On This Date: Former College Hoopers Tackling October 5 NFL Gridiron

October 5th, 2023 - 9:56

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 5 in football at the professional level (especially in 2014):

OCTOBER 5

  • Washington Redskins QB Sammy Baugh (TCU three-year hoops letterman was All-SWC honorable mention selection as senior in 1936-37) threw three touchdown passes in a 27-26 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1947.

  • Cleveland Browns FB Jim Brown (averaged #2-scorer 14 ppg for Syracuse as sophomore in 1954-55 and 11.3 as junior) rushed for three touchdowns - one of them for 59 yards - in a 45-12 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1958. Five years later, Brown rushed for 175 yards on 21 carries in a 35-23 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1963.

  • Chicago Cardinals rookie TB Johnny Clement (Southern Methodist hoops letterman in 1940) threw a 76-yard touchdown pass in 14-13 setback against the Green Bay Packers in 1941. Six years later with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Clement threw two TD passes in a 27-26 setback against the Washington Redskins in 1947.

  • Chicago Bears QB Jack Concannon (grabbed one rebound in one Boston College basketball contest in 1961-62) threw two second-quarter touchdown passes in a 28-24 setback against the New York Giants in 1969. The next year, he threw two TD passes totaling 80 yards to Dick Gordon in a 28-14 setback against the Detroit Lions in 1970.

  • Chicago Cardinals B-PK John "Paddy" Driscoll (Northwestern hoops letterman in 1916) kicked a 40-yard field goal for game's only score in 3-0 win against the Green Bay Packers in 1924.

  • Baltimore Colts CB Jim Duncan (Maryland-Eastern Shore hooper) returned a kickoff 92 yards for touchdown in 21-14 win against the Atlanta Falcons in 1969.

  • San Diego Chargers TE Antonio Gates (second-team All-MAC selection in 2002 when Kent State finished runner-up in South Regional) caught two first-half touchdown passes from Philip Rivers in a 31-0 win against the New York Jets in 2014.

  • Rookie E Dale Gentry (averaged 5.3 ppg for Washington State's 1941 NCAA Tournament runner-up) opened the Los Angeles Dons' scoring with a blocked punt return for touchdown in 21-9 AAFC win against the Chicago Rockets in 1946.

  • Boston Patriots rookie WR Art Graham (collected one point and three rebounds in two basketball games with Boston College in 1961-62) caught two touchdown passes in a 31-24 setback against the New York Jets in 1963.

  • Miami Dolphins QB Bob Griese (sophomore guard for Purdue in 1964-65) threw two second-quarter touchdown passes in a 30-17 setback against the Baltimore Colts in 1980.

  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers 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 eight passes for 144 yards in a 37-31 setback against the New Orleans Saints in 2014.

  • New York Giants' Dave Jennings (forward averaged 5.9 ppg for St. Lawrence NY in 1972-73 and 1973-74) punted five times for 54-yard average in a 24-3 setback against the Dallas Cowboys in 1980.

  • New Orleans Saints QB Billy Kilmer (hooper under legendary UCLA coach John Wooden in 1959-60) threw two first-half touchdown passes in a 36-17 setback against the Los Angeles Rams in 1969.

  • TE Tom Mitchell (averaged 6.1 ppg and 9.4 rpg in 10 basketball games for Bucknell in 1963-64) opened the San Francisco 49ers' scoring with a 24-yard touchdown pass reception in 20-3 win against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1975.

  • Buffalo Bills rookie QB George Ratterman (third-leading scorer with 11.7 ppg for Notre Dame in 1944-45) threw three touchdown passes in a 27-25 AAFC win against the Los Angeles Dons in 1947.

  • Detroit Lions WR Freddie Scott (averaged 5.3 ppg as sophomore forward for Amherst MA in 1972-73) caught two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Gary Danielson in a 43-28 setback against the Atlanta Falcons in 1980.

  • Denver Broncos TE Julius Thomas (averaged 6.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg while shooting 66.3% from floor with Portland State from 2006-07 through 2009-10) caught two touchdown passes from Peyton Manning in a 41-20 win against the Arizona Cardinals in 2014.

  • Tennessee Titans WR Kendall Wright (Baylor hooper as freshman in 2008-09) caught two first-half touchdown passes in a 29-28 setback against the Cleveland Browns in 2014.