October Legends
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/2/2013
A relative of Edgar Alan Poe, Johnny was the third of six brothers who would play football for Princeton. For a small fellow (he stood but 5’-6”, 155 lbs.), Johnny quickly made his mark. Coming to Princeton in the fall of 1891, he played varsity halfback and was third on the team in touchdowns. He also was elected president of the freshman class. Poe’s academics suffered however, and he was forced to withdraw. He was back the following fall and while his play on the field surpassed his freshman year, his academics didn’t, and once again he was asked to leave. An adventuresome soul, Poe drifted from college football coaching jobs at Virginia and the Naval Academy to selling real estate, cowboying, gold prospecting and soldiering in the Philippines. By the turn of the century he was Princeton’s assistant coach and gave the university its first fighting motto of “If you won’t be beat, you can’t be beat” during their 1903 National Championship season. The restless Poe next joined the U.S. Marines and failing to find enough action, joined the Honduran army as a captain and fought in the war with Nicaragua. He then joined a survey team mapping the boarder between Alaska and Canada when the first world war broke out, Poe quickly joined the British Army. He served gallantly in the trenches with the famed Black Watch Scottish Regiment before he was killed during the Battle of Loos in 1915. Back at Princeton, the university honored their fallen hero by naming Poe Field in his memory and the highest award given to a Princeton football player, the Poe-Kazmaier Trophy, bears his name. The 4 1/4” x 6 1/2” photograph shows Johnny Poe as a slight but determined sophomore halfback/quarterback in 1892. Poe is pictured in his full uniform, the traditional Princeton striped sleeves can be clearly seen and he cradles a football in his left arm in a classic gridiron pose.
The Type II print has been trimmed on the left side but displays well.
The back has a typewritten notes affixed showing that it originated from the university PR offices. Various other filing notations in pencil and pen can be seen as well. A great Type II photograph of an early star of college football.