On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Ready to Tackle October 8 NFL Gridiron

October 8th, 2022 - 9:42

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 8 in football at the professional level (especially in 1967):

OCTOBER 8

  • In 1933, Boston Braves RB Cliff Battles (four seasons of varsity hoops for West Virginia Wesleyan) became the first NFL player to rush for 200 yards in a game (215 yards in 16 carries against New York Giants).

  • Cleveland Rams E Jim Benton (forward was Arkansas' third-leading scorer in SWC play as senior in 1937-38) had two touchdown receptions in a 35-21 setback against the Chicago Bears in 1939. Bears rookie HB Bob MacLeod (All-EIL choice for Dartmouth league champions in 1937-38 and 1938-39) caught a 21-yard TD pass and returned interception 41 yards for TD.

  • Baltimore Colts DE Ordell Braase (first-team All-NCC hoops pick for South Dakota in 1952-53 and 1953-54) returned a fumble recovery nine yards for touchdown in 24-3 win against the Chicago Bears in 1967.

  • New York Giants T Victor Carroll (three-year hoops letterman for Nevada-Reno in mid-1930s) returned a blocked punt return 28 yards for touchdown in 22-10 win against the Boston Yanks in 1944.

  • New York Giants TB Ed Danowski (Fordham hoops letterman in 1932-33) threw two third-quarter touchdown passes in a 14-7 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1939.

  • Kansas City Chiefs QB Len Dawson (Purdue hooper in 1956-57) threw five touchdown passes in a 41-0 win against the Miami Dolphins in 1967. Chiefs FL Otis Taylor (backup small forward for Prairie View A&M) had two first-half TD catches - one for 71 yards. Dolphins QB Archie Roberts (averaged 2.2 ppg and 1.3 rpg in 14 contests as Columbia junior in 1963-64) played in his lone AFL game, completing 5-of-10 passes.

  • Detroit Lions TE Darren Fells (led UCI in rebounding each of last three seasons while averaging 10.2 ppg and 6.3 rpg from 2004-05 through 2007-08) caught two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford in a 27-24 setback against the Carolina Panthers in 2017.

  • Los Angeles Dons rookie WR Len Ford (center for Morgan State's CIAA hoops titlist in 1944) caught two touchdown passes from Glenn Dobbs in a 49-28 AAFC win against the Chicago Rockets in 1948.

  • Minnesota Vikings DB Dale Hackbart (averaged 4 ppg and 3.5 rpg in 10 contests for Wisconsin in 1958-59) returned an interception 21 yards for touchdown in 34-24 setback against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967. Vikings QB Joe Kapp (backup forward averaged 1.8 ppg and 1.2 rpg for California's PCC champions in 1957 and 1958) passed for 281 yards.

  • Carolina Panthers WR Donald Hayes (played in two basketball games for Wisconsin in 1995-96 under coach Dick Bennett) opened game's scoring with a 43-yard touchdown pass reception from QB Steve Beuerlein in 26-3 win against the Seattle Seahawks in 2000.

  • Philadelphia Eagles QB King Hill (Rice hoops letterman in 1955-56 and 1956-57) punted five times for 238 yards (47.6 average) in a 21-16 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1961.

  • Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins (played in seven hoop games for Clemson in 2010-11) had career-high 11 pass receptions in a 27-20 setback against the Indianapolis Colts in 2015. It was his third of four consecutive contests with at least eight pass receptions for more than 100 receiving yards. Two years later, Hopkins caught three touchdown passes from Deshaun Watson in a 42-34 setback against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017.

  • Green Bay Packers RB Paul Hornung (teammate of All-American Jack Stephens averaged 6.1 ppg in 10 contests for Notre Dame in 1954-55) scored four touchdowns - including 54-yard run from scrimmage opening game's scoring - in a 45-7 win against the Baltimore Colts in 1961.

  • Miami Dolphins RB Terry Kirby (averaged 3.4 ppg as Virginia freshman in 1989-90 and 2.1 as sophomore in 1990-91) rushed for two first-half touchdowns in a 27-24 setback against the Indianapolis Colts in 1995.

  • Detroit Lions QB Bobby Layne (Texas hooper in 1944-45) threw two second-half touchdown passes in a 24-7 win against the San Francisco 49ers in 1950. The next year, Layne threw three TD passes - two to HB Doak Walker (SMU hoops letterman as freshman in 1945-46) - in a 37-10 win against the New York Yanks in 1951.

  • Chicago Bears QB Johnny Lujack (averaged 3.4 ppg as starting guard for Notre Dame in 1943-44) rushed for two second-quarter touchdowns in a 27-6 win against the Chicago Cardinals in 1950.

  • Baltimore Ravens WR Vince Mayle (averaged 8 ppg for Shasta CC in 2009-10) opened game's scoring with a rushing touchdown in 30-17 win against the Oakland Raiders in 2017.

  • Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb (averaged 2.3 points in 18 games for Syracuse in 1995-96 and 1996-97) passed for 354 yards - including two second-half touchdowns - in a 38-24 win against the Dallas Cowboys in 2006.

  • Green Bay Packers DE Dan Orlich (Nevada-Reno hoops letterman in 1947-48 and 1948-49) returned a fumble recovery 15 yards for touchdown in 44-31 setback against the New York Yanks in 1950. Yanks QB George Ratterman (third-leading scorer with 11.7 ppg for Notre Dame in 1944-45) threw three of his NFL-high 22 TD passes.

  • San Francisco 49ers WR Terrell Owens (UTC hooper from 1993-94 through 1995-96 started five games) caught 12 passes for 176 yards - including two touchdowns from Jeff Garcia - in a 34-28 setback against the Oakland Raiders in 2000.

  • St. Louis Rams rookie LB Tommy Polley (played in one basketball game for Florida State in 1996-97 under coach Pat Kennedy) had 10 solo tackles in a 35-0 win against the Detroit Lions in 2001.

  • Oakland Raiders WR Art Powell (averaged 10.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg for San Jose State in 1956-57) caught 11 passes for 206 yards - including two touchdowns from Tom Flores - in a 24-10 AFL win against the Boston Patriots in 1965.

  • WR Sonny Randle (scoreless in seven basketball games in Virginia's third season in ACC in 1955-56) caught fourth-quarter touchdown pass from QB John Brodie to give the San Francisco 49ers a 27-24 win against the Los Angeles Rams in 1967.

  • Chicago Cardinals TB Jack Robbins (repeated as All-SWC first-team selection in 1938 for Arkansas) threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in a 27-20 setback against the Green Bay Packers in 1939.

  • Pittsburgh Steelers DB Johnny Sample (freshman hooper for UMES) had three interceptions in a 21-16 setback against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1961.

  • New York Giants QB Norm Snead (averaged 7.8 ppg in four Wake Forest games as senior in 1960-61) threw three touchdown passes in a 45-21 win against the New Orleans Saints in 1972. Eleven years earlier, WR Tom Osborne (scored 1,291 points for Hastings NE during last half of 1950s) accounted for the Washington Redskins' only TD by catching a pass from Snead in 31-7 setback against the Cleveland Browns in 1961.

  • Dallas Cowboys QB Roger Staubach (Navy varsity hooper in 1962-63) threw three touchdown passes in a 24-3 win against the New York Giants in 1978.

  • Jacksonville Jaguars WR Cedric Tillman (averaged 4.3 ppg and 2.6 rpg while serving as part-time starter for Alcorn State in 1990-91) opened game's scoring with a touchdown catch from Mark Brunell in 20-16 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1995.