“To old Princeton graduates, however, McNair is known best as a great football player who was halfback on the varsity three years and was regarded as a phenomenal dodger, runner and kicker.  In the three years of his varsity experience McNair went down to defeat only once, the first game in which he appeared as a regular player.  The contest was with Harvard and was played between seasons—­April 28th, 1877—­at Cambridge.  Harvard won the game by 2 touchdowns to 1 for the Tigers.  McNair made the touchdown for his team.  This match is interesting in that it marked the first appearance of the canvas jacket on the football field.  Smock, one of the Princeton halfbacks, designed such a jacket for himself and thereafter for many seasons football players of the leading Eastern colleges adopted the garment because it made tackling more difficult under the conditions of those days.  McNair was of large frame and fleet of foot.  He was especially clever in handling and passing the ball, which in those days was more of an art than at present.  It was not unusual for the ball to be passed from player to player after a scrimmage until a touchdown or a field goal was made.

“Walter Camp was one of McNair’s Yale adversaries.  They had many punting duels in the big games at St. George’s Cricket Grounds, Hoboken, but Camp never had the satisfaction of sending McNair off the field with a beaten team.”

Alexander Moffat

Every football enthusiast who saw Alex Moffat play had the highest respect for his ability in the game.  Alex Moffat was typically Princetonian.  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.  From a man of his day I have learned something about his playing, and together we can read of this great all-round athlete.

Alex Moffat was so small when he was a boy that he was called “Teeny-bits.”  He was still small in bone and bulk when he entered Princeton.  Alex had always been active in sport as a boy.  Small as he was, he played a good game of baseball and tennis and he distinguished himself by his kicking in football before he was twelve years of age.  The game was then called Association Football, and kicking formed a large part of it.  At an early age, he became proficient in kicking with right or left foot.  When he was fifteen he created a sensation over at the Old Seminary by kicking the black rubber Association football clear over Brown Hall.  That was kick enough for a boy of fifteen with an old black, rubber football.  If anybody doubts it, let him try to do the trick.

[Illustration: 

Wanamaker Belknap Finney Travers Harlan
Kennedy Lamar Bird Kimball De Camp
Baker Alex Moffat Harris