By Darin Imagine a freshman stepping onto the field for the first time and scoring 11 touchdowns in a single game. It sounds like a tall tale from the dawn of the gridiron, but for Princeton’s Philip King, it was just the opening act of a Hall of Fame career. A 5’6″ dynamo with “curly hair and deceptive speed,” King dominated the 1890s like few others, serving as a four-time All-American and a pioneer coach. From his record-shattering debut against Columbia to leading the Wisconsin Badgers to Big Ten glory, King was the ultimate “fireplug” of football’s foundational years.
Football Bio
Have you ever heard of something as jaw-dropping as a freshman quarterback scoring eleven, yes, one more than ten, touchdowns in one varsity college football game? Surely something like this has to be conjured up by Disney or the Brothers Grimm, but no, my friends, this actually occurred. It was a game in 1890 when Princeton University entertained Columbia in an early stocking cap era game. Statistics were not as well maintained as they are today so it is hard to imagine how many yards this curly haired 5′-6″ first year player accumulated in the 19th century contest, but we do know that even though a TD was worth only 5 points in that era of football 55 points is still an extremely high amount of points for a team let alone an individual player to put up in a single game.
Let’s introduce the man who accomplished the feat. He was born on March 16, 1872, in Washington, D.C., and was the legendary Princeton University quarterback from 1890 to 1893, Philip King. As a matter of fact, according to the JewsinSports.org website, King made his first appearance for Princeton in the fourth game of the 1890 season, and subsequently scored a 25-yard touchdown on his first carry.
Phil became the captain of the football and baseball squads at Princeton, and remember, when you were the captain back in that era of sports, you were basically the coach too. That Freshman year, King scored 29 touchdowns, 18 of them in two consecutive weeks, and remember, he didn’t even play until the fourth week of the season! His four-year career as quarterback of the Orange and Black would include 50 touchdowns and 56 conversion kicks.
King was a first-team All-American from 1891-1893, one of the few four-time All-Americans the game has ever known (he was also an All-American in baseball). The article goes on to say that Phil declined offers to play professionally in both sports and subsequently became a successful coach in both after graduating in 1893. On the gridiron, he was the head coach at the University of Wisconsin from 1896 to 1902 and again in 1905, compiling a 65-11-1 record.
Conclusion
Philip King’s impact on the game extends far beyond a single 11-touchdown performance. As a player, he was the heart of a Princeton dynasty that defined the “flying wedge” era; as a coach, he was the architect of the first two Big Ten championships at Wisconsin. His transition from a “cunning runner” to a tactical mastermind helped shape the transition from Victorian-era mob play to the structured sport we recognize today. Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962 was a fitting tribute to a man who was, quite literally, the captain of his era.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted as a player in 1962.
- 3× Consensus All-American: 1891, 1892, 1893 (Quarterback).
- Freshman Scoring Record: Scored 11 touchdowns in a single game vs. Columbia (1890).
- National Champion: Led Princeton to a perfect 11–0 season and the national title in 1893.
- Dual-Sport Star: All-American in both football and baseball at Princeton.
- Wisconsin Coaching Legend: Won three Western Conference (Big Ten) titles (1896, 1897, 1901).
- Winningest Coach History: Held the record for most wins at Wisconsin until 1999.
- Gridiron Stats: Totaled 50 touchdowns and 56 conversion kicks during his Tigers career.
- Integrative Leadership: Served as the first paid head coach in Princeton football history (1894).
