Hall of Fame
Position: End
Years: 1908-1910
Place of Birth: New York, NY
Date of Birth: Jun 15, 1889
Place of Death: New York, NY
Date of Death: May 07, 1960
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190
High School: Andover, MA (Andover Academy)
The Princeton Tigers were a phenomenal football team in 1910 and heavy favorites to beat Yale when the Elis came to play in the next-to-last game of the season. Princeton was unbeaten, untied, and unscored-upon. It all ended that day. With the Tigers leading, 3-0, Yale quarterback Art Howe lofted a pass which John Kilpatrick gathered in at the Princeton 23 and carried home for the winning touchdown, worth five points in those days. The victory gave Yale one of the greatest upsets in its' history and a final 6-2-2 record. However, it was the year before, 1909, that the Elis had their best season. Called the greatest defensive unit in Eli football, that club won all 10 games and held each of its opponents scoreless. Kilpatrick was given All-America recognition for his role in the most impressive campaign. Kilpatrick was a tough blocker who was a terror on down-field plays. He was also a highly competent receiver who - as he did in the upset of Princeton - frequently managed to come up with the big play. During Kilpatrick's three varsity seasons, the Elis rolled to a 23-3-3 record. Later, Kilpatrick served for many years as president of New York City's famed Madison Square Garden.
