David Roscoe "Emp" Peacock (March 15, 1890 – January 28, 1944) was an American college football player and coach, lawyer, and politician. Peacock played football at the University of Georgia from 1910 to 1912. He was the head football coach at Mercer University, in Macon, Georgia, for the final four games of 1916 season. Peacock was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1916 and served as president pro-tempore. He lated practiced law in Eastman, Georgia, and Bradenton, Florida.
 Peacock, c. 1912 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 15, 1890 Eastman, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 1944 (aged 53) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1910–1912 | Georgia |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1914 | Georgia (assistant) |
| 1916 | Mercer |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 0–4 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| 2× All-Southern (1911, 1912) | |
College football career
Playing
As a player, he was an All-Southern guard captain for the Georgia Bulldogs of the University of Georgia in 1912.[1][2] An Athens newspaper said he was "probably the most aggressive lineman in the South."[3] He weighed 185 pounds.
Coaching
Peacock was an assistant for the 1914 Georgia Bulldogs, leaving to get his master's degree at the University of Michigan.[4] In October 1916, Peacock took over midseason as head football coach at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He succeeded Jake Zellars, who was recalled into military service.[5]
Military service, legal and political career, and later life
Peacock was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1916 and served there as president pro-tempore until resigning to entering military service during World War I. He was a first lieutenant and was cited for bravery in action. He attended Sorbonne University in Paris after the war and earned a diploma. Peacock then returned to Eastman, Georgia to practice law. In 1920, he was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Georgia's 12th congressional district. Peacock relocated to Bradenton, Florida, in 1925, where he practiced law with J. B. Singeltary. He retired from law in 1939 due to ill health and was thereafter engaged in farming and the cattle business.
Peacock died on January 28, 1944, at Bay Pines Veteran's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.[6][7]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer Baptists (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1916) | |||||||||
| 1916 | Mercer | 0–4[n 1] | 0–3[n 1] | 25th | |||||
| Mercer: | 0–4 | 0–3 | |||||||
| Total: | 0–4 | ||||||||
Notes
- ^ a b Jake Zellars served as Mercer's head coach for the first three games of the 1916 season before being recalled into military service. Peacock led the team for the remainder of the year. Mercer finished the season 1–6 overall and 0–5 in conference play.
References
- ^ "Composite All-Southern Eleven Chosen By Eighteen Dopesters". Atlanta Constitution. December 2, 1913. p. 8. Retrieved March 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Georgia Football Squad". The Atlanta Constitution. October 6, 1912. p. 11. Retrieved March 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Peacock". Weekly Banner. December 8, 1911. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2015 – via Digital Library of Georgia.
- ^ "Georgia Assistant Coach, "Emp" Peacock, Goes To Get A. M. Degree". Athens Banner. November 22, 1914. p. 16. Retrieved March 5, 2015 – via Digital Library of Georgia.
- ^ "Peacock To Coach Mercer Baptists". The Macon News. Macon, Georgia. October 13, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved June 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "D. R. Peacock, Well Known Attorney, Dies". The Bradenton Herald. Bradenton, Florida. January 30, 1944. p. 5. Retrieved June 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "David Roscoe Peacock". U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917–1940. Retrieved April 30, 2022.