Tripti Joshi (Editor)

John B Eckstorm

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Sport(s)
  
Football

Name
  
John Eckstorm

Overall
  
22–4–3


1899–1901
  
Ohio State

1894–1897
  
Dartmouth

Alma mater
  
Dartmouth College

John B. Eckstorm

Born
  
October 22, 1874 South Bend, Minnesota (
1874-10-22
)

Died
  
1964, Marysville, Ohio, United States

John Bernard Christian Eckstorm (October 22, 1874 – October 28, 1964) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Ohio State University from 1899 to 1901, compiling a record of 22–4–3. Eckstorm was the first Ohio State Buckeyes football coach to have a winning record at the school. In his first season in 1899, the Buckeyes went 9–0–1 giving OSU their first undefeated season in school history. The next season, he led Ohio State to a tie against Michigan in the second meeting of the two schools.

During the 1901 season, captain John Sigrist endured an injury during a game with Western Reserve University. Forty-eight hours later, he was pronounced dead and it very nearly led to the abolishment of football at Ohio State. It remains the only death because of injuries sustained during play in Ohio State history. A resolution to cancel the remainder of the season was defeated by an 18–8 vote, but it proved difficult for the Buckeyes to emotionally recover. They lost three of the last four games and Coach Eckstorm decided to leave his post at the end of the season.

Eckstorm was later a physician in Ohio and Chief Medical Officer at the Ohio Penitentiary. He died in Marysville, Ohio in 1964.

References

John B. Eckstorm Wikipedia