John DeWitt (athlete)

John Riegel DeWitt (October 29, 1881 – July 28, 1930) was an American athlete, including a legendary college football player. As a track and field athlete, DeWitt competed mainly in the hammer throw.[1] He competed for the United States in the 1904 Summer Olympics held in St. Louis in the hammer throw where he won the silver medal.[2]

John DeWitt

Princeton Tigers
Position	Guard
Class	1904
Career history
College	Princeton (1901–1903)
High school	Lawrenceville Prep
Personal information
Born:	(1881-10-29)October 29, 1881 Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Died:	July 28, 1930(1930-07-28) (aged 48) New York, New York
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	198 lb (90 kg)
Career highlights and awards
All-American (1902, 1903)
College Football Hall of Fame (1954)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1904 St Louis Hammer throw

He was also a prominent guard and kicker for the Princeton Tigers football team.[3] In an attempt to name retroactive Heisman Trophy winners, Dewitt was awarded it for 1903.[4] Walter Camp placed him on an all-time All-America team.[5] One writer calls him Princeton's greatest football player.[6] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.[7]

References

1. Matthews, George R. (1 January 2005). America's First Olympics: The St. Louis Games Of 1904. University of Missouri Press – via Internet Archive.
2. Call, The Morning. "John DeWitt: Two-time football All-American from Riegelsville won a silver in the 1904 Olympics".
3. "John DeWitt Bio, Stats, and Results". Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2016-09-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. Camp, Walter (1 January 1910). The Book of Foot-ball. Century Company – via Internet Archive.
6. "Princeton Alumni Weekly". princeton alumni weekly. 1 January 1919 – via Google Books.
7. John DeWitt at the College Football Hall of Fame