loss to Auburn (6–0).[5] After only one year at Centre, Bond was hired as the head coach of the University of Buffalo football team. In his one season at Buffalo, the 1923 Bisons compiled a 2–5–1 record.[6] Bond resigned as the team's head coach at the end of the season[7] He subsequently served as a football coach at Canisius College in 1924 and the athletic director and football coach at Albright College from 1925 through the spring of 1926.[2][8]

Brooklyn Lions

In the spring of 1926, Bond retired from coaching and returned to Pittsburgh.[2] In the fall of 1926, Bond played one season of professional football as a guard for the Brooklyn Lions of the National Football League. He started two games for the Lions.[1][9]

Later years

Bond was later employed by a refining company in Pittsburgh. He also worked as a baseball umpire and served as an official of the Pittsburgh Umpires Association.[2] At the time of the 1930 U.S. Census, Bond was living in Pittsburgh and working as a salesman for an oil refining company.[10] As of April 1942, Bond was living in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was employed by the Atlantic Refining Company.[11] He died on April 9, 1956 in Pittsburgh.[12]

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Buffalo Bisons (Independent) (1923)
1923	Buffalo	2–5–1
Buffalo:		2–5–1
Albright Red and White (Independent) (1925)
1925	Albright	2–6
Albright:		2–6
Total:		4–11–1

See also

• List of Brooklyn Lions players

References

1. "Jim Bond Career Statistics". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
2. "Notable Grid Star -- Good Umpire: Jim Bond Climaxes Fine Athletic Career as Arbiter". The Pittsburgh Press. May 5, 1929.
3. "Panther Grid Candidates Will Leave for Camp Next Week". The Pittsburgh Press. August 31, 1919.
4. D.A. Donovan (October 16, 1919). "Allegheny or Westinghouses Faces Grid Elimination". The Gazette Times.
5. Centre College 1922
6. "1923 Buffalo Football," University at Buffalo Sports History Collection - November 29, 2013.
7. "Bond Resigns As Buffalo Grid Coach". Rochester Evening Journal. December 1, 1923.
8. "Jim Bond Named Coach". The Pittsburgh Press. August 5, 1925.
9. "Jim Bond Player Page". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
10. Census entry for James D. Bond, age 36, born in Ohio, and wife Harriet. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Year: 1930; Census Place: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1974; Page: 53A; Enumeration District: 158; Image: 153.0; FHL microfilm: 2341708.
11. Draft registration card for James Donald Bond, born February 14, 1894, in Painesville, Ohio. Wife's name Harriet. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; State Headquarters: Pennsylvania; Microfilm Series: M1951; Microfilm Roll: 27.
12. "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPC1-G68M : 17 October 2019), James Donald Bond, 25 Mar 1919; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.