On This Date: Former College Hoopers Tackling December 3 NFL Gridiron

December 3rd, 2023 - 7:59

Long before kneeling knuckleheads such as ill-informed GQ poster boy #ColonKrapernick and his supporters spurred politicized multiple anthems, the NCAA Tournament commenced in 1939, which was one year after the NIT triggered national postseason competition. An overlooked "versatile athlete" feat occurring in 1938 likely never to be duplicated took place at Arkansas, where the quarterback for the football squad (Jack Robbins) repeated as an All-SWC first-team basketball selection, leading the Razorbacks (19-3) to the league title. After the season, Robbins became an NFL first-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals (5th pick overall) and senior football/basketball teammates Jim Benton (11th pick by Cleveland Rams) and Ray Hamilton (41st pick by Rams) went on to become wide receivers for at least six years in the NFL. Yes, they created a kneeling-in-admiration shatterproof achievement - three members of a league championship basketball squad who promptly were among the top 41 selections in same NFL draft.

Two years later, All-SWC first-team hoop selection Howard "Red" Hickey was instrumental in Arkansas reaching the 1941 Final Four before becoming an end for the Cleveland Rams' 1945 NFL titlist. Two-sport college teammate and fellow end O'Neal Adams scored five touchdowns for the New York Giants the first half of the 1940s. Another two-sport Hog who played for the Giants in the mid-1940s was Harry Wynne. An earlier versatile Razorback was Jim Lee Howell, who was an All-SWC first five hoop selection in 1935-36 before becoming a starting end for the Giants' 1938 NFL titlist and Pro Bowl participant the next year. Adams, Benton, Hamilton, Hickey and Howell combined for 77 touchdowns in an 11-year span from 1938 through 1948 when at least one of the ex-Razorback hoopers scored a TD in each of those seasons.

Hickey and ex-Hog All-SWC second-team hooper in 1929-30/NFL end Milan Creighton each coached NFL franchises. Many other ex-college hoopers also displayed their wares on the gridiron. Following is exhaustive research you can tackle regarding former college basketball players who made a name for themselves on December 3 in football at the professional level (especially in 1961 and 1978):

DECEMBER 3

  • Kansas City Chiefs LB Bobby Bell (first African-American hooper for Minnesota in 1960-61) returned an interception 61 yards for touchdown in 24-21 win against the Denver Broncos in 1972.

  • Philadelphia Eagles WR Harold Carmichael (starter two seasons for Southern LA averaged 9.8 ppg and 10.6 rpg in 1969-70) caught two first-half touchdown passes (56 and 21 yards) from Ron Jaworski in a 28-27 setback against the Minnesota Vikings in 1978.

  • Miami Dolphins WR Chris Chambers (played hoops briefly for Wisconsin under coach Dick Bennett in 1997-98) caught eight passes for 121 yards in a 24-10 setback against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006.

  • Los Angeles Rams rookie RB Glenn Davis (Army hooper in 1944-45 and 1945-46) scored two second-quarter touchdowns (one rushing/one receiving) in a 51-14 win against the Green Bay Packers in 1950.

  • Miami Dolphins DE Vern Den Herder (finished Central College IA career in 1970-71 as school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder) returned an interception 24 yards in 37-21 win against the New England Patriots in 1972. In the fourth quarter, Patriots QB Brian Dowling (averaged 2.6 ppg for Yale in 1967-68) threw a touchdown pass and rushed for a TD.

  • Kansas City Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez (averaged 6.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg for California from 1994-95 through 1996-97) caught nine passes - including two touchdowns - in a 31-28 setback against the Cleveland Browns in 2006.

  • Cleveland Rams rookie Parker Hall (Ole Miss hoops letterman in 1938) provided a league-best 80-yard punt in 1939 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

  • Philadelphia Eagles QB King Hill (Rice hoops letterman in 1955-56 and 1956-57) punted nine times for 432 yards (48.0 average) in a 35-24 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1961.

  • Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones (collected six points and six assists in eight basketball games for Texas-El Paso in 2013-14 under coach Tim Floyd) provided game-winning 20-yard rushing touchdown with six minutes remaining in overtime for a 26-20 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017.

  • Minnesota Vikings QB Joe Kapp (backup forward averaged 1.8 ppg and 1.2 rpg for California's PCC champions in 1957 and 1958) threw two second-half touchdown passes in a 30-27 setback against the Green Bay Packers in 1967.

  • Detroit Lions QB Bobby Layne (Texas hooper in 1944-45) threw three touchdown passes (82, 67 and 32 yards) in a 45-21 win against the Baltimore Colts in 1950. Lions E Cloyce Box (combined with twin brother Boyce to help West Texas win Border Conference hoop championship in 1943) had four touchdowns among his 12 pass receptions for 302 yards. In 1961 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Layne threw three TD passes in a 35-24 setback against the Philadelphia Eagles.

  • Cleveland Rams rookie B Bill Lazetich (three-year Montana hoops letterman in late 1930s) opened game's scoring with a five-yard touchdown catch in 35-13 win against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1939. Eagles B Fran Murray (All-EIL first-team guard for Penn in 1935-36 and 1936-37) caught a 45-yard TD pass from Dave O'Brien.

  • Cleveland Browns WR Dave Logan (three-time scoring runner-up averaged 14.1 ppg and 6.3 rpg for Colorado in mid-1970s) caught two touchdown passes from Brian Sipe in a 47-24 setback against the Seattle Seahawks in 1978.

  • Indianapolis Colts rookie DB David Macklin (collected 13 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists for Penn State in 15 basketball games as freshman in 1996-97) returned an interception 35 yards in 27-17 setback against the New York Jets in 2000. Six years later with the Arizona Cardinals, Macklin had seven solo tackles and returned an INT 56 yards in 34-20 win against the St. Louis Rams in 2006.

  • Oakland Raiders WR Art Powell (averaged 10.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg for San Jose State in 1956-57) caught two touchdown passes from Tom Flores (32 and 31 yards) in a 28-28 AFL tie against the New York Jets in 1966.

  • Minnesota Vikings WR Jerry Reichow (Iowa hooper in 1954-55) caught two touchdown passes from Fran Tarkenton - including one of them for 51 yards - in a 42-21 win against the Los Angeles Rams in 1961.

  • Chicago Bears QB Gene Ronzani (among Marquette's top four scorers in 1931-32 and 1932-33) threw three touchdown passes in a 49-7 win against the Chicago Cardinals in 1944.

  • Philadelphia Eagles QB Norm Snead (averaged 7.8 ppg in four Wake Forest games as senior in 1960-61) threw four touchdown passes in a 35-35 tie against the Washington Redskins in 1967. Six years earlier with the Washington Redskins, Snead threw a 60-yard TD pass to WR Tom Osborne (scored 1,291 points for Hastings NE during last half of 1950s) in a 38-24 setback against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1961. Redskins DB Dale Hackbart (averaged 4 ppg and 3.5 rpg in 10 contests for Wisconsin in 1958-59) had two interceptions against the Cardinals.

  • Dallas Cowboys QB Roger Staubach (Navy varsity hooper in 1962-63) threw two second-half touchdown passes in a 17-10 win against the New England Patriots in 1978. The decisive TD was a 36-yard heave to TE Billy Joe Dupree (scored four points in total of four basketball games for Michigan State in 1971-72).

  • Rookie WR Dave Stief (hoop teammate of Portland State All-American Freeman Williams in 1977-78) caught a 53-yard touchdown pass from Jim Hart in fourth quarter to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 21-14 win against the Detroit Lions in 1978.

  • Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton (SMU hooper for three games in 2015-16 under coach Larry Brown) caught two passes for 77 yards in a 22-17 setback against the Houston Texans in 2023.

  • Miami Dolphins DE Jason Taylor (averaged 8 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Akron in 1994-95) had three sacks in a 33-6 win against the Buffalo Bills in 2000.

  • Detroit Lions rookie HB Doak Walker (SMU hoops letterman as freshman in 1945-46) rushed for two touchdowns in a 45-21 win against the Baltimore Colts in 1950.