Eddie Mahan
Edward William Mahan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Natick, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 22, 1975 (aged 83) Needham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | American football player, coach, baseball player, investment banker |
| Years active | 1912–1927 (sports) |
| Known for | Harvard halfback; three-time first-team All-American; College Football Hall of Fame inductee (1951) |
Edward William Mahan (January 19, 1892 – July 22, 1975) was an American football athlete renowned for his tenure as a halfback at Harvard. He earned first-team All-American honors for three straight seasons from 1913 to 1915. Celebrated as one of the premier players during the sport’s initial half-century, Jim Thorpe regarded him as the finest football player ever. In 1951, Mahan was honored by being inducted into the inaugural class of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Early years
Born in Natick, Massachusetts, Mahan was of Irish descent and was said to speak with "the brogue of a full-blooded native of Erin." His football prowess first came to light while attending Andover, where he fondly remembered fierce rivalry contests against Exeter.
All-American football player
Mahan joined Harvard in 1912 and secured the halfback position on the varsity squad. Although he weighed only 165 pounds, he played every minute of every game from 1913 through 1915. During this stretch, Harvard achieved an impressive 24–1–2 record with Mahan playing a pivotal role.
In his varsity debut in 1913 versus Maine, Mahan scored twice, including a remarkable 67-yard touchdown run. A highlight of his career came in the 1915 Harvard–Princeton matchup when he executed a 61-yard completion on a fake punt.
Serving as captain in his senior year, Mahan contributed four touchdowns and five successful extra-point kicks during a commanding 41–0 triumph over Yale, marking Yale’s most lopsided loss in over four decades. This performance is celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame biography as one of the finest individual efforts from football’s Pioneer Era.
The sole defeat Harvard suffered during Mahan’s time was a 10–0 loss to Cornell in 1915. Following that game, Mahan expressed regret to coach Percy Haughton, who is reported to have replied, "Mahan, you are the greatest football player God ever made."
Mahan described his signature evasion move simply: "I give them the foot—right or left—and then take it away."
Recognition as one of the greatest football players of all time
When asked to identify the finest football player ever, Jim Thorpe selected Mahan:
"Eddie Mahan of Harvard was the greatest football player I have ever seen. He had everything, he could run, pass and kick. He was big, weighed 190 pounds, was smart enough to play quarterback and also good enough to play in the line. To me that's proof enough that Mahan was the tops. He was a specialist in all lines."
Bill Edwards described Mahan as "the greatest all-around man" and captain of Harvard’s 1915 squad, widely respected across the football community. In 1925, sportswriter W.B. Hanna compared Red Grange with Mahan:
"Grange and Mahan are the greatest backs he ever saw... Grange runs with more power but not as light-footed or effortless as Mahan."
Mahan consistently featured among lists of football legends. In 1927, George Trevor included him in an all-time backfield alongside Walter Eckersall, Jim Thorpe, and Willie Heston. Grantland Rice’s 1928 all-time team also named Mahan, noting that while he lacked Heston’s brute strength, he was among the most graceful runners. Walter Eckersall hailed Mahan as Harvard’s greatest player and a premier line plunger.
In recognition of his outstanding career, Mahan was inducted into the first class of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
Baseball player
Mahan spent three seasons competing on Harvard's varsity baseball squad. In the spring of 1916, he notably pitched a shutout against the Boston Red Sox, the reigning champions of the 1915 World Series. Despite receiving contract offers from multiple major league franchises, none matched his salary expectation of $6,500. He recounted discussions with the Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Atlanta Braves, but found their proposals unsatisfactory:
"I set my price at $6,500. They considered it excessive... The White Sox presented a solid contract with a performance bonus, yet the associated risk was too high... I gave the Braves serious thought, but negotiations ultimately broke down."
Coaching and military service
In 1916, Mahan graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts degree, concentrating in political science and economics. That summer, he played semi-professional baseball in New Haven and captained Woodrow Wilson clubs across New York state.
By August 1916, Mahan took on the role of assistant football coach at the University of California. After completing one season at Berkeley, he returned to the East Coast; contemporary accounts indicated a mismatch in coaching philosophies with Cal’s head coach, which limited his responsibilities.
During World War I, Mahan served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and led the 1917 League Island Marines football team as captain. He earned selection to Paul Purman’s 1917 All-Service football squad. Following the war, he contributed to Herbert Hoover’s American Relief Administration in Europe. In a January 1919 match held in France, Mahan guided a Navy team to a 12–0 triumph over the Army team, featuring a remarkable 65-yard touchdown run that underscored his leadership and athletic prowess.
After military service, Mahan returned to Harvard as halfbacks coach and was appointed head coach of Harvard's baseball program in August 1924.
Later years
In 1926, Mahan was affiliated with Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut and held the position of director of athletics at the Newman School located in Lakewood, New Jersey. Upon retiring from active sports involvement, he shifted into investment banking beginning in August 1927 with the Wall Street firm Hornblower & Weeks. Subsequently, he was employed by the Massachusetts Department of Natural Resources. During World War II, Mahan served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.
Mahan passed away from cancer in 1975 at Glover Memorial Hospital in Needham, Massachusetts. At that time, he lived in Natick, Massachusetts, and was survived by his wife Beryl Boardman Mahan, two daughters, and six grandchildren.