John Samuel Cranston (November 18, 1865 – December 17, 1931) was an American football player and coach. He played for Harvard University from 1888-1890. He was selected as an All-American in 1889 and 1890—the first years in which College Football All-America Teams were selected. He was also the first football player to wear protective "nose armor," which was invented by a Harvard teammate to protect his "weak nose." He later served as a football coach at Harvard from 1893-1903. During the 1905 football reform movement, Cranston was part of the reformist camp and proposed the abolition of professional coaches.