Ted Coy
Encyclopedia
Edward Harris "Ted" Coy (May 23, 1888 – September 8, 1935) was an American football
player. Coy was selected as a first-team All-American three straight years from 1907 to 1909 and was later selected as the fullback on Walter Camp
's All-Time All-America team. He also served as Yale's head football coach in 1910. In 1951, Coy was one of the early inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
, and began his education at Hotchkiss. He then enrolled at Yale University
in 1906 where he became recognized as one of the greatest football players in the history of the game.
Coy was named a first-team All-American in all three years in which he play varsity football at Yale. During those three seasons, Yale lost only one game, and it was reportedly "a familiar sight when Ted would burst through an enemy defense, his long blonde hair held back by a white sweatband." The only Yale defeat during Coy's football career was a 4–0 loss to Harvard
in 1908.
As a senior in 1909, Coy led the Yale team to an undefeated 10–0 record, outscoring opponents 209–0. Coy missed the first four games of the 1909 season after undergoing an appendectomy, but he returned to lead Yale to victories over Army
, Princeton
, and Harvard. In December 2008, Sports Illustrated
undertook to identify the individuals who would have been awarded the Heisman Trophy
in college football's early years, before the trophy was established. Coy was selected as the would-be Heisman winner for the 1909 season.
While attending Yale, Coy was also secretly a member of The Yale Whiffenpoofs
, the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the United States. Coy was described as "a song lover with a good ear and a nice tenor voice." To "cover the heresy" of his joining the Whiffenpoofs, he was given the title "Perpetual Guest." He also became a member of Skull and Bones
.
In the fall of 1910, Coy returned to New Haven as Yale's football coach. The 1910 team finished with a record of 6–2–2.
Coy's first wife, Sophie Meldrim, divorced him in 1925.
In 1925, Coy was secretly married to the noted movie actress Jeanne Eagels
. At the time, Coy was employed by a New York City insurance firm, Smythe, Sanford & Gerard, and was one of the most admired men in the United States. Coy's marriage to Eagels was rocky, and Eagels had a reputation for drinking and erratic behavior. Eagels sued for divorce in February 1928 on grounds of cruelty, alleging that Coy had assaulted her, had broken her jaw and threatened her with the words (to) "ruin that beautiful face of yours"(Eagels) in order to stop the forward progress of her movie career. Coy pleaded no contest in the divorce action and moved to Texas. Eagels died the following year at age 39 from an overdose of heroin.
In August 1928, Coy married his third wife, 21-year-old Lottie Bruhn of El Paso, Texas
.
Coy died in September 1935 at age 47. Several months after his death, Time
magazine ran a story about Coy's widow selling his most prized possessions to a pawnshop:
Coy was a boyhood hero of F. Scott Fitzgerald
, and the character Ted Fay in Fitzgerald's 1928 short story The Freshest Boy was loosely based on Coy.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. Coy was selected as a first-team All-American three straight years from 1907 to 1909 and was later selected as the fullback on Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
's All-Time All-America team. He also served as Yale's head football coach in 1910. In 1951, Coy was one of the early inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Playing career
Coy was the son of the first headmaster at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, ConnecticutLakeville, Connecticut
Lakeville is a village and census-designated place in the town of Salisbury in Litchfield County, Connecticut, on Lake Wononskopomuc. The village includes Lakeville Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district represents about of the village center...
, and began his education at Hotchkiss. He then enrolled at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1906 where he became recognized as one of the greatest football players in the history of the game.
Coy was named a first-team All-American in all three years in which he play varsity football at Yale. During those three seasons, Yale lost only one game, and it was reportedly "a familiar sight when Ted would burst through an enemy defense, his long blonde hair held back by a white sweatband." The only Yale defeat during Coy's football career was a 4–0 loss to Harvard
Harvard Crimson football
The Harvard Crimson football program represents Harvard University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Harvard's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing in the sport in 1873...
in 1908.
As a senior in 1909, Coy led the Yale team to an undefeated 10–0 record, outscoring opponents 209–0. Coy missed the first four games of the 1909 season after undergoing an appendectomy, but he returned to lead Yale to victories over Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
, Princeton
Princeton Tigers football
The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
, and Harvard. In December 2008, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
undertook to identify the individuals who would have been awarded the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
in college football's early years, before the trophy was established. Coy was selected as the would-be Heisman winner for the 1909 season.
While attending Yale, Coy was also secretly a member of The Yale Whiffenpoofs
The Whiffenpoofs
The Yale Whiffenpoofs are the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the United States, established in 1909. Best known for "The Whiffenpoof Song", based on a tune written by Tod Galloway and adapted with lyrics by Meade Minnigerode & George S Pomeroy , the group comprises college...
, the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the United States. Coy was described as "a song lover with a good ear and a nice tenor voice." To "cover the heresy" of his joining the Whiffenpoofs, he was given the title "Perpetual Guest." He also became a member of Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
.
In the fall of 1910, Coy returned to New Haven as Yale's football coach. The 1910 team finished with a record of 6–2–2.
Personal life
After a year coaching Yale's football team, Coy began a business career as a stock broker and in the insurance business. He also wrote football articles for the New York World, Boston Globe, San Francisco Herald, and St. Nicholas Magazine.Coy's first wife, Sophie Meldrim, divorced him in 1925.
In 1925, Coy was secretly married to the noted movie actress Jeanne Eagels
Jeanne Eagels
Jeanne Eagels was an American actress on Broadway and in several motion pictures. She was a former Ziegfeld Follies Girl who went on to greater fame on Broadway and in the emerging medium of sound films....
. At the time, Coy was employed by a New York City insurance firm, Smythe, Sanford & Gerard, and was one of the most admired men in the United States. Coy's marriage to Eagels was rocky, and Eagels had a reputation for drinking and erratic behavior. Eagels sued for divorce in February 1928 on grounds of cruelty, alleging that Coy had assaulted her, had broken her jaw and threatened her with the words (to) "ruin that beautiful face of yours"(Eagels) in order to stop the forward progress of her movie career. Coy pleaded no contest in the divorce action and moved to Texas. Eagels died the following year at age 39 from an overdose of heroin.
In August 1928, Coy married his third wife, 21-year-old Lottie Bruhn of El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
.
Coy died in September 1935 at age 47. Several months after his death, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine ran a story about Coy's widow selling his most prized possessions to a pawnshop:
"Into an Oklahoma City pawnshop stepped a pretty young woman to borrow money on a wedding ring, a gold medal, a gold football, a pin of Yale's famed Skull & Bones SocietySkull and BonesSkull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
. Each was engraved: E. H. COY—YALE U. 'Could it be Ted Coy, the Yale athlete?' ventured the pawnbroker. Yes,' said the girl, 'I am his wife.' Last week, as the pawnbroker wrote to Skull & Bones in New Haven which immediately bought Coy's relics, newshawks hustled around to see Lottie Bruhn Coy, found her working as a servant. Said she: 'Yes, I'm Mrs. Ted Coy. How on earth did you find me here? ... I haven't any money. ... Once I went five days in this town without a bite to eat. . . . I thank God for a sense of humor. If I didn't have it I'd have been bad off these months since Ted died. ...'"
Coy was a boyhood hero of F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
, and the character Ted Fay in Fitzgerald's 1928 short story The Freshest Boy was loosely based on Coy.
See also
- 1907 College Football All-America Team1907 College Football All-America TeamThe 1907 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that chose College Football All-America Teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams included Collier's Weekly selected by Walter Camp.-Key:...
- 1908 College Football All-America Team1908 College Football All-America TeamThe 1908 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1908 college football season...
- 1909 College Football All-America Team1909 College Football All-America TeamThe 1909 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that chose College Football All-America Teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Collier's Weekly selected by Walter Camp, Leslie's Weekly, and the New York Evening Telegram.-Key:*WC = Collier's...