On This Date: Former College Hoopers Tackling October 24 NFL Gridiron

October 24th, 2023 - 7:52

Long before kneeling knuckleheads 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 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 24 in football at the professional level (especially in 1948 and 1971):

OCTOBER 24

  • New York Giants E O'Neal Adams (three-year letterman was third-leading scorer in 1941 when Arkansas reached NCAA Tournament national semifinals) opened game's scoring by returning a blocked punt 34 yards for touchdown in 42-14 win against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1943. Giants E Will Walls (starting forward with Texas Christian for three years from 1935 through 1937) caught a 31-yard TD pass.

  • Cincinnati Bengals rookie QB Ken Anderson (swingman finished Augustana IL career in early 1970s as fifth-leading scorer in school history with 1,044 points) completed 14-of-20 passes (including two touchdowns) and rushed for one TD in a 31-27 loss against the Oakland Raiders in 1971.

  • Cleveland Browns FB Jim Brown (#2-scorer with 14 ppg for Syracuse as sophomore in 1954-55 before averaging 11.3 as junior) rushed for 177 yards on 24 carries in a 38-14 win against the New York Giants in 1965.

  • Detroit Lions TB Dutch Clark (four-time All-Rocky Mountain Conference hoops choice for Colorado College) rushed for two touchdowns in a 28-20 setback against the Chicago Bears in 1937.

  • Cleveland Browns B Bob Cowan (averaged 1.7 ppg for Indiana in 1942-43) caught a career-best 63-yard touchdown pass from Otto Graham (Big Ten Conference runner-up in scoring as Northwestern sophomore in 1941-42 and junior in 1942-43) in a 35-7 win against the New York Yankees in 1948. It was one of four TD passes for Graham.

  • Kansas City Chiefs QB Len Dawson (Purdue hooper in 1956-57) threw three second-half touchdown passes in a 27-20 win against the Washington Redskins in 1971. WR Otis Taylor (backup small forward for Prairie View A&M) caught two of Dawson's TD passes. Redskins QB Billy Kilmer (hooper under legendary UCLA coach John Wooden in 1959-60) threw two first-half TD passes to Charley Taylor.

  • Buffalo Bills FL Elbert Dubenion (solid rebounder and defensive player for Bluffton OH in late 1950s) caught five passes for 218 yards - including two 44-yard touchdowns - in a 34-24 AFL win against the New York Jets in 1964.

  • Pittsburgh Steelers TB Ray Evans (two-time All-American was four-year hoops letterman and second-leading scorer for Kansas in 1942 NCAA Tournament) threw two touchdown passes in a 34-27 setback against the New York Giants in 1948.

  • Only pass reception of pro career for George Grimes (Virginia hoops letterman in 1943) was a 17-yard touchdown from Detroit Lions teammate Fred Enke (three-year All-Border Conference first-team selection under his father was Arizona co-captain as senior in 1947-48) in a 34-27 setback against the Los Angeles Rams in 1948.

  • Baltimore Ravens TE Todd Heap (grabbed 14 rebounds in 11 games for Arizona State in 1999-00) caught two second-quarter touchdown passes in a 37-34 win against the Buffalo Bills in 2010.

  • San Francisco 49ers rookie RB John Henry Johnson (made 5-of-8 FGAs in five games for Saint Mary's in 1950-51) rushed for two touchdowns in a 37-31 setback against the Detroit Lions in 1954. 49ers E Billy Wilson (averaged 3.3 ppg as senior letterman for San Jose State in 1950-51) caught two TD passes from Y.A. Tittle.

  • Miami Dolphins rookie RB Terry Kirby (averaged 3.4 ppg as Virginia freshman in 1989-90 and 2.1 as sophomore in 1990-91) scored two touchdowns (one pass reception/one rushing) in a 41-27 win against the Indianapolis Colts in 1993.

  • Chicago Cardinals E Mal Kutner (two-year Texas hoops letterman in early 1940s) scored two third-quarter touchdowns in a 49-27 win against the Boston Yanks in 1948. Yanks QB Roy Zimmerman (San Jose State hoops letterman as center in 1938 and 1939) threw three TD passes.

  • Green Bay Packers HB Jack McAuliffe (member of Beloit WI squads capturing three successive state and Midwest hoop titles, winning 39 of 41 games and going undefeated in 1921-22 and 1923-24) opened game's scoring with a 15-yard touchdown pass in 35-0 win against the Racine Tornadoes in 1926.

  • Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb (averaged 2.3 points in 18 games for Syracuse in 1995-96 and 1996-97) passed for 376 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-31 win against the Cleveland Browns in 2004. In midst of five consecutive contests with more than 100 receiving yards, Eagles WR Terrell Owens (UTC hooper from 1993-94 through 1995-96 started five games) caught two first-half TD passes from McNabb.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers E Max Morris (All-American in 1945 and 1946 when two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection averaged 16.3 ppg for Northwestern) had a 24-yard touchdown pass reception in 35-14 AAFC win against the Chicago Rockets in 1948.

  • Buffalo Bills HB Chet Mutryn (Xavier hoops letterman in 1943) rushed for two of his AAFC-high 10 touchdowns in a 35-21 AAFC win against the Los Angeles Dons in 1948.

  • Dallas Cowboys RB Preston Pearson (swingman averaged 8.7 ppg and 6 rpg as Illinois senior in 1966-67) caught two second-half touchdown passes from Danny White in a 31-21 win against the Chicago Bears in 1976.

  • Oakland Raiders WR Art Powell (averaged 10.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg for San Jose State in 1956-57) had two second-half touchdown catches in a 30-21 AFL win against the Boston Patriots in 1965.

  • San Diego Chargers WR Mikhael Ricks (played three hoop games for Stephen F. Austin in 1995-96) had a career-high six pass receptions in a 31-3 setback against the Green Bay Packers in 1999.

  • Cleveland Browns TE Oscar Roan (averaged 5.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg for SMU in 1973-74) provided game-winning touchdown with a fourth-quarter pass reception from Brian Sipe in 21-17 win against the San Diego Chargers in 1976.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers rookie B Frank Sachse (All-Border Conference second-team forward for Texas Tech in 1937-38 with 16.8 ppg) threw a 57-yard touchdown pass in 33-21 setback against the Chicago Bears in 1943.

  • Washington Redskins DB Johnny Sample (freshman hooper for UMES) had two interceptions in a 24-20 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965.

  • Dallas Cowboys QB Roger Staubach (Navy varsity hooper in 1962-63) threw two second-quarter touchdown passes to Bob Hayes in a 44-21 win against the New England Patriots in 1971.