John “Jack” Beckett (January 5, 1892 – July 26, 1981) was a young man who came from rural Oregon to play football for the University of Oregon before a long career in the United State Marines. He took part in the Rose Bowl representing two different teams.
John “Jack” Beckett (January 5, 1892 – July 26, 1981) was a young man who came from rural Oregon to play football for the University of Oregon before a long career in the United State Marines. He took part in the Rose Bowl representing two different teams.
Beckett was born in rural Morrow County and attended Eugene High School in Eugene before enrolling at the University of Oregon in 1913. He played multiple positions for Hugo Bezdek's Webfoot teams and was voted team captain. At six feet one inch and 191 pounds, he was a lineman with great athletic skills. Jack played on the line, carried the ball as a halfback and punted. He rushed for 100 yards against Oregon State in the 1916 Civil, completing an undefeated senior season. Oregon was then selected to play in the Rose Bowl against Penn, a highly regarded team from the East. Beckett's punts kept the Quakers in poor field position and the Webfoots won 14-0 completing a 7-0-1 season. Beckett was named the game's most valuable player.
He immediately joined the US Marines and was assigned to the Mare Island, CA base. Coach Bezdek followed and Mare Island became a football power. Beckett became a team captain playing on the line and punting. He returned to the Rose Bowl for the 1918 game where Mare Island defeated Fort Lewis 19-7. John is the only player to have captained two different Rose Bowl winners.
This was the start of a 50-year career in the Corps for Beckett. He rose to the rank of Brigadier General and coached Marine football teams at Mare Island, Quantico and San Diego. He later served as assistant coach at the Naval Academy.
John Beckett was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972, and was a charter member of the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992,