Quilty served as the captain of the Ottawa team for the 1911 season. He graduated from University of Ottawa in 1912 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. On September 12, 1912, it was announced that Quilty would study to become a priest at the Montreal Seminary. On September 23, 1912, Quilty returned to play in Ottawa for the 1912 season, instead of studying at the seminary. Later that month, Queen's University denied a statement that it had offered Quilty free tuition to play for the Queen's Gaels football team.
