Percy Northcroft Percy Wilfred Northcroft ( August 31 , 1886 – December 20 , 1967 ) was an American football player and Naval officer . He played tackle for the Navy Midshipmen football team from 1905 to 1908 and was selected as an All - American in 1906 and 1908 . He later served as an officer in the U . S . Navy . Biography . Northcroft was a native of Pawtucket , Rhode Island . He enrolled at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis , Maryland in June 1905 and played at the tackle position for the Navy Midshipmen football team from 1905 to 1908 . Northcroft also competed in the weight events for the Academy ' s track and field team and was elected as captain of the track team in May 1908 . In 1906 , Northcroft helped lead the Navy football team to a record of 8 – 2 – 2 and a 10 – 0 victory over Army . In the season - ending win over Army , Northcroft kicked a field goal that was variously reported to have been from the 42 - yard line or the 48 - yard line . One observer later recalled that Northcroft ' s long kick was made with the ball placed near the sideline and he " kicked the ball at least 20 feet above the goal posts and clear up into the end stand . " The 1906 victory broke a four - game winning streak for Army . After the 1906 season , Northcroft was selected as a third - team All - American by Walter Camp for " Collier ' s Weekly " and a second - team All - American by Caspar Whitney for " The Outing Magazine " . As a junior in 1907 , Northcroft helped lead Navy to a record of 9 – 2 – 1 , including eight shutouts . The 1907 Navy team also won its second consecutive victory over Army in the last game of the season . Following the 1907 season , Northcroft was elected by his fellow Midshipmen as the captain of the 1908 Navy football team . As a senior in 1908 , the Navy team with Northcroft as captain compiled a record of 9 – 2 – 1 and outscored its opponents by a combined score of 218 to 38 . At the end of the 1908 season , Northcroft was selected as a first - team All - American by the " Chicago Inter - Ocean " and a third - team All - American by Walter Camp . In 1909 , the Naval Academy tested the strength of more than 800 midshipmen at the academy using a " Kellogg testing machine " ; Northcroft was determined to be " the strong man of the whole academy " with a " multiple " of 9 , 275 pounds . He also had his name engraved on the Naval Academy ' s Thompson trophy cup in 1909 " for having had the best influence for the betterment of athletics during the past year . " After graduating from the Naval Academy , Northcroft spent his career in the U . S . Navy . In January 1917 , he was assigned to the destroyer force of the Navy ' s Atlantic Fleet , serving as a lieutenant on the USS McDougal . In June 1917 , following the entry of the United States into World War I , Northcroft was promoted from the rank of lieutenant ( junior grade ) to full lieutenant . He continued to serve through World War II advancing through the ranks of commander and Captain . Northcroft was also inducted into the U . S . Naval Academy ' s Hall of Fame for his contributions to the football teams . Northcroft died in 1967 at age 81 . He was buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno , California .