John Beckett (football)
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Beckett was an American football
offensive tackle who played for the University of Oregon
and Mare Island
.
before enrolling at the University of Oregon
.
and punter. Beckett was the team captain
in his senior year of 1916 and was named to the all-Pacific Coast Conference
team. He led the team to an undefeated record and tie for the conference championship with the University of Washington
. Oregon was chosen to represent the conference in the 1917 Rose Bowl
where they defeated Pennsylvania
14-0, with Beckett named the game's most valuable player
.
, Beckett joined the Marines
in his senior year, and was assigned to the Marine base at Mare Island, California. He joined the Mare Island football team, coached by Beckett's Oregon coach Hugo Bezdek
, and was selected as team captain. With the U.S. at war, the 1918 Rose Bowl featured two service teams: Beckett's Mare Island team and the U.S. Army's Camp Lewis
team, with Mare Island winning 19-7. Beckett is the only person to have been the captain of two different Rose Bowl teams.
Beckett served 50 years in the Marines, coaching Marine teams at Mare Island, Quantico
, and San Diego
, amassing an overall coaching record of 56-19-3. He achieved a final the rank of brigadier general
.
in 1972, and was a charter member of both the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 1980. He died in La Jolla, California in 1981.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive tackle who played for the University of Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
and Mare Island
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
.
Early life
Born in rural northeastern Oregon, Beckett attended Eugene High School in EugeneEugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
before enrolling at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
.
University of Oregon
Although primarily used as an offensive tackle, Beckett excelled at several positions, occasionally playing halfbackRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and punter. Beckett was the team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
in his senior year of 1916 and was named to the all-Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
team. He led the team to an undefeated record and tie for the conference championship with the University of Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
. Oregon was chosen to represent the conference in the 1917 Rose Bowl
1917 Rose Bowl
The 1917 Rose Bowl, known at the time as the Tournament East-West Football Game, was a college football bowl game played on Jan 1, 1917. It was the 3rd Rose Bowl Game. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Penn Quakers by a score of 14–0. This remains the last, and to date, only Rose Bowl win ever for the...
where they defeated Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
14-0, with Beckett named the game's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
U.S. Marine Corps service
With the United States' entry in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Beckett joined the Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
in his senior year, and was assigned to the Marine base at Mare Island, California. He joined the Mare Island football team, coached by Beckett's Oregon coach Hugo Bezdek
Hugo Bezdek
Hugo Francis Bezdek was a Czech-American sports figure who played American football and was a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He was the head football coach at the University of Oregon , the University of Arkansas , Penn State University , and Delaware Valley College...
, and was selected as team captain. With the U.S. at war, the 1918 Rose Bowl featured two service teams: Beckett's Mare Island team and the U.S. Army's Camp Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
team, with Mare Island winning 19-7. Beckett is the only person to have been the captain of two different Rose Bowl teams.
Beckett served 50 years in the Marines, coaching Marine teams at Mare Island, Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
, and San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former Naval Training Center San Diego...
, amassing an overall coaching record of 56-19-3. He achieved a final the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
.
Legacy
Beckett was named to the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1972, and was a charter member of both the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1980. He died in La Jolla, California in 1981.