On This Date: Former College Hoopers Tackling November 8 NFL Gridiron

November 8th, 2023 - 7:57

Long before kneeling knuckleheads such as GQ poster boy #ColonKrapernick's Netflix licks about NFL "slavery" and 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 promptly selected 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 November 8 in football at the professional level (especially 1964):

NOVEMBER 8

  • Washington Redskins QB Sammy Baugh (Texas Christian three-year hoops letterman was All-SWC honorable mention selection as senior in 1936-37) threw three touchdown passes in a 28-0 win against the Chicago Cardinals in 1942.

  • Buffalo Bills WR Don Beebe (Aurora College IL junior varsity hooper in 1983-84) caught eight passes for 111 yards in a 28-20 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992.

  • Kansas City Chiefs LB Bobby Bell (first African-American hooper for Minnesota in 1960-61) returned an interception 45 yards for touchdown in 24-9 win against the Houston Oilers in 1970.

  • Philadelphia Eagles WR Harold Carmichael (starter two seasons for Southern LA averaged 9.8 ppg and 10.6 rpg in 1969-70) caught two third-quarter touchdown passes from Ron Jaworski in a 52-10 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981.

  • Kansas City Chiefs WR Chris Chambers (played hoops briefly for Wisconsin under coach Dick Bennett in 1997-98) caught two fourth-quarter touchdown passes - including one for 54 yards - in a 24-21 setback against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2009.

  • Kansas City Chiefs QB Len Dawson (Purdue hooper in 1956-57) threw four touchdown passes - one in each quarter - in a 42-7 AFL win against the Oakland Raiders in 1964.

  • Chicago Cardinals B-PK John "Paddy" Driscoll (Northwestern hoops letterman in 1916) provided the decisive field goal in final minute of a 9-6 win against the Green Bay Packers in 1925.

  • Oakland Raiders TE Rickey Dudley (averaged 13.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg as senior in 1994-95 when leading Ohio State in rebounding and finishing third in scoring) caught six passes for 105 yards in a 13-10 setback against the Baltimore Ravens in 1998.

  • New York Yankees rookie E Ray Flaherty (four-sport Gonzaga athlete including hoops) caught three touchdown passes in a 26-6 win against the Chicago Bears in 1927.

  • Minnesota Vikings TE Andrew Glover (All-SWAC second-team selection as senior in 1990-91 when leading Grambling with 16.2 ppg and 8.6 rpg while pacing league in field-goal shooting) caught nine passes in a 31-24 win against the New Orleans Saints in 1998. Vikings QB Brad Johnson (part-time starting forward for Florida State as freshman in 1987-88 when averaging 5.9 ppg and shooting 89.1% from free-throw line) passed for 316 yards.

  • San Diego Chargers rookie WR Vincent Jackson (Northern Colorado's scoring leader with 13.6 ppg in 2003-04 while also contributing 5.6 rpg and 3.1 apg) caught two touchdown passes from Philip Rivers - including game winner with 18 seconds remaining - in a 21-20 win against the New York Giants in 2009.

  • St. Louis Cardinals QB Charley Johnson (transferred from Schreiner J.C. to New Mexico State to play hoops before concentrating on football) threw two second-half touchdown passes in a 34-30 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1964.

  • Phoenix Cardinals RB Johnny Johnson (averaged 11.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 3.2 apg in 1988-89 after majority of hoop team members walked off San Jose State squad) rushed for two second-half touchdowns in a 20-14 win against the Los Angeles Rams in 1992.

  • Chicago Cardinals FB Ernie Nevers (All-Pacific Coast Conference second-five hoops choice for Stanford in 1924-25) rushed for two second-quarter touchdowns in a 14-6 win against the Cleveland Indians in 1931.

  • San Francisco 49ers WR Terrell Owens (UTC hooper from 1993-94 through 1995-96 started five games) caught two touchdown passes in a 25-23 win against the Carolina Panthers in 1998. Twelve years later with the Cincinnati Bengals, Owens caught two TD passes from Carson Palmer en route to 10 receptions for 141 yards in a 27-21 setback against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010.

  • Indianapolis Colts TE Marcus Pollard (JC transfer averaged 7.3 ppg and 5 rpg for Bradley in 1992-93 and 1993-94) caught two touchdown passes from Peyton Manning in a 31-28 win against the Minnesota Vikings in 2004.

  • Oakland Raiders WR Art Powell (averaged 10.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg for San Jose State in 1956-57) caught two second-quarter touchdown passes from Tom Flores in a 22-7 AFL win against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963.

  • Providence Steam Roller E Al Rose (Texas hoops letterman from 1928 through 1930) scored game's lone touchdown with a 35-yard pass reception in 7-0 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1931.

  • Detroit Lions WR Freddie Scott (averaged 5.3 ppg as sophomore forward for Amherst MA in 1972-73) had eight pass receptions for a career-high 156 receiving yards in 33-31 setback against the Washington Redskins in 1981.

  • New York Giants LB Tom Scott (hoops letterman as Virginia forward in 1951) had an interception in his second straight game in 1964. Fellow LB Lou Slaby (collected two points and two rebounds in two basketball games for Pittsburgh in 1960-61) also had an INT for the Giants, returning it 26 yards, in 42-20 setback against the Dallas Cowboys.

  • Philadelphia Eagles QB Norm Snead (averaged 7.8 ppg in four Wake Forest games as senior in 1960-61) threw three touchdown passes in a 24-17 win against the Miami Dolphins in 1970. Dolphins QB John Stofa (averaged 5.8 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Buffalo in 1961-62) threw two fourth-quarter TD passes.

  • HB Ed Sutton (seven hoops games for North Carolina as sophomore in 1954-55) threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Joe Walton in fourth quarter to help propel the Washington Redskins to 27-24 win against the Baltimore Colts in 1959.