1893 - Princeton wins its first football national championship

In 1893, Princeton’s football team had an undefeated season, winning all 11 of its games. Led by head coach Charley Caldwell and team captain Edgar Allan Poe (a distant relative of the famous poet), the Tigers outscored their opponents 270-14. This dominant performance earned them recognition as national champions by several selectors of the time, including Parke H. Davis, who would later become a well-known college football historian. The team’s success helped establish Princeton as a football powerhouse in the early years of the sport.