Samuel Garfield Craig (June 11, 1874 – October 7, 1960), often referred to as J. B. Craig in the context of Geneva Golden Tornadoes football, was an American minister, author, publisher, and

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

player and coach. He served as the head football coach at

Geneva College Geneva College is a private Christian college in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848 in Northwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880. It enrolls about 1,400 undergraduates in over 30 majors, as wel ...

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 9,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Pittsburgh, the city lies along the Beaver River (Pennsylvan ...

from 1900 to 1903, compiling a record of 26–3–3. Craig was the director of the

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a Private university, private seminary, school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Establish ...

from 1925 to 1929.

Early life and education

Craig was born on June 11, 1874, in

Leland, Illinois Leland is a village (Illinois), village in LaSalle County, Illinois, LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 951 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ottawa, Illinois, Ottawa Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, Micropol ...

. He spent the majority of his childhood in

Tarkio, Missouri Tarkio is a city in Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,506 at the 2020 census. It was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Tarkio" is derived from the Meskwaki language meaning "place ...

and attended

Tarkio College Tarkio College was a college that operated in Tarkio, Missouri, from 1883 to 1992. The institution was supported by the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, followed by the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was closed after ...

. Craig moved on to

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1895 and a master's degree in 1900. He also earned a bachelor of divinity degree from the

. At Princeton, Craig played football for the

Princeton Tigers The Princeton Tigers are the athletic teams of Princeton University. The school sponsors 35 varsity teams in 20 sports. The school has won several NCAA national championships, including one in men's fencing, three in women's lacrosse, six in me ...

from 1896 to 1898 as an

end End, END, Ending, or ENDS may refer to: End Mathematics *End (category theory) * End (topology) * End (graph theory) * End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) * End (endomorphism) Sports and games *End (gridiron football) *End, a division ...

. He started at left end for the 1897 Princeton Tigers football team's the season finale against

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

Coaching career

Craig was ordained as a minister in 1900 and appointed the pastor of the first church in

Ebensburg, Pennsylvania The Borough of Ebensburg is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough and the county seat of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Cambria County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located west of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Altoona and surrounded by Cambria ...

. The same year, he was hired to coach the football team at

. Craig played at left end in the 1900 Geneva Covenanters football team's victory over Youngstown on October 27 of that year. For the game the following week against Pittsburgh College, Geneva agreed not to use any coaches or paid players on the field. Geneva won the game, played on November 3 at Bluff field in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, by a score of 5 to 0. After the game, Pittsburg College alleged that a substitute named May, who played at left end, was in fact Craig. Craig continued to coach the Geneva Covenanters football team through the 1903 season, compiling a record of 26–3–3 over four years. Geneva College fans generally consider him among the best coaches in the history of the school.

Death

Craig died on October 7, 1960, at Princeton Hospital, after suffering from uremia.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, J. B. 1874 births 1960 deaths 19th-century players of American football 20th-century American Presbyterian ministers American football ends Geneva Golden Tornadoes football coaches Geneva Golden Tornadoes football players Princeton Tigers football players Princeton Theological Seminary alumni Tarkio College alumni People from LaSalle County, Illinois People from Tarkio, Missouri Coaches of American football from Missouri Players of American football from Missouri Deaths from kidney disease