William J. George was an All-American football player at Princeton University. He was selected by Casper Whitney as the center for the 1889 College Football All-America Team, the first All-America team chosen in the history of college football. George played on Princeton teams with Snake Ames, Edgar Allan Poe, and Cowan. Football was a dangerous sport during the period when George played, when players played on both offense and defense, and prior to the innovations in helmets and other protective equipment. In the 1889 Princeton-Yale game, George was sustained an injury to his knee cap and "had the tendon of his ankle broken." George was taken from the game to Murray Hill Hotel in an ambulance.