Pepper Constable
William Pepper Constable Jr. (24 April 1914 – 13 August 1986) was an American football back.
Princeton Tigers | |
---|---|
Position | Back |
Personal information | |
Born: | Baltimore, Maryland | April 24, 1914
Died: | August 13, 1986 72) Nantucket, Massachusetts | (aged
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Weight | 189 lb (86 kg) |
Career history | |
College | Princeton (1932–1935) |
High school | Gilman School |
Constable was born on April 24, 1914, in Baltimore. His father was a Maryland lawyer. He attended high school at Gilman School before playing college football at Princeton. He was the president of class from 1934 to 1935 and named football team captain in '35.[1] During his three seasons of football, the Tigers lost only one game, and won two national championships. He would bet against his team before each game because he "firmly believed that the wager brings a victory to the Tiger and a loss to himself."[2] Constable finished fourth in the 1935 Heisman Trophy voting[3] and was subsequently selected in the 1936 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.[4][5] Rather than pursue a career in the National Football League (NFL), where he was selected 64th overall, Constable pursued a medical career, earning a Doctor of Medicine from Harvard University. After serving in World War II as a lieutenant commander, he became the Princeton University chief of medicine.[6] Constable died on August 13, 1986, in Nantucket, Massachusetts. He was 72 and died after drowning.[7]
References
- "Gains Princeton Academic Honors". The Evening Sun. July 24, 1934 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Scandal! Scandal! Princeton Captain Wagers On Rutgers". The Central New Jersey Home News. October 17, 1935 – via Newspapers.com.
- "1935 Heisman Trophy Voting". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
- "1936 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- "Pepper Constable Stats - Pro Football Archives". www.profootballarchives.com.
- "Dr. W. Pepper Constable dies at 72". The Baltimore Sun. August 17, 1986 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Dr. W. Pepper Constable, 72, Ex-Official of Jersey Hospital". The New York Times. August 17, 1986 – via NYTimes.com.