Mahan, "Ned" (Edward W.)
Football
b. Jan. 19, 1892, Natick, MA
d. July 22, 1975
Harvard's last three-time All-American, Mahan starred at fullback in 1913, 1914, and 1915. The great Jim Thorpe called Mahan the best back he ever played against.
As a sophomore, he missed a game with an infected spider bite and didn't start against Princeton, but his 52-yard run set up the winning field goal in a 3-0 victory. Mahan passed for a touchdown against Brown and his long, high punts kept Yale out of scoring range in Harvard's 15-5 victory.
Mahan missed five games with injuries in 1914, but still made Walter Camp's All-American with outstanding performances in important contests. He kicked two field goals and punted for a 45-yard average in Harvard's 20-0 win over Princeton, and in a 36-0 victory against Yale he returned a punt 45 yards, threw a touchdown pass, and kicked a 20-yard field goal.
As captain in 1915, Mahan kicked field goals of 13, 25, and 41 yards to beat the University of Virginia, 9-0. His 25-yard run set up Harvard's only touchdown against Princeton, and he kicked the extra point and a field goal to win that game, 10-6. Mahan's greatest individual game was his last, a 41-0 victory over Yale, when he scored four touchdowns and five conversions.
Also a fine baseball player, Mahan was the pitcher when Harvard beat the Boston Red Sox, 1-0, in the spring of 1916. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series that fall.