Alex Moffatt
Alex Moffat - America's First Great Kicker
Alexander Moffat (September 22, 1862 – February 23, 1914) played college football at Princeton University from 1882 to 1884 and was known as one of the greatest kickers in 19th century football. After his playing career ended, he remained active in the development of the game as a coach and founding member of football's rules committee. Moffat was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
Alex Moffat was collegiate football's first great kicker, an innovator with his foot. Amos Alonzo Stagg said of him, "Moffat invented the spiral punt in 1881 and changed thereby the whole science of punting." Assuredly, his kicking prowess was never more in evidence than it was in a 26-7 victory over Harvard in 1883. That day, Moffat kicked five field goals - two with his right foot in drop-kick fashion, two with his left in a similar way, and the last from placement. As captain of the 1883 Tiger team, Moffat finished the season with 16 field goals, seven conversion points and seven touchdowns. They did not select All-America teams in those days, but Moffat would have been an obvious choice. During his three varsity seasons Princeton rolled to a 21-3-2 record.
Football historian David M. Nelson credits Moffat with revolutionizing the kicking game in 1883 by developing the "spiral punt," described by Nelson as "a dramatic change from the traditional end-over-end kicks." Moffat has also been credited with inventing the drop kick,[3] and kicked equally well with either foot.
According to an obituary, Moffat for many years after his graduation "acted as coach, umpire and referee and made practice of going to Princeton nearly every season to aid in the training of the football team." Big Bill Edwards, who played at Princeton from 1896 to 1899, later wrote of Moffat: "His interest in the game was great, and he was always ready to give as much time as was needed to the coaching of the Princeton teams. His hard, efficient work developed remarkable kickers. He loved the game and was a cheerful, encouraging and sympathetic coach."
Moffat died from pneumonia at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City in 1914 at age 51.
In 1971, Moffat was posthumously inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
