Gib Cool

William Cameron "Gib" Cool (c. 1894 – February 8, 1933) was an All-American football player. Cool played center for the Big Red of Cornell University from 1913 to 1915 and was selected as an All-American after his senior year in 1915. He was inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.

Early life A native of Pittston, Pennsylvania, Cool attended the Wyoming Seminary, the Sturgis Tutoring School and the Manlius Academy before enrolling in the College of Agriculture at Cornell University.

Athlete at Cornell Cool played college football at Cornell from 1913-1915, and the team was unbeaten in Cool's three years playing center. He was one of the leaders of the 1915 Cornell team that went undefeated and untied and was recognized as national champion. Three players from the 1915 Cornell team were selected as All-Americans—Cool, quarterback Charley Barrett and end Murray Shelton. In the 1915 match against Harvard, Cornell quarterback Charley Barrett was knocked unconscious in the first half; Cool took over and led the team to a 10-0 victory, Harvard's first defeat since 1911. Cool was known as a football "iron man" who played every minute of every game for two seasons with Cornell.

Sports writer Alan Gould later wrote of Cool: "For his weight and inches, Cool was one of the finest pivotmen in football history." After Cool's death, Gould recalled the lone touchdown of Cool's college football career. The touchdown came in a 1915 game against Virginia Poly. Cool and Cornell quarterback Charley Barrett were roommates and close friends, and Barrett knew that Cool's secret ambition was to score a touchdown. After Cool intercepted a forward pass, Barrett called two straight plays with Cool as the ball carrier, and Cool scored on the second carry.

Later life After graduating from Cornell, Cool coached the University of Tennessee football team for one year.