George McCaa: Wilkes-Barre man starred on legendary Lafayette team
McCaa was a two-time All-American fullback.
The 1909 Lafayette football team remains one of the greatest in program history.
Not only did Lafayette win at rival Lehigh, 5-0, but the Leopards achieved desirable results at a pair of Ivy League powerhouses. Lafayette returned from Penn, the reigning national champion, with a 6-6 tie. It also defeated Princeton, a 1906 national champ, 6-0. Lafayette finished with a 7-0-1 record.
At the heart of Lafayette’s success was fullback George McCaa, a Wilkes-Barre High School graduate. McCaa was the lone Leopard on Walter Camp’s All-America team. McCaa was a third-team selection in both 1908 and ’09.
Going back to his time in high school, McCaa, who was born March 8, 1884, in Wilkes-Barre, demonstrated his exceptional athleticism as a member of the track team. In 1904, he set a new record in the broad jump at the local YMCA. He also finished first more often than not in various events at meets, including the broad jump, as well as sprints and hammer throws.
One of McCaa’s greatest performances for Lafayette came Oct. 24, 1908, at Brown.
“Brown practically ran the Lafayette team off its feet so far as straight football was concerned,” reports said. “But McCaa, Lafayette’s captain, kicked two of the prettiest goals from placement that have been seen in Providence for years.”
McCaa’s two field goals lifted Lafayette to an 8-6 win. Lafayette finished the 1908 season with a 6-2-2 record. According to an interview McCaa gave to the Pittsburgh Press in 1935, those kicks measured an astounding 57 and 63 yards each.
“I made two out of three in that game; I actually made all three of them,” he recalled. “But the official refused to allow one that, in his opinion, didn’t go over.”
McCaa’s 1935 interview coincided with sports writer George Trevor’s all-time Lafayette team. Trevor picked McCaa as his first-team Lafayette fullback.
“McCaa, a ranging, hollow-cheeked genius, could do everything expected of a great back,” Trevor wrote.
McCaa’s brilliance in 1909 was highlighted by his performance in the win at Princeton, where he kicked a field goal and punted the ball out of danger many times to secure the victory.
Following graduation, McCaa returned to his alma mater. He was head coach of Lafayette in 1912 and ’13. Lafayette went 4-5-1 each season.
After leaving football, McCaa worked as a mine inspector and lived in Pittsburgh. He died in 1960. He was 76.
Greater Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area All-American roll call
1894: Charles Gelbert, University of Pennsylvania (Hawley native, Scranton public schools)
1895: Alfred E. Bull, University of Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre native, Wyoming Seminary); Charles Gelbert, University of Pennsylvania (Hawley native, Scranton public schools)
1896: Charles Gelbert, University of Pennsylvania (Hawley native, Scranton public schools)
1903: Frank Piekarski, University of Pennsylvania (Nanticoke native, Wyoming Seminary)
1904: Tom Butkiewicz, University of Pennsylvania (Nanticoke native); James Cooney, University of Pennsylvania (Scranton native, School of Lackawanna); Frank Piekarski, University of Pennsylvania (Nanticoke native, Wyoming Seminary); Marshall Reynolds, University of Pennsylvania (Tunkhannock native)
1906: James Cooney, University of Pennsylvania (Scranton native, School of Lackawanna)
1909: Harry Vaughan, Yale University (Scranton native); George McCaa, Lafayette College (Wilkes-Barre native)
1910: George McCaa, Lafayette College (Wilkes-Barre native)