Caspar Whitney selected Hector Cowan for the first-ever All-American team, forever immortalizing this Princeton titan as a pioneer of early college football.
Football Bio
July 12, 1863 – Hobart, New York – Hector William “Hec” Cowan is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame as possibly the member of any of the football halls of fame with the earliest birth date.
Think about it, he was born while the Civil War was still in the news. He was the captain of the Princeton squad in the late 1880’s and, in 1889, was selected by Caspar Whitney to the very first All-American Team as a Tackle, per the FootballFoundation.org.
Yale star Pudge Heffelfinger claimed that Cowan was one of the strongest opponents he ever faced. Heffelfinger was quoted as saying, βHe had the strongest shoulders and arms I’ve ever been up against, and his stubby legs drove like pistons when he carried the ball. Hector could carry a couple of tacklers on his back, yet he was plenty fast in the open.”
Mr. Cowan went on to coach after graduation at North Carolina and Kansas and had success in these duties as well. Eventually, Hec became a Presbyterian Minister while in Missouri.
Hector Cowan pioneered the game of football through his dominant physical presence and innovative leadership on the gridiron. He paved the way for future generations as a standout tackle and trailblazing head coach, leaving an enduring mark on college football history before dedicating his life to the ministry.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1951.
- Inaugural All-American: Selected as a consensus First-Team All-American tackle in 1889 on Caspar Whitney’s first-ever list.
- National Champion: Helped lead the Princeton Tigers to three national championships (1885, 1886, and 1889).
- Team Captain: Served as the captain of the Princeton Tigers during the 1888 season.
- Stellar Collegiate Record: Contributed to a 44-3-1 overall record during his five varsity seasons at Princeton.
- Coaching Pioneer: Served as the first paid head football coach at both the University of North Carolina (1889) and the University of Kansas (1894).
- Conference Champion: Coached the Kansas Jayhawks to a shared WIUFA conference championship in 1895.