Jake High
{{Short description|American football player and coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Jake High
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
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| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1908–1910
| player_team1 = Brown
| player_positions = Fullback
| coach_years1 = 1912
| coach_team1 = Wesleyan
| coach_years2 = 1913
| coach_team2 = NYU
| coach_years3 = 1914
| coach_team3 = Brown (assistant)
| overall_record = 7–10
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Jake C. High was an American college football player and coach. He played football at the fullback position for Brown University. He was the head football coach at Wesleyan University in 1912 and has the distinction of having the highest career winning percentage (.778) in the 127-year history of the Wesleyan Cardinals football program. He was also the head football coach at New York University (NYU) in 1913 and holds the distinction of having the lowest career winning percentage (.000) in the history of the NYU Violets football program.
Football player at Brown
High played college football at Brown University from 1908 to 1910 at the fullback position. He played on the 1910 Brown team that defeated football powerhouse Yale, 21–0, and stopped Jim Thorpe's Carlisle Indians, 15–6.{{cite web|title=Brown Yearly Results|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/ivyleague/brown/yearly_results.php?year=1910|access-date=2010-06-12|archive-date=2010-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211204215/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/ivyleague/brown/yearly_results.php?year=1910|url-status=dead}} The 1910 victory over Yale, with High and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Earl Sprackling in the backfield, was the first ever for the Brown football program.{{cite news|title=BROWN HUMBLES YALE: WINS GAME AT NEW HAVEN; Rolls Up Total of 21 Points While Yale Is Unable to Score in First Defeat at Rivals' Hands|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|date=1910-11-06}}
High had the reputation for always running with his mouth wide open. In his 1916 book about college football, former Princeton All-American Big Bill Edwards recounted an incident in which an opposing player made a high tackle and was "unfortunate enough to stick his finger in High's mouth." The opposing player "let out a yell" as High came down on the finger and asked, "What are you biting my finger for?" High replied, "What are you sticking it in my mouth for?"{{cite book|author=William Hanford Edwards|title=Football Days: Memories of the Game and of the Men Behind the Ball|publisher=Moffat, Yard and Co.|year=1916|page=[https://archive.org/details/footballdaysmem00edwagoog/page/n491 417]|url=https://archive.org/details/footballdaysmem00edwagoog}}
High graduated from Brown in 1911. In 2003, as part of the 125 anniversary of Brown Bears football, High was named to Brown's All-Decade team for the decade from 1910 to 1919.{{cite web|title=BROWN FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES ITS ALL-DECADE TEAMS|publisher=Brown University Athletics (official site)|date=2003-08-17|url=http://www.brownbears.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/081703aaa.html|access-date=2010-06-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708095635/http://www.brownbears.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/081703aaa.html|archive-date=2011-07-08|url-status=dead}}
Wesleyan
After graduating from Brown, High served as the head coach of the Wesleyan University football team in 1912. He led the Wesleyan Cardinals to a 7–2 record in 1912,{{cite web|title=127 SEASONS OF WESLEYAN FOOTBALL |publisher=Wesleyan University |url=http://www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/football/alltimerecs/fbybyresL3.html |access-date=2010-06-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601173551/http://www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/football/alltimerecs/fbybyresL3.html |archive-date=June 1, 2010 }} including a 7–6 win over his alma mater, Brown.{{cite news|title=WESLEYAN VICTORY OVER BROWN ELEVEN: Spectacular Dash Down Field by Eustis--Jake High Pleased Veteran Halfback on Yale Eleven|newspaper=The Hartford Courant|date=1912-10-14|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/770573262.html?dids=770573262:770573262&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+14,+1912&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=WESLEYAN+VICTORY+OVER+BROWN+ELEVEN&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102142556/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/770573262.html?dids=770573262:770573262&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+14,+1912&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=WESLEYAN+VICTORY+OVER+BROWN+ELEVEN&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012}} High's 1912 Wesleyan team also won acclaim for scoring against Yale in a close 10–3 defeat to open the season.{{cite web|title=Yale Yearly Results|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/ivyleague/yale/yearly_results.php?year=1910|access-date=2010-06-12|archive-date=2010-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213155037/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/ivyleague/yale/yearly_results.php?year=1910|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=COACH HIGH MAKES GOOD AT WESLEYAN|newspaper=The Hartford Courant|date=1912-11-06|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/760582572.html?dids=760582572:760582572&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+06,+1912&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=COACH+HIGH+MAKES+GOOD+AT+WESLEYAN&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102142618/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/760582572.html?dids=760582572:760582572&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+06,+1912&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=COACH+HIGH+MAKES+GOOD+AT+WESLEYAN&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012}} High's .778 winning percentage as Wesleyan's head football coach ranks first in the 127-year history of Wesleyan football.{{cite web|title=ALL-TIME COACHING RECORDS |publisher=Wesleyan University |url=http://www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/football/alltimerecs/fbcoachatrecs.html |access-date=2010-06-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601173731/http://www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/football/alltimerecs/fbcoachatrecs.html |archive-date=June 1, 2010 }}
NYU
High, who was a resident of Providence, Rhode Island, chose not to return as Wesleyan's head coach in 1913 after having "salary difficulties with the athletic management of the school."{{cite news|title=HIGH MAY NOT COACH WESLEYAN|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|date=1913-03-21|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/296047942.html?dids=296047942:296047942&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Mar+21,+1913&author=&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=HIGH+MAY+NOT+COACH+WESLEYAN&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102142642/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/296047942.html?dids=296047942:296047942&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Mar+21,+1913&author=&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=HIGH+MAY+NOT+COACH+WESLEYAN&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012}} He instead took the head football coaching job at New York University for the 1913 season.{{cite news|title=Coach High's Old Team Coming|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1913-11-15|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1913/11/15/100287415.pdf}} High's 1913 NYU football team went through the entire season without a win and without scoring a point.{{cite news|title=Chum - Bob's Sporting Talk|newspaper=The Evening Independent|date=1914-01-21|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wLIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8lMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5941,387300&dq=jake-high&hl=en}} In his single season as the head coach at NYU, his team was outscored by 241 points to zero.[https://archive.org/details/ultimateguidetoc0000quir/page/293 The Ultimate Guide to College Football], James Quirk, 2004{{cite web|title=Jake High Records by Year|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=3710|access-date=2010-06-12|archive-date=2010-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213230107/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=3710|url-status=dead}}
The team lost to Muhlenberg by a score of 54–0 and to both Syracuse and Navy by identical scores of 48–0.{{cite web|title=1913 NYU Game-by-Game results|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_game_by_game.php?coachid=3710&year=1913|access-date=2010-06-12|archive-date=2011-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525185919/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_game_by_game.php?coachid=3710&year=1913|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_game_by_game.php?coachid=3710&year=1913 |title=New York University 1913 football record |access-date=2008-03-07 |archive-date=2011-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525185919/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_game_by_game.php?coachid=3710&year=1913 |url-status=dead }} High's 0–8 record at NYU gives him a .000 winning percentage, the worst in NYU football history.
Despite the poor showing in 1913, NYU students expressed confidence that High had put the team on the right track as reflected in the following newspaper story from January 1914: "Speaking of supreme confidence, New York university students are fighting to keep Jake High, the football coach who piloted the team throughout a whole season without scoring a single point." Also, The New York Times reported that High's work at NYU "was generally commended" and that "it is generally conceded that no criticism can be expressed in regard to High's work, which is admitted to have been first class in view of the material with which he had to do."{{cite news|title=Tom Reilly N.Y.U. Coach: Alumnus of University To Take Place of Jake High in Football|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1914-01-16|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/01/16/101913194.pdf}}
Later years
In 1914, High joined the coaching staff at Brown University.{{cite news|title=Brown Has Long Drill|newspaper=The Day, New London, Conn.|date=1914-10-20|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lPogAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b3UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5119,5521950&dq=jake-high&hl=en}} He later engaged in business in New York City.{{cite book|title=The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta|publisher=Phi Delta Theta|year=1914|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QQQTAAAAIAAJ&q=%22jake+high%22+nyu}}
Head coaching record
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Wesleyan Methodists
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1912
| endyear = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1912
| name = Wesleyan
| overall = 7–2
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Wesleyan
| overall = 7–2
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = NYU Violets
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1913
| endyear = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1913
| name = NYU
| overall = 0–8
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = NYU
| overall = 0–8
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 7–10
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Wesleyan Cardinals football coach navbox}}
{{NYU Violets football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:High, Jake}}
Category:Year of birth missing
Category:Year of death missing
Category:American football fullbacks
Category:Brown Bears football coaches
Category:Brown Bears football players
Category:NYU Violets football coaches