Winchester Osgood
Osgood in 1889
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| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
April 12, 1870 Fort Barrancas, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | October 18, 1896 (aged 26) Cuba |
| Playing career | |
| 1888–89, 1891–92 | Cornell |
| 1893–1894 | Penn |
| Position(s) | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1895 | Indiana |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 4–3–1 |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1970 (profile) |
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Winchester Dana Osgood (April 12, 1870 – October 18, 1896) was a prominent American college athlete in the late 19th century at both Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania. He played halfback on the football teams at both schools and served as the head football coach at Indiana University for one season in 1895, compiling a record of 4–3–1. Osgood volunteered for the Cuban forces during Cuba’s fight for Independence from Spain. He was commissioned a major in artillery in the Cuban Army and was killed in combat. Osgood was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1970.
Born in Fort Barrancas, Florida, Osgood was one of five children of an American army officer Henry Brown Osgood Jr. and his wife, Harriet Mary (Hubbard) Osgood. Henry Osgood eventfully rose to the rank of brigadier general.
Osgood, nicknamed "Win", was one of the greatest college athletes of the 19th century. He was talented in many sports but is best known for his exploits as an All-American football player. Osgood stood 5–9, weighed 173, and was an elusive runner. Pudge Heffelfinger, the legendary All-American from Yale University, gave this description of Osgood: "It was downright uncanny to watch him run, opponents missed him by inches. His body undulated like a snake's. He was the Red Grange of the pioneer era."
At Cornell, Osgood received a medal as the school's best all-around athlete. He ran the 440 and put the shot for the track team, was an accomplished gymnast, boxer, wrestler, tennis player, and set a collegiate record of 5:28 for the 2-mile bicycle race. Osgood played halfback for four years for the Cornell football team, 1888–1889 and 1891–1992, during which time Cornell went 28–8. Osgood was a considered one of the top players in the early years of Big Red football. In an article on January 29, 1927, The Sun named him to the first team of the all-time Cornell football team. Osgood also rowed on the varsity in 1890. In 1892, he was the single scull championship of the Cornell. He left Cornell in the fall of 1892 to attend the University of Pennsylvania.
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