John De Witt

Bio

In the 1903 game with Yale, Princeton's ten-game winning streak was in jeopardy when the Yale scored the first points of the season against the Tigers. The Elis were about to increase their 6-0 lead as Ledyard Mitchell set to drop-kick a field goal. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, came the rush of guard, John De Witt. He caught the ball in mid-air and raced 70 yards for a Tiger touchdown, then kicked the conversion point that tied the game at 6-6. Late in the contest, De Witt struck again, this time on a 53-yard field goal which provided the winning points in an 11-6 Princeton victory. Princeton finished the season at 11-0-0 and won the national championship, due largely to the efforts of this drop-kick specialist. But De Witt was more than a kicking machine. He was a relentless blocker and tackler. A consensus All-America selection in 1902 and 1903, De Witt had brought a definite brilliance to the forward wall on those great teams of coach "Doc" Hillebrand. During De Witt's three varsity seasons, the Tigers were 28-21.

Career Highlights

• 1903 Consensus All-America
• 1902 Consensus All-America