On This Date: Former College Hoopers Tackling October 1 NFL Gridiron

October 1st, 2023 - 9:44

Long before kneeling knuckleheads and 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 do-everything members of a league championship basketball squad who promptly were among the top 41 selections in the 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 October 1 in football at the professional level (especially in 1961 and 1972):

OCTOBER 1

  • Cincinnati Bengals rookie LB James Francis (averaged 3 ppg and 3.6 rpg for Baylor basketball in 1986-87 and 1987-88) furnished two sacks for the second straight game in 1990.

  • Washington Redskins DB Dale Hackbart (averaged 4 ppg and 3.5 rpg in 10 contests for Wisconsin in 1958-59) returned an interception 48 yards for touchdown in 24-21 setback against the New York Giants in 1961. Redskins rookie QB Norm Snead (averaged 7.8 ppg in four Wake Forest games as senior in 1960-61) threw two first-quarter TD passes. Six years later with the Philadelphia Eagles, Snead threw four TD passes in a 34-24 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1967.

  • TE Todd Heap (grabbed 14 rebounds in 11 games for Arizona State in 1999-00) caught touchdown pass with 34 seconds remaining to give the Baltimore Ravens a 16-13 win against the San Diego Chargers in 2006.

  • Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins (played in seven hoop games for Clemson in 2010-11) had 10 pass receptions in a 57-14 win against the Tennessee Titans in 2017.

  • Washington Redskins QB Billy Kilmer (hooper under legendary UCLA coach John Wooden in 1959-60) threw three of his league-high 19 touchdown passes in a 24-23 setback against the New England Patriots in 1972.

  • Detroit Lions QB Bobby Layne (Texas hooper in 1944-45) threw two first-half touchdown passes in a 28-13 setback against the Baltimore Colts in 1955.

  • New York Giants DE George Martin (Oregon hoops teammate of freshman sensation Ron Lee in 1972-73) returned a blocked field goal 83 yards for touchdown in 23-20 setback against the Atlanta Falcons in 1978.

  • New York Jets rookie RB Elijah McGuire (collected 10 points and 13 rebounds in 16 basketball games for Louisiana-Lafayette in 2015-16) rushed for NFL career-high 93 yards - including 69-yarder for go-ahead touchdown in third quarter - in 23-20 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017.

  • Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb (averaged 2.3 points in 18 games for Syracuse in 1995-96 and 1996-97) passed for 311 yards - including two second-half touchdowns - in a 38-10 win against the Atlanta Falcons in 2000.

  • Baltimore Colts TE Tom Mitchell (averaged 6.1 ppg and 9.4 rpg in 10 basketball games for Bucknell in 1963-64) opened game's scoring with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Johnny Unitas in 17-0 win against the Buffalo Bills in 1972.

  • Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peppers (averaged 5.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg while shooting 60.7% from floor for North Carolina in 1999-00 and 2000-01) had two sacks in a 33-30 win against the New England Patriots in 2017.

  • Minnesota Vikings DB Dick Pesonen (two-year Minnesota-Duluth hoops letterman was starting guard in 1959-60) returned an interception 28 yards in 34-33 setback against the Baltimore Colts in 1961. Vikings E A.D. Williams (Pacific hoops letterman in mid-1950s) caught a seven-yard touchdown pass.

  • Denver Broncos WR Rod Smith (swingman was Missouri Southern State hoops letterman as sophomore in 1990-91) caught 13 passes for 160 yards in a 28-19 setback against the New England Patriots in 2000.

  • Green Bay Packers rookie DB Rebel Steiner (three-year hoops letterman for Alabama in late 1940s) returned an interception 94 yards for touchdown in 31-21 win against the Chicago Bears in 1950.

  • Miami Dolphins DE Jason Taylor (averaged 8 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Akron in 1994-95) returned a fumble recovery 29 yards for touchdown in 31-16 win against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2000.

  • Green Bay Packers P Ron Widby (three-time All-SEC selection for Tennessee averaged 18.1 ppg and 8.4 rpg from 1964-65 through 1966-67) punted six times for 288 yards (48.0 average) in a 16-13 win against the Dallas Cowboys in 1972. Teammate Vernon Vanoy (averaged 6.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 1966-67 and 1967-68 as Kansas teammate of Jo Jo White under coach Ted Owens), in his first start as DT, registered two sacks, got partial credit for a third and nearly got a fourth.

  • B Doug Wycoff (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1926) provided the Staten Island Stapletons' lone score with a 64-yard touchdown pass in fourth quarter in 7-7 tie with the Newark Tornadoes in 1930.