Belford West
American football player (1896–1973)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Belford West (May 7, 1896 – September 11, 1973) was an American football player. Best known for playing college football for the Colgate Raiders, he was twice a consensus All-America selection and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. He also played professionally for the Canton Bulldogs.
Hamilton, New York, U.S.[1]
Cooperstown, New York, U.S.
West at Colgate University | |
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 7, 1896 Hamilton, New York, U.S.[1] |
| Died | September 11, 1973 (aged 77) Cooperstown, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Phillips Andover, Peddie School |
| College | Colgate (1914–1916, 1919) |
| Career history | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Biography
West prepared for college by attending Phillips Andover in Massachusetts and Peddie School in New Jersey.[2] He then attended Colgate University, located in his hometown of Hamilton, New York. He played four seasons of college football for Colgate as a tackle; 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1919.[3] West's college career was interrupted by World War I. He served in the United States Army as a lieutenant from August 1917 to May 1919.[4] He played football while in the military, and was a selection to the 1917 All-Service football team while at Fort Dix.[5]
At Colgate, West was also member of Delta Kappa Epsilon,[6] a member of the varsity basketball team, and a member of the varsity baseball team.[7] In football, he was a consensus selection to the All-America Team for 1916 and 1919, and served as team captain for the 1919 Colgate football team.[8] West was also a placekicker, and in 1919 made a 52-yard field goal against Syracuse.[3] West was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954[3] and to Colgate's athletic hall of honor in 1979.[9] Reflecting on West's college career in 1928, John Heisman wrote, "His co-ordination was complete, his courage supreme, his sportsmanship incontestable."[2]
West played professionally for one season—as a member of the 1921 Canton Bulldogs, he appeared in 10 games (nine starts) at left tackle; he also kicked one field goal and four extra points.[10] The Buffalo Evening News listed West in their selection of an all-star team,[11] which is now regarded as the 1921 All-Pro Team.[12]
Entering business, West did not play professionally after 1921.[6] Most of his business career was based in Buffalo, New York, with the city's Better Business Bureau starting in 1925, and then with a local machinery manufacturer from 1937 until his retirement in 1960.[6] West died in September 1973 while undergoing abdominal surgery in Cooperstown, New York; he was survived by his wife and a daughter.[13]
