John Levi (American football)

{{short description|Arapahoe Indian athlete and coach (1898–1946)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = John Levi

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|6|14}}

| birth_place = Bridgeport, Oklahoma, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1946|1|22|1898|6|14}}

| death_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S.

| player_years1 = 1919

| player_team1 = Phillips

| player_years2 = 1922–1924

| player_team2 = Haskell

| player_positions = Fullback

| coach_years1 = 1927–1934

| coach_team1 = Haskell (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1935

| coach_team2 = Haskell

| overall_record = 0–7–1

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards = First-team All-American (1923)

| coaching_records =

}}

John C. "Skee" Levi (June 14, 1898 – January 22, 1946) was an Arapaho Indian athlete,{{cite web|url=http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/03/02/former-haskell-football-standout-inspired-thorpe-levi-and-mills-153805|title=Former Haskell Football Standout Inspired by Thorpe, Levi and Mills|work=Indian Country Today Media Network.com}} playing college football for the Haskell Indians.{{cite web |url=http://www.haskellathletics.com/article/134.php |title=Flashback Friday: John Levi |publisher=Haskell Indian Nations University Athletics |date=June 29, 2012 |access-date=October 27, 2016 }} Allegedly Jim Thorpe called him the greatest athlete he'd ever seen.{{cite web|url=http://www.kshof.org/inductees/2-kansas-sports-hall-of-fame/inductees/172-levi-john.html|title=Kansas Sports Hall of Fame - Levi, John|publisher=}} He then coached at his alma mater.{{cite news |author= |title=John Levi Named as Haskell Coach |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19350820&id=1ohSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Fb4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=7068,6353163&hl=en |newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World |location=Lawrence, Kansas |date=August 20, 1935 |page=1 |access-date=October 27, 2016 |via=Google News }}

Levi died on January 22, 1946, at Denver General Hospital in Denver, Colorado, after he was fatally stabbed by Fannie Stabler. In May 1946, Stabler was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.{{cite news |author= |title=John Thomas Levi Fatally Stabbed; Woman Confesses |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86480098/seminole-producer/ |newspaper=Seminole Producer |location=Seminole, Oklahoma |agency=United Press |date=January 23, 1946 |page=1 |access-date=October 4, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |author= |title=Jury Convicts Mother in Slaying of Famous Haskell Indian Athlete |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86480228/scottsbluff-daily-star-herald/ |newspaper=Scottsbluff Star-Herald |location=Scottsbluff, Nebraska |agency=Associated Press |date=May 24, 1946 |page=1 |access-date=October 4, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}