{{Short description|American football player, coach, and oil salesman (1889–1979)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Eugene Caton | image = elcaton.jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1889|10|13}} | birth_place = Covington County, Alabama, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=y|1979|3|12|1889|10|13}} | death_place = Mobile, Alabama, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_sport1 = Football | player_years2 = 1909–1911 | player_team2 = Auburn | player_positions = Center | coach_sport1 = Football | coach_years2 = 1915 | coach_team2 = Howard (AL) | coach_sport3 = Baseball | coach_years4 = 1916 | coach_team4 = Howard (AL) | admin_years1 = 1915 | admin_team1 = Howard (AL) | overall_record = 3–4–1 (football)<br>9–12 (baseball) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = All-Southern (1910) | coaching_records = }} '''Eugene Leon Caton''' (October 13, 1889 – March 12, 1979) was an American college football player and coach as well as an oil salesman.
==Early years== Caton was born on October 13, 1889, in Covington County, Alabama, to Noah Dent Caton and Elizabeth Rousseau.
==Playing career==
===Auburn=== He was a center for the Auburn Tigers of Auburn University. John Heisman considered him one of the south's greatest centers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=95629|title=Howard College Has New Athletic Director|work=The Huntsville Daily Times|date=May 31, 1915}}</ref> He was selected All-Southern in 1910.<ref name="Spald">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/officialfootball19111nati#page/n61/mode/2up/search/%22all+southern%22|title=Spalding's Football Guide|date=1911|pages = 35, 65|publisher=Shawnee Mission, Kansas, NCAA Publishing Service }}</ref> Eugene was the older brother of Noah Caton. He was 171 pounds. In 1915, John Heisman selected the 30 best Southern football players, and mentioned Caton 24th.<ref>{{cite news |author=J. W. Heisman |date=March 5, 1915 |title=Dixie's Football Hall of Fame |url=https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053729/1915-03-05/ed-3/seq-4/print/image_681x799_from_0,6_to_5411,6357/ |work=Atlanta Georgian}}</ref>
==Coaching career==
===Howard=== Caton coached the Howard Bulldogs in 1915.
==Oil salesman== Caton managed the southern branch of the Pure Oil company in 1922, which marketed Tiolene, Pennsylvania base motor oil.<ref>{{cite news|work=Atlanta Constitution|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1922515//|date=September 24, 1922|accessdate=March 4, 2015|via=Newspapers.com|title=Caton Sells Tiolene 'All-Southern' Style}} {{Open access}}</ref>
==Head coaching record== ===Football=== {{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Howard Baptists | conf = Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association | startyear = 1915 | endyear = single }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1915 | name = Howard | overall = 3–4–1 | conference = 0–3 | confstanding = T–20th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Howard | overall = 3–4–1 | confrecord = 0–3 }} {{CFB Yearly Record End | overall = 13–4–1 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no }}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Samford Bulldogs athletic director navbox}} {{Samford Bulldogs football coach_navbox}} {{Samford Bulldogs baseball coach navbox}} {{1910 College Football Composite All-Southerns}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caton, Eugene}} Category:1889 births Category:1979 deaths Category:American football centers Category:Auburn Tigers football players Category:Samford Bulldogs athletic directors Category:Samford Bulldogs baseball coaches Category:Samford Bulldogs football coaches Category:All-Southern college football players Category:People from Covington County, Alabama Category:Players of American football from Alabama