317:"I have had several serious sicknesses since I left college which I attribute to the great strain of my athletic training. On the whole I can't say that athletics have benefitted me any in my business career. I sincerely believe I would have been better off in my life since college if I had left athletics alone. ... I've never received any benefit in business life from athletics. I am not a broken down man by any means, but I only speak the truth when I say I should have been better off had I left athletics alone."
287:"John Cranston played at Harvard in 1888, 1889 and 1890, two years as centre and one as guard on the 'varsity team. In his freshman year he rowed on the 'varsity crew, and before entering college played four years of football at Exeter. He stands as the best center Harvard ever boasted, and his long experience in football, and his past coaching, coupled with remarkable business ability, should work wonders with the Crimson candidates when they report for the eleven next September."
207:"John Cranston, the Crimson's center rusher, is one of the oldest and strongest men on either team. He has played four years on the Harvard team, becoming center rusher in his freshman year. He played a right guard in the two following years, but returned to his old place, because there was no one else to fill the old place. Cranston is aggressive and active and always gives his opponent a great deal of work."
254:"By the invention of nose armor football players who have been hitherto barred from the field because of broken or weak noses are now able to thrust an armor protected nose (even though it be broken) into the center of the roughest scrimmage without danger to the sensitive nasal organ. The armor is made of fine rubber and protects both the nose and teeth."
264:
232:"Cranston is another man who will be missed. Year before last he played in the center but last year he was the left guard. Late in the Spring Cranston withdrew from college, and in all probability will not enter Harvard again. Although his game last year was not up to his usual standard, he was an extremely valuable man."
148:
from 1888 to 1890. He was selected as an All-American in 1889 and 1890—the first years in which
College Football All-America Teams were selected. He was also the first football player to wear protective "nose armor", which was invented by a Harvard teammate to protect his "weak nose". He later served
245:
game. Football was a brutal game that resulted in many serious injuries and deaths in the 19th century, prior to modern innovations of helmets and padding. Though he was an excellent football player, Cranston was known to have "a weak nose." In order to protect
Cranston's nose, and to allow him to
291:
Cranston took over as head coach after
Harvard lost to Yale, 23–0, in 1902. He told reporters that Harvard's prospect were not good, and the team would have to work hard, and talk less, if it were to rebound. Cranston said the team had the 23-0 score from the prior year "printed right on the
305:
rejected the proposal. Lewis argued that
Cranston's undergraduate coaching system would result in "the blind leading the blind," and suggested that universities might then also consider doing away with professors and tutors, leaving college students to go to school and "dig for themselves."
215:
wrote that
Cranston was not a great blocker and "is rather pugnacious and wastes time splitting heads; but he is a strong, heavy man, and will do his part very nearly as it ought to be done." At the end of the 1890 season, Cranston was again selected for on the
295:
In 1905, college football was struck by scandals involving professionalism, as some schools were accused of hiring "ringers," and also by concerns over the sport's brutality and injuries. Cranston sided with the reformers and published an article in the
300:
advocating that universities ban the use of professional coaches and require that only university undergraduates may be involved in coaching. The proposal was endorsed by the reform movement, though
Harvard's long-time assistant coach
191:
170:
in 1887. As a freshman in
November 1888, he began playing center after a knee injury to Harvard's starting center, Findlay. In 1889, a Pennsylvania newspaper described Cranston as "a capital center rusher and snapper back."
1347:
1196:
198:
In 1890, a newspaper reported that "the former invincible
Cranston" was not playing to the level he had in 1889 -- "The old men, instead of improving with age, are rather deteriorating in the quality of their play."
707:
1074:
275:
Cranston also rowed with
Harvard's crew. Cranston returned to Harvard as an assistant football coach in 1893 and became one of the leading coaches at the school over the next several years, helping
1542:
1340:
1189:
149:
as a football coach at
Harvard from 1893 to 1903. During the 1905 football reform movement, Cranston was part of the reformist camp and proposed the abolition of professional coaches.
1537:
1333:
1182:
574:("It is said that Captain Cumnock, of Harvard, invented the nose armor so that Cranston, the great Harvard centre rush, who had a weak nose, could play with the crimson eleven.")
700:
1502:
1067:
250:
invented a device that he called "nose armor." Cumnock's invention gained popularity, and in 1892, a newspaper article described the growing popularity of the device:
1527:
693:
1060:
313:
opining that athletics were being overdone at universities. Under the headline, "Wishes He Had Not Been a Famous Athlete When In College," Cranston wrote:
1522:
1517:
1532:
1356:
1205:
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123:
1018:
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922:
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of New York called Cranston one of Harvard's best men, and experienced player who was "as strong as a bull." Cranston was selected as a
882:
850:
1507:
1440:
1313:
1222:
1083:
371:
1512:
217:
119:
1424:
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develop the centers. In March 1903, Cranston was appointed as Harvard's head football coach. At the time of his appointment, the
954:
366:
533:"The Harvard Foot-Ball Eleven: The Crimson Rushers On An Edge; The Finest Eleven that has ever Gone out of Cambridge".
221:
39:
176:
35:
716:
352:
104:
1325:
1174:
1136:
167:
834:
1497:
1492:
1381:
1101:
88:
1397:
1052:
1039:
674:
John S. Cranston (June 22, 1905). "Wishes That He Had Not Been a Famous Athlete When in College".
629:"Cranston Appointed Head Football Coach: Old Center Will Direct Harvard Eleven's Play Next Fall".
1448:
1297:
1146:
874:
241:
Cranston was also noteworthy as the first player to wear equipment to protect his face during an
163:
145:
71:
1265:
1158:
858:
802:
790:
778:
503:"Walter Camp Picks Princeton: Experience Should Enable the Orange and Black to Beat Harvard".
242:
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842:
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685:
309:
Cranston drew further attention in late 1905 when he published a further article in the
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1111:
930:
898:
762:
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184:
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1026:
986:
970:
914:
810:
548:"Harvard's Bright Prospects: Her Kickers Are Hard at Work Already and Ought to Win".
1281:
1238:
1126:
978:
890:
644:"Harvard Football Practise Has Begun: Head Coach Cranston Says Work is Watchword".
429:
1456:
1389:
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1116:
1096:
962:
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938:
826:
994:
488:"As To Football: Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Union of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan".
263:
190:
659:"Coaches and Athletes Say Cranston Undergraduate System Impractical".
473:"College Kickers: The Football Teams of Yale, Harvard and Princeton".
262:
189:
1329:
1178:
1056:
1043:
689:
457:
Dunkirk Evening Observer (reprinted from The New York Tribune)
428:
Harvard Alumni Association; Associated Harvard Clubs (1931).
203:
offered a more positive take on Cranston in November 1890:
1407:
1364:
1256:
1213:
246:play on Harvard's football team, Harvard's captain
111:
100:
95:
78:
58:
53:
45:
31:
26:
1543:Players of American football from New York (state)
1085:1890 Harvard Crimson football—national champions
1045:John Cranston—championships, awards, and honors
140:(November 18, 1865 – December 17, 1931) was an
16:American football player and coach (1865–1931)
1538:Sportspeople from Chautauqua County, New York
1341:
1190:
1068:
701:
8:
21:
271:he wished he had not been a famous athlete.
1348:
1334:
1326:
1197:
1183:
1175:
1075:
1061:
1053:
1040:
708:
694:
686:
283:summarized his accomplishments as follows:
20:
1503:19th-century players of American football
166:, Cranston began his football career at
468:
466:
325:
228:reported that Cranston had left Harvard:
563:
561:
559:
420:
1357:1890 College Football All-America Team
1206:1889 College Football All-America Team
1528:All-American college football players
718:Harvard Crimson head football coaches
400:
386:
7:
450:
448:
181:College Football All-American Team
14:
237:First player to wear "nose armor"
218:College Football All-America Team
1523:Harvard Crimson football players
1518:Harvard Crimson football coaches
601:The Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette
588:. Decatur, IL. December 4, 1892.
144:player and coach. He played for
492:. Warren, PA. October 25, 1889.
25:
1533:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni
507:. New York. November 16, 1889.
1:
112:Career highlights and awards
267:In 1905, Cranston told the
1559:
1508:American football centers
1092:
1050:
725:
614:"Men of Harvard's Crew".
408:
396:
365:
350:
259:Harvard crew and coaching
116:
1513:American football guards
292:seats of our trousers."
1137:Hiland Orlando Stickney
599:"Football Nose Armor".
584:"Football Nose Armor".
568:"Football Nose Armor".
431:Harvard Alumni Bulletin
168:Phillips Exeter Academy
835:William Cameron Forbes
646:Boston Morning Journal
631:Boston Morning Journal
535:Springfield Republican
319:
289:
281:Boston Morning Journal
272:
256:
234:
213:Springfield Republican
209:
195:
552:. September 21, 1891.
518:"College Athletics".
315:
285:
266:
252:
230:
205:
193:
1359:consensus selections
1208:consensus selections
618:. February 22, 1891.
572:. November 29, 1892.
537:. November 20, 1890.
522:. November 10, 1890.
459:. November 24, 1890.
322:Head coaching record
201:The New York Tribune
138:John Samuel Cranston
89:Waban, Massachusetts
54:Personal information
1398:Sheppard Homans Jr.
603:. December 6, 1892.
477:. November 8, 1888.
327:
220:, this time as the
23:
1449:Pudge Heffelfinger
1298:Pudge Heffelfinger
1147:Joshua Damon Upton
875:Edgar Wrightington
676:The Boston Journal
661:The Boston Journal
616:The New York Times
570:The Olean Democrat
550:The New York Times
326:
273:
226:The New York Times
196:
164:Sheridan, New York
146:Harvard University
72:Sheridan, New York
1480:
1479:
1474:
1473:
1323:
1322:
1266:Amos Alonzo Stagg
1172:
1171:
1159:George A. Stewart
1037:
1036:
859:John Wells Farley
803:William A. Brooks
791:George A. Stewart
779:George A. Stewart
648:. March 31, 1903.
633:. March 19, 1903.
520:Salt Lake Tribune
412:
411:
361:
243:American football
142:American football
135:
134:
82:December 17, 1931
69:November 18, 1865
1550:
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1459:
1451:
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1435:
1427:
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1376:
1350:
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1316:
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1276:
1268:
1249:
1241:
1233:
1225:
1199:
1192:
1185:
1176:
1155:
1142:Bernard Trafford
1086:
1077:
1070:
1063:
1054:
1041:
1030:
1022:
1014:
1006:
998:
990:
982:
974:
966:
958:
950:
942:
934:
926:
918:
910:
902:
894:
886:
878:
870:
862:
854:
846:
843:Benjamin Dibblee
838:
830:
822:
814:
806:
798:
786:
774:
766:
758:
750:
742:
734:
719:
710:
703:
696:
687:
680:
679:
671:
665:
664:
663:. June 29, 1905.
656:
650:
649:
641:
635:
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626:
620:
619:
611:
605:
604:
596:
590:
589:
586:The Daily Review
581:
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545:
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485:
479:
478:
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460:
452:
443:
442:
440:
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425:
359:
328:
303:William H. Lewis
277:William H. Lewis
85:
68:
66:
24:
1558:
1557:
1553:
1552:
1551:
1549:
1548:
1547:
1483:
1482:
1481:
1476:
1475:
1470:
1462:
1454:
1446:
1438:
1433:Marshall Newell
1430:
1422:
1417:Frank Hallowell
1414:
1403:
1395:
1387:
1379:
1371:
1360:
1354:
1324:
1319:
1311:
1303:
1295:
1290:Charles O. Gill
1287:
1279:
1271:
1263:
1252:
1244:
1236:
1231:Roscoe Channing
1228:
1223:Edgar Allan Poe
1220:
1209:
1203:
1173:
1168:
1164:George C. Adams
1153:
1132:Marshall Newell
1122:Frank Hallowell
1088:
1084:
1081:
1046:
1038:
1033:
1025:
1017:
1009:
1001:
993:
985:
977:
969:
961:
953:
945:
937:
929:
921:
913:
907:Wingate Rollins
905:
897:
889:
881:
873:
865:
857:
849:
841:
833:
825:
819:Lorin F. Deland
817:
809:
801:
795:Everett J. Lake
789:
783:George C. Adams
777:
769:
761:
753:
745:
739:Lucius Littauer
737:
729:
721:
717:
714:
684:
683:
673:
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454:
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417:
353:Harvard Crimson
324:
261:
239:
160:
158:Football player
155:
131:
87:
83:
70:
64:
62:
27:Harvard Crimson
17:
12:
11:
5:
1556:
1554:
1546:
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1495:
1485:
1484:
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1471:
1469:
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1460:
1452:
1444:
1441:William Rhodes
1436:
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1420:
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1393:
1385:
1377:
1368:
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1362:
1361:
1355:
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1345:
1338:
1330:
1321:
1320:
1318:
1317:
1314:William George
1309:
1301:
1293:
1285:
1277:
1274:Arthur Cumnock
1269:
1260:
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1254:
1253:
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1134:
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1119:
1114:
1112:Arthur Cumnock
1109:
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1023:
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1007:
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983:
975:
967:
959:
951:
943:
935:
931:Arnold Horween
927:
919:
911:
903:
899:Percy Haughton
895:
887:
879:
871:
863:
855:
847:
839:
831:
823:
815:
807:
799:
787:
775:
767:
763:Frank A. Mason
759:
751:
743:
735:
726:
723:
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715:
713:
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705:
698:
690:
682:
681:
666:
651:
636:
621:
606:
591:
576:
555:
540:
525:
510:
495:
480:
475:Olean Democrat
462:
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419:
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369:
363:
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348:
347:
346:Bowl/playoffs
344:
341:
338:
335:
332:
323:
320:
311:Boston Journal
298:Boston Journal
269:Boston Journal
260:
257:
248:Arthur Cumnock
238:
235:
185:Caspar Whitney
159:
156:
154:
151:
133:
132:
118:2Ă— First-team
117:
114:
113:
109:
108:
102:
98:
97:
96:Career history
93:
92:
86:(aged 66)
80:
76:
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60:
56:
55:
51:
50:
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43:
42:
33:
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15:
13:
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1501:
1499:
1496:
1494:
1491:
1490:
1488:
1466:
1465:John Cranston
1461:
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1434:
1429:
1426:
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1358:
1351:
1346:
1344:
1339:
1337:
1332:
1331:
1328:
1315:
1310:
1307:
1306:John Cranston
1302:
1299:
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1291:
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1283:
1278:
1275:
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1267:
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1135:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1118:
1115:
1113:
1110:
1108:
1107:John Cranston
1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1095:
1094:
1091:
1087:
1078:
1073:
1071:
1066:
1064:
1059:
1058:
1055:
1049:
1042:
1028:
1027:Andrew Aurich
1024:
1020:
1016:
1012:
1008:
1004:
1000:
996:
992:
988:
987:John Yovicsin
984:
980:
976:
972:
971:Arthur Valpey
968:
964:
960:
956:
952:
948:
944:
940:
936:
932:
928:
924:
920:
916:
915:Pooch Donovan
912:
908:
904:
900:
896:
892:
888:
884:
880:
876:
872:
868:
867:John Cranston
864:
860:
856:
852:
848:
844:
840:
836:
832:
828:
824:
820:
816:
812:
811:Robert Emmons
808:
804:
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796:
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788:
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764:
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358:
357:(Independent)
355:
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179:on the first
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81:
77:
73:
61:
57:
52:
48:
44:
41:
37:
34:
30:
22:John Cranston
19:
1464:
1425:Ralph Warren
1382:John Corbett
1305:
1282:Hector Cowan
1239:James P. Lee
1127:James P. Lee
1106:
1102:John Corbett
1010:
979:Lloyd Jordan
891:Joshua Crane
866:
770:
754:
746:
730:
675:
669:
660:
654:
645:
639:
630:
624:
615:
609:
600:
594:
585:
579:
569:
549:
543:
534:
528:
519:
513:
504:
498:
489:
483:
474:
456:
455:"Personal".
435:. Retrieved
430:
423:
401:
387:
356:
351:
316:
310:
308:
297:
294:
290:
286:
280:
274:
268:
253:
240:
231:
225:
212:
210:
206:
200:
197:
194:"Nose armor"
183:selected by
172:
162:A native of
161:
137:
136:
120:All-American
84:(1931-12-17)
18:
1498:1931 deaths
1493:1865 births
1457:Jesse Riggs
1390:Lee McClung
1374:Dudley Dean
1117:Dudley Dean
1097:Herb Alward
1021:(2021–2023)
1005:(1994–2019)
997:(1971–1993)
989:(1957–1970)
981:(1950–1956)
973:(1948–1949)
965:(1945–1947)
963:Dick Harlow
957:(1943–1944)
955:Henry Lamar
949:(1935–1942)
947:Dick Harlow
941:(1931–1934)
939:Eddie Casey
933:(1926–1930)
925:(1919–1925)
901:(1908–1916)
885:(1905–1906)
845:(1899–1900)
837:(1897–1898)
827:Bert Waters
785:(1890–1892)
773:(1887–1889)
749:(1882–1884)
733:(1873–1880)
224:. In 1891,
107:(1889–1890)
1487:Categories
1247:Snake Ames
1154:Head coach
1019:Tim Murphy
1003:Tim Murphy
995:Joe Restic
923:Bob Fisher
490:The Ledger
415:References
340:Conference
65:1865-11-18
1365:Backfield
1214:Backfield
883:Bill Reid
851:Bill Reid
505:The World
343:Standing
187:in 1889.
173:The World
153:Biography
1029:(2024– )
771:No coach
747:No coach
731:No coach
437:April 8,
388:Harvard:
337:Overall
49:Graduate
32:Position
1011:No team
755:No team
372:Harvard
105:Harvard
101:College
1013:(2020)
917:(1918)
909:(1917)
893:(1907)
877:(1904)
869:(1903)
861:(1902)
853:(1901)
829:(1896)
821:(1895)
813:(1895)
805:(1894)
797:(1893)
793:&
781:&
765:(1886)
757:(1885)
741:(1881)
402:Total:
360:(1903)
222:center
91:, U.S.
74:, U.S.
40:Center
334:Team
331:Year
177:guard
79:Died:
59:Born:
46:Class
36:Guard
1408:Line
1257:Line
439:2015
367:1903
211:The
128:1890
124:1889
1396:FB
1388:HB
1380:HB
1372:QB
1245:FB
1237:HB
1229:HB
1221:QB
406:9–3
392:9–3
376:9–3
1489::
1463:C
1455:G
1447:G
1439:T
1431:T
1423:E
1415:E
1312:C
1304:G
1296:G
1288:T
1280:T
1272:E
1264:E
558:^
465:^
447:^
126:,
38:,
1349:e
1342:t
1335:v
1198:e
1191:t
1184:v
1076:e
1069:t
1062:v
709:e
702:t
695:v
678:.
441:.
130:)
122:(
67:)
63:(
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