Camp, Walter Chauncey

Camp, Walter Chauncey, 1859–1925, American athlete, football coach, administrator, b. New Britain, Conn. In his three years as captain at Yale Univ. in the 1880s, Camp shaped the rules that transformed rugby football into American football, including playing with 11 men, using a line of scrimmage, a system of downs, and the present point system. Until 1910 Camp continued at Yale as an unpaid advisory coach. Often called the father of American football, he was a prolific writer and promoter for the sport and from 1889 until 1925 selected its All-American teams. He wrote more than 30 books on football and physical fitness.