Sprackling, William E.
Football
b. Sept. 16, 1890
d. May 27, 1980
"Sprack" had one of the greatest games in college football history when Brown beat Yale, 21-0, in 1909. He rushed for 36 yards on 9 carries, completed 5 of 6 passes for 180 yards and 1 touchdown, returned 13 punts for 150 yards, returned 5 kickoffs for 90 yards, and kicked 3 field goals. Three weeks later, he returned a kickoff 110 yards for a touchdown in a 21-8 upset of Carlisle before a large crowd at the Polo Grounds in New York.
Only 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds, Sprackling was the quarterback on Walter Camp's All-American team in 1910; he was on the second team in 1911 and on the third team in 1909. A fiery competitor and leader, he was probably the most accurate passer of his day. Though it doesn't sound like much now, his career total of 11 touchdown passes was the Brown University record for many years.