Everett Bacon pioneered the forward pass and dazzled fans as an all-around athletic superstar for Wesleyan.
Football Bio
August 18, 1890 – Everett Bacon, a quarterback from Wesleyan College, was born.
The College Football Hall of Fame inducted Everett in 1966 for his legendary play. Bacon was voted an All-American after the 1910 and 1912 seasons. [National Football Foundation]
He was also a star athlete on the baseball diamond and basketball court, and excelled at tennis and golf too.
Starting in 1936, Wesleyan has awarded the C. Everett Bacon Award to the school’s most valuable football player.
Everett Bacon transformed collegiate football by embracing the forward pass, and he cemented an incredible athletic legacy that Wesleyan still honors today.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1966.
- All-American Honors: Named an All-American in both 1910 and 1912.
- Forward Pass Pioneer: Helped revolutionize the sport by successfully integrating the forward pass into the offense.
- Namesake Award: Wesleyan awards the C. Everett Bacon Trophy annually to the football program’s most valuable player.
- Four-Sport Star: Captained the basketball team, served as the top pitcher in baseball while hitting over .400, and won a New England doubles tennis championship in 1910.
- Namesake Facility: Wesleyan’s 70,000-square-foot field house is named Bacon Field House in his honor.
