Hall of Fame
Position: Tackle
Years: 1914-1916, 1919
Place of Birth: Hamilton, NY
Date of Birth: May 07, 1896
Place of Death: Cooperstown, NY
Date of Death: Sep 11, 1973
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
High School: Hamilton, NY (Colgate Academy), Andover, MA\r(Andover Academy), Highstown, NJ (Peddie Institute)
The grandson of a Civil War general, Belford West led a defensive charge which established Colgate as one of the most feared teams of his era. In the 30 games West played for Colgate, 19 were shutout victories. The 6-2, 195-pound West gave no quarter, earning All-America honors in 1916 and 1919, each time playing the entire season with a critical knee injury. He missed only one play in three varsity seasons at Colgate. West was known as a model tackle in build and execution, blessed with quickness of foot and a devastating charge. An instinctive player, Belford had exceptional range for his size and was said to pride himself in being at the right place at the right time. He was also a fine kicker and set a record with a 52-yard field goal against arch rival Syracuse in a 1919 game. He frequently elected to pass from his punt formation and, it is noted, he rarely threw incomplete. He could pass the ball 70 yards in the air. West played four years at Colgate - 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1919.
