King, Phil

Philip King

King was a legendary football (and baseball) star for Princeton 1890-93. In the days of the flying wedge, when there were no forward passes thrown, this diminutive athlete led his team at halfback and quarterback; and, in an era when the team captain was a virtual coach, Phil captained both the baseball and football teams. He declined offers to play professionally in both sports, and became a spectacularly successful coach -- in both sports. When he graduated with his class in 1893, it was as Class Salutatorian; he then obtained a law degree from N.Y.U. three years later.

A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, he was one of those whom Theodore Roosevelt called together to create the rules of modern football.* When he returned to his home town of Washington, he became as successful in business as he was in everything else, he was unanimously elected President of Washington's Merchants and Manufacturer's Association. He also became one of Washington's first outstanding golfers.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. March 16, 1872 - d. January 7, 1938

Career Highlights:
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. That year, he scored 29 touchdowns -- 18 of them in two consecutive weeks! He was a first-team All-American from 1891-1893, one of the few four-time All-American selections the game has ever known (he was an All-American at baseball, too!).

In 1891, he switched from halfback to quarterback; and while he scored no touchdowns from that position, he was more valuable to the team. He led them undefeated and unscored upon into the final game, where they fell to Yale. In 1892, King was elected captain of the team and returned to halfback. In this era, the captain of the team was virtually the coach, and King was considered the finest captain in the country. King scored 21 touchdowns that year, but Princeton lost the final two games to Penn and the mighty Yale team.

King returned to Princeton for the 1893 season, although he declined to be captain. As quarterback, King led the Tigers to an undefeated season going into the Yale game. The Bulldogs had not lost in 37 games -- but Princeton won the contest 6-0, and King so dominated the game that The New York World said, "In all around playing the doughty little Princetonian outplayed Frankie (Hinkey)."* (Hinkey was Yale's captain and star player).

King coached Princeton in 1894, the first paid coach at the school, and coached Wisconsin from 1896-1902, winning 3 conference championships. His 1901 team was undefeated and yielded only 5 points in the entire season. He also coached Wisconsin's baseball squad, and won two conference championships in that sport as well. When he returned to Washington, he took over the Georgetown baseball program, and turned them into a major eastern power that dominated their competition in compiling a 22-2 record.

Origin:
Washington, D.C.

Career Dates:
King played quarterback and halfback at Princeton University, 1891-1893. He was later Head Coach at Wisconsin and Princeton.

Physical description:
5'5 1/2", 151 pounds

Career Statistics:
As a college star at Princeton, King totaled 55 touchdowns, 56 conversions, and a legacy of leadership. As a college coach, he compiled a record of 74-14-1.

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