Henry "Heinie" Adams (1915-2005)
Center/Linebacker—(Pittsburgh) East Chicago Indians (AFL) 1939, Chicago Cardinals 1939; Camp Croft 1941, Eastern Army All-Stars 1942
Charles C. "Ki" Aldrich (1916-1983)
Center/Linebacker/Guard—(TCU) Chicago Cardinals 1939-40, Washington Redskins 1941-42,1945-47 [All-American 1938, College Football Hall of Fame 1960, #1 Draft Pick 1939]
His full name was Charles Collins Aldrich, but he was always known as Ki Aldrich. It was a nickname he carried from childhood. He is listed as Ki Aldrich in the NCAA all-time guide, the Texas Christian letterman's roster, and the pro football player's roster. In his sophomore year, 1936, Texas Christian went 9-2-2 and beat Marquette 16-6 in the first Cotton Bowl. TCU was 4-4-2 in 1937 and soared to 11-0 in 1938. TCU was voted national champion in the Associated Press poll and beat Carnegie Tech 15-7 in the Sugar Bowl. Aldrich, 5'-11" and 198 pounds, was a great blocker as a center on offense and a terrific linebacker on defense. His coach, Dutch Meyer, said, "That boy wanted to play football more than anyone I ever knew. He liked in rough." His teammate, Sammy Baugh, called him "the toughest player I ever knew." Life Magazine in 1938 called him "probably the greatest linebacker in history." Aldrich blocked for Baugh in 1936 and for Davey O'Brien in 1937-38. He was named to the all-time Southwest Conference team. He played pro with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins 1939-42, 1945-47, with time out for U.S. Navy service. After football he served as superintendent of the Lena Pope Orphanage in Rogers, Texas.
John "Whitey" Ambrose (1910-1995)
Center—(Catholic) Brooklyn Dodgers 1932-33
Vince “Bananas” Banonis (1921-2010)
Center/Linebacker—(Detroit) Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks 1943, Pearl Harbor Pacific All-Stars 1945; Chicago Cardinals 1942,1946-50, Card-Pitt 1944, Detroit Lions 1951-53 [All-American (AP Service) 1943, College Football Hall of Fame 1986, All-Pro 1947]
I was down there [at the North-South All-Star game] when the news came that I had been drafted by Chicago. I thought it was the Bears, but it was the raggedy-ass Cardinals. They were at the bottom of the barrel then. . . . . In training camp, the coaches always had an honor system. You weighed yourself in every morning and you weighed out after practice —twice a day. Les Bingaman had himself down for 289 or whatever. But one day the honor system was no longer and George Wilson, the assistant coach, was at the scales. Les stepped aboard and the thing hit 300, which was as far as it would go. So they took him downtown to the granary and weighed him there . . . and he was 349. That was the end of the honor system.
Vince Banonis
Vince Banonis
Emmett Barrett (1916-2005)
Center/Linebacker—(Portland) Paterson Panthers (American Association) 1941, New York Giants 1942,1944
I was the fastest lineman, but I weighed only 170, and Mel [Hein] beat me by a foot in a 60-yard dash. The Giants contacted me for training camp. I was tall but slender, and I guess they figured I'd put on weight. Anyway, they sent me for the first part of the season to their farm club in New Jersey, where [Wellington] Mara and Owen would come to watch. Guess what, I was playing 60 minutes there, too — and one week three games — on Sunday, Wednesday and Sunday. I guess I got a rep for being a good hitter. The war was on and Mel had retired and unretired a couple of times and he was old enough to need rest. I know one thing: I knew how to play and I was tough. No guy tried harder; I had to.
Emmett Barrett
Emmett Barrett
Lloyd Baxter (1923-2010)
Center—(SMU) Green Bay Packers 1948
Chuck Bernard (1911-1962)
Center/Linebacker—(Michigan) Detroit Lions 1934 [All-American 1933]
I wanted to play more football as a sophomore and junior, but one year ahead of me, Michigan also had an All-American center, Chuck Bernard. I was the better offensive center, but Chuck was 25 pounds heavier and better on defense. And in those days a coach played one guy. So that was my great regret. So here I am, great prospects as a sophomore, and my competition is All-American. Not playing was tough, but I learned a lot on the bench. I learned that there was the potential always that somebody could be better than you. And Chuck was better overall.
Gerald R. Ford
Gerald R. Ford
Larry Bettencourt (1905-1978)
Center/Linebacker—(St. Mary's, CA) Memphis Tigers 1929-30,1932, Green Bay Packers 1933 [All-American 1927, College Football Hall of Fame 1973; he played MLB for the St. Louis Browns (1928-32)]
Bob Bjorklund (1918-1994)
Center/Linebacker—(Minnesota) Camp Peary Pirates 1944; Philadelphia Eagles 1941; Coach—Fort Douglas MPs 1943
Sam Brazinsky (1921-2003)
Center/Linebacker—(Villanova) Cherry Point Marines 1943-44, El Toro Marine Corps Air Station Flying Marines 1945; Buffalo Bisons (AAFC) 1946
They [Buffalo Bisons] offered me a $1,500 signing bonus. At that time, it was like a million dollars. That was a good salary. A lot of people back then were making $2,000 a year for a whole year's work. Playing football was punishment. There were no X-rays. You broke something, you got in an ambulance and went to the nearest hospital. A lot of times you got knocked out cold, but if you came to, you stayed in. You played 60 minutes. There were only 25 players on the team. The sport was brutal. You saved yourself for the last quarter. There was no slapping each other when you made a touchdown. That was a waste of energy. You handed the ball to the ref and that was it.
Sam Brazinsky
Sam Brazinsky
Bob Callahan (1923-2011)
Center/Linebacker—(Missouri/Michigan) Paterson Panthers (AFL) 1947, Buffalo Bills (AAFC) 1948
Chuck Cherundolo (1916-2012)
Center/Linebacker—(Penn State) Cleveland Rams 1937-39, Philadelphia Eagles 1940, Pittsburgh Steelers 1941-42,1945-48
Herbie Coleman (1923-1985)
Center/Linebacker—(Notre Dame) Chicago Rockets (AAFC) 1946-48, Baltimore Colts (AAFC) 1948
Gerry Conlee (1914-2005)
Center/Linebacker—(St. Mary's, Calif.) Cleveland Rams 1938, San Francisco Packers (PCFL) 1942, Detroit Lions 1943, Los Angeles Bulldogs (PCFL) 1943, Hollywood Bears (PCFL) 1945, San Francisco 49ers 1946-47
My nose was broken 14 times. I also had some teeth knocked out and almost had my left eye put out by a guy who straight-armed me.
Gerry Conlee
Gerry Conlee
Jim Cooper (1924-2010)
Center/Linebacker—(TCU/North Texas State) Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) 1948
Orien Crow (1912-1994)
Center/Linebacker—(Haskell Institute) Boston Redskins 1933-34
Lou DeFilippo (1916-2000)
Center/Linebacker/Defensive Tackle—(Fordham) Camp Peary Naval Training Station Pirates 1944; New York Giants 1941,1945-47
Bob De Lauer (1920-2002)
Center/Linebacker—(USC) St. Mary's Pre-flight Air Devils 1942,1945; Cleveland Rams 1945, Los Angeles Rams 1946, Hawaiian Warriors (PCFL) 1947
Al DeMao (1920-2008)
Center/Linebacker—(Duquesne) Washington Redskins 1945-53
We never thought about being tired in those days. If I had to take a guess, I averaged about 57 or 58 minutes a game. We had 32 players on the roster, and the best players did everything. I don't ever recall feeling tired during a game. We enjoyed staying on the field. My last year, I played center only and I was upset with the coach because I didn't feel like I was in the game.
Al DeMao
Al DeMao
Art Deremer (1917-2001)
Center/Linebacker—(Niagara) Brooklyn Dodgers 1942, Charlotte Clippers (Dixie League) 1946
Joe Domnanovich (1919-2009)
Center/Linebacker—(Alabama) Boston Yanks 1946-48, New York Bulldogs 1949, New York Yanks 1950-51 [All-American 1942]
Jarring Joe Domnanovich is a whale of a center and line backer.
Red Grange
Red Grange
Waldo E. Don Carlos (1909-1997)
Center—(Drake) Green Bay Packers 1931
Phil Dougherty (1912-2000)
Center/Linebacker—(Santa Clara) Chicago Cardinals 1938; Pensacola Naval Air Station Goslings 1942
He is outstanding in pass defense and in diagnosing offensive maneuvers. He is steady and consistent. I've never seen a better center.
Buck Shaw
Buck Shaw
Ed Eiden (1921-2017)
Center/Linebacker—(Scranton) Philadelphia Eagles 1944, Detroit Lions 1944, Scranton Miners (AFL) 1946
Carl Fennema (1926-2022)
Center/Linebacker—(Washington) New York Giants 1948-49
Bob Flowers (1917-1962)
Center/Linebacker—(Texas Tech) Green Bay Packers 1942-49
Flowers got cut [in 1949] because he was old and just couldn't play anymore.
Bill Kelley
Bill Kelley
Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006)
Center—(Michigan) 1932-34 [38th U.S. President, 1974-77]
I had offers from the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, who were pretty hard up for linemen in those days. If I had gone into pro football, the name Jerry Ford might have been a household word today.
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Ray Frick (1919-2005)
Center/Linebacker—(Pennsylvania) Brooklyn Dodgers 1941 [I.N.S. All-American 1940]
Edgar Garbisch (1899-1979)
Center—(Washington & Jefferson/Army) [All-American 1922,1924, College Football Hall of Fame 1954]
Frank "Gunner" Gatski (1922-2005)
Center/Linebacker—(Marshall/Auburn) Cleveland Browns 1946-56, Detroit Lions 1957 [Pro Football Hall of Fame 1985]
He was the best and toughest I ever played against. As a linebacker, I sometimes had to go over the center but Gatski was an immovable object.
Chuck Bednarik
Chuck Bednarik
Sloko Gill (1918-1995)
Center/Linebacker/Guard/Place Kicker—(Youngstown) Detroit Lions 1942
You can never forget a fellow like Sloko Gill. He had the admirable qualities of being the best lineman and a rugged fellow, yet always a gentleman.
Ralph Wolfe
Ralph Wolfe
Bill Godwin (1919-1998 )
Center/Linebacker—(Georgia) Fort Pierce Naval Amphibious Base Commandos 1944, Fort Pierce Naval Amphibious Training Base Amphibs 1945, Boston Yanks 1947-48
Godwin recalled a party after the 1943 Rose Bowl game at the Biltmore Hotel. Buoyant spirits had enveloped the Bulldog players after winning the game. As Godwin recalled, he scanned the room, looking for a dance partner. He spied a beautiful brunette as the band played "One O'clock Jump." She accepted his invitation for a jitterbugging session. When a slow number ensued, he soon was dancing cheek to cheek. "Dadgummed if she didn't reach right up and kiss me, juicy and tenderly, right on the lips - right there on the dance floor," Godwin wrote. "I returned that soft, sweet kiss and then we rubbed our cheeks together again and floated some more around the room. 'My name's Bill Godwin,' I whispered softly, romantically. 'What's yours?" "'Ava Gardner,' she replied. 'I'm Mickey's wife.'" Stunned, Godwin recalled that his knees became shaky. "About that time a small hand lassoed her arm and pulled it down from around my sun-baked neck." It was then that Godwin's eyes met the glare of a red-faced Mickey Rooney. "Come on," Godwin remembered Rooney saying to Ava. "You're going home."
Wendell Goldsmith (1917-1998)
Center/Linebacker—(Emporia State) Jersey City Giants (American Association) 1939-40, New York Giants 1940, Great Lakes Naval Training Station Bluejackets 1942
Lyle Graham (1915-2009)
Center/Linebacker—(Richmond) Richmond Arrows (Dixie League) 1937-38, Portsmouth Cubs (Dixie League) 1939-41, Philadelphia Eagles 1941, Jacksonville NAS Fliers 1942 [All League Dixie 1937]
Ray Graves (1918-2015)
Center/Linebacker—(Tennessee) Philadelphia Eagles 1942,1946, Phil-Pitt Steagles 1943; Coach—Florida 1960-69
Ed Gustafson (1922-2012)
Center/Linebacker—(Dartmouth/George Washington) Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) 1947-48
Mel “Old Indestructible” Hein (1909-1992)
Center/Linebacker—(Washington State) New York Giants 1931-45; Coach—Los Angeles Dons 1947 [All-American 1930-31, College Football Hall of Fame 1954, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1963]
We'd put in two new plays that we were saving for a last-ditch try . . . .we alerted the officials about our new plays, so there would be no question about the legality of them. The first play called for all the linemen to shift to the right side of Mel Hein, our center. Since this put Mel at the end of the scrimmage line, it meant he was eligible for a pass. By this time, of course, the old rule about having to be 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage when you threw a pass had been changed. Now you could pass from any point behind the line. On this play, Mel handed the ball to [Harry] Newman, who was bending over him just like a T-formation quarterback would. As he did, all deep backs ran to the right. Newman came behind us faking as if he had the ball under his arm. Newman didn't have the ball. After Mel passed it to him, Harry slipped it right back to Mel. Now, while everyone was chasing us, Mel was supposed to sort of stroll down the field and when he was in the clear, make a break for the goal line. But he got excited after he covered about 10 yards and he started to run. Naturally, this attracted attention and someone flattened him.
Ken Strong
Ken Strong
Mel Hein played center for Washington State in the one- platoon era when centers regularly played linebacker on defense. He was an All-America in 1930. In a game with Idaho he intercepted eight passes. Sports writers, voting in a poll conducted by the Seattle Chapter of the National Football Foundation, named "Old Indestructible" Hein to the all-time Northwest team in 1977. The Football Writers Association named him center on the all-time modern All-America team (50 years, 1920-69). He played 15 years with the New York Giants 1931-45, was all-pro eight times, and set a club record by playing 172 consecutive games. In 1943, he doubled as head coach at Union College in Schenectady, NY, while playing Sundays with the Giants. He worked 15 years as assistant coach at Southern California, was supervisor of officials for the American Football League 1966-69, held the same job with the American Football Conference of the NFL 1970-74. In 1961, Washington State gave him its Distinguished Alumnus Award, the first time it had been given to an athlete.
Dan "Tiger" Hill (1917-1989)
Center—(Duke) [College Football Hall of Fame 1962]
He was outstanding at offense and defense.
Wallace Wade
Wallace Wade
I frequently asked players to name the hardest hitting, most bruising players they faced. Tiger Hill named a team and two players. In 1989 he wrote, "I think the University of Tennessee had the roughest and hardest hitting team I ever played against. They were all tough. The strongest and hardest hitting player I played with was Willard 'Bolo' Perdue, against was Blackjack Harry Smith, University of Southern California."
Dan Hill toiled in the gridiron trenches for the famed Iron Dukes of 1938. He was a center in the one platoon era when centers were also linebackers. He was All-America and co- captain of the 1938 Duke University team. The Iron Dukes won five games with the score 6-0 or 7-0. They were undefeated, untied and unscored upon in the regular season, losing finally in the Rose Bowl when Southern California scored with just 41 seconds left to play. His coach, Wallace Wade, called Hill "The heart of the team." In one game the regular quarterback was injured, and Hill called the plays. Duke had a 25-4-1 record in his three years. He graduated with honors, spent four years as a naval officer in World War II, and served Duke as assistant director of athletics, 1946-53. He left Duke and entered private business.
Carl Hinkle (1917-1992)
Center—(Vanderbilt) [All-American 1937, College Football Hall of Fame 1959]
Hinkle closed a three-year varsity career [in 1937] in which he played 60 minutes in 13 games, snapped the ball unerringly, and rarely was outfoxed on the defense.
Alan Gould
Alan Gould
Carl Hinkle and Marshall Goldberg autographed this news article naming the 1937 A.P. All-American team. Hinkle wrote, "After Vanderbilt, I went to West Point, but upon my arrival the Navy learned about it, and went to Congress who decided not to let me play football. I did however play lacrosse, and was top cadet there at West Point."
Edwin "Babe" Horrell (1902-1992)
Center—(California) Coach—UCLA 1926-44 [All-American 1923-24, College Football Hall of Fame 1969]
Horrell was about 50% of the psychological effect of the Bears. He could get his men together better than any football captain I ever saw. Andy Smith could have stood the loss of five good men better than the graduation of Horrell.
Slip Madigan
Slip Madigan
Babe Horrell autographed this news article reporting the 1924 Walter Camp All-American selections. It is one of the earliest signed clippings in my collection. Of Horrell, the news report wrote, "Horrell of California, also is out of position, although he previously has not been on the Camp's first eleven. He is at guard on the 1924 list, but his regular post is center."
Paul "Hump" Humphrey (1917-2006)
Center/Linebacker—(Purdue) Brooklyn Dodgers 1939, Milwaukee Chiefs 1940-41 [AFL All League 1941]
At Purdue, I was what today is called a walk-on. I received no financial help until I had proven that I could make the team, which apparently I did—made Co-Capt. and chosen to be the starting center for the Blue in the first Blue-Gray game in Dec. 1938. In 1939, the Eagles drafted me on the third round. Bert Bell had agreed that I could go to Medical School while playing, but to get out of that promise and while I was in Chicago with the Tribune All-Stars he sold me to the Brooklyn Dodgers. I played the full schedule with them. In 1940 I was admitted to Indiana University School of Medicine. I had no intention of ever playing any more pro ball. That year the AFL formed and Milwaukee offered me a set up that allowed me to commute on week-ends to where ever they played and attend school in Bloomington, In.
Paul Humphrey, excerpt of letter to Mel Bashore, May 11, 1992
Paul Humphrey, excerpt of letter to Mel Bashore, May 11, 1992
Walt Jurkiewicz (1919-2002)
Center/Linebacker—(Indiana) Detroit Lions 1946
Joseph "Jolting Joe" Kodba (1922-2005)
Center/Linebacker—(Butler/Purdue) Buffalo Bills (AAFC) 1947, Baltimore Colts (AAFC) 1947
Bill Lenich (1918-2008)
Center—(Illinois) Milwaukee Chiefs (AFL) 1940-41, Iowa Pre-flight Seahawks 1942
Darrell Lester (1914-1993)
Center/Linebacker—(TCU) Green Bay Packers 1937-38; Maxwell Field Marauders 1944 (Player-Asst. Coach) [All-American 1934-35, College Football Hall of Fame 1988]
Consider the record of the man who, in 1934 and 1935, became the Southwest's first two-time All America player. Darrell won nine letters in three sports as center of the football team, center in basketball and pitcher in baseball. He captained the 1935 Texas Christian football team which had a 12-1 record and beat Louisiana State in the Sugar Bowl. He played two years with the Green Bay Packers, retiring with a shoulder injury. Then he was in the Air Corps, rising to the rank of captain. After the war he spent two years in Fort Worth, working for the Chamber of Commerce to promote the city and Texas Christian University. He moved to Houston, ran a food brokerage house and became a sales supervisor for General Mills. Darrell retired from business and moved to Temple, Texas, where, in his words, he "farmed a little, raised cattle a little." He was one of the founders of the Bluebonnet Bowl.
Vic Lindskog (1914-2003)
Center/Linebacker—(Stanford) Philadelphia Eagles 1944-51 [All Pro 1951]
. . . he was a good one.
Alex Wojciechowicz
Alex Wojciechowicz
Forrest "Aimie" McPherson (1912-1989)
Center/Guard/Tackle/Linebacker—(Nebraska) Chicago Bears 1935, Philadelphia Eagles 1935-37, Green Bay Packers 1943-45; St. Louis Blues 1934, Wilmington Clippers (Indep.) 1937, Los Angeles Bulldogs (Independent) 1938, St. Louis Gunners (AFL) 1939, Los Angeles Bulldogs (PCFL) 1940-42,1946-47, Los Angeles Mustangs (PCFL) 1943, Hollywood Bears (PCFL) 1945,1948; Coach—Hollywood Bears (PCFL) 1948 [All League PCFL 1941,1947]
Vaughn “Cisco” Mancha (1921-2011)
Center/Linebacker—(Alabama) Boston Yanks 1948 [All-American 1945, College Football Hall of Fame 1990]
I signed as the number one pick for $7,500 and I got a signing bonus of $2,500. Back then, when a man reached the $5,000 a year mark, he thought he was rich. And it was a big deal to me.
Vaughn Mancha
Vaughn Mancha
Bap Manzini (1920-2008)
Center/Linebacker—(St. Vincent) Philadelphia Eagles 1944-45,1948, Detroit Lions 1948
I played for Lions [in] Oct. & Nov. 1948.
Bap Manzini, note to Mel Bashore
Bap Manzini, note to Mel Bashore
Forrest Masterson (1922-2007)
Center/Guard—(Iowa) Chicago Bears 1945, Akron Bears (AFL) 1946
Visible here is the first page of a 3-page hand-printed letter written to me on March 14, 2001, also showing his signature on the last page. He describes his experience playing service football during the war. "I made the Bears in 1945. I broke my arm playing in 1946 & went to Akron & helped coach."
Bryant "Meatball" Meeks (1926-2007)
Center/Linebacker—(Georgia/South Carolina) Pittsburgh Steelers 1947-48
Charles "Ookie" Miller (1909-2002)
Center/Linebacker/Guard—(Purdue) Chicago Bears 1932-36, Cleveland Rams 1937, Green Bay Packers 1938, San Diego Bombers 1941-42 (PCFL)
It was the Depression . . . I suppose we were all just happy to have a job.
Ookie Miller, on his $100 per game Bears’ pay
Ookie Miller, on his $100 per game Bears’ pay
Maynard "Doc" Morrison (1909-1993)
Center/Linebacker—(Michigan) Brooklyn Dodgers 1933-34 [Grantland Rice All-American 1931]
I played only two years, and at $125 a game, that was enough.
Maynard Morrison, excerpt of note to Mel Bashore, Sep. 1, 1990
Maynard Morrison, excerpt of note to Mel Bashore, Sep. 1, 1990
Cas Myslinski (1920-1993)
Center—(Army) [All-American 1943]
Fred Naumetz (1922-1998)
Center/Linebacker—(Boston College) Coronado Amphibious Training Force Amphibs 1944; Los Angeles Rams 1946-50 [All-American 1942, All Pro 1949]
Reed Nilsen (1921-2014)
Center/Linebacker—(BYU) Paterson Panthers (AFL) 1947, Detroit Lions 1947
Dunc Obee (1918-1998)
Center/Linebacker—(Dayton) Detroit Lions 1941
Lou Palazzi (1921-2007)
Center/Linebacker—(Penn State) Second Air Force Superbombers 1944, Fourth Air Force Flyers 1945; New York Giants 1946-47, Scranton Miners (Pennsylvania Professional Football League) 1948
Lou Palazzi was such a great person, just a great guy.
Sam Huff
Sam Huff
Bill Piccolo (1920-2005)
Center/Linebacker—(Canisius) New York Giants 1943-45, Rochester Russers (Independent) 1946
Merv Pregulman (1922-2012)
Center/Linebacker—(Michigan) Green Bay Packers 1946, Detroit Lions 1947-48, New York Bulldogs 1949 [Grantland Rice All-American 1943, College Football Hall of Fame 1982]
Peter Pund (1907-1987)
Center—(Georgia Tech) [All American 1928, College Football Hall of Fame 1963]
I obtained this 8x10 autographed photo on Oct. 26, 2011 in trade with a collector from Tennessee for three handwritten questionnaires of players who played for the Tennessee Volunteers (Bartholomew, Crawford, Shires). Pund signed this photo twice, but the signature between his shoe and the ball is difficult to see. The collector had purchased it from Jim Wiggins originally.
Bill Rieth (1916-1999)
Center/Linebacker/Guard—(Western Maryland/Carnegie Tech) Cleveland Rams 1941-42,1944-45
Carroll Ringwalt (1908-1990)
Center/Guard—(Indiana) Portsmouth Spartans 1930, Frankford Yellowjackets 1931, Frankford Legion 1932, Marty Brill's All-Stars (Independent) 1932, Indianapolis Indians (Independent) 1933
I played for the Portsmouth Ohio Spartans the first year they were in the N.F.L. 1930.
Carroll Ringwalt, excerpt of note to Mel Bashore, 1990
Carroll Ringwalt, excerpt of note to Mel Bashore, 1990
Karl Robinson (1902-1999)
Center—(Pennsylvania) Philadelphia Quakers (AFL) 1926
It was great playing for the Phila. Quakers. There was no pressure and everyone was relaxed. Some of the players were having a smoke waiting for the game time. Finally, when the referee stuck his head in the door and said, "Game time fellows." We all sauntered down to the stadium entrance and then ran out on the field with great enthusiasm.
Karl Robinson, letter to Mel Bashore, Dec. 17, 1989
Karl Robinson, letter to Mel Bashore, Dec. 17, 1989
Hank Rockwell (1917-1997)
Center/Guard/Linebacker/Defensive End—(Fullerton JC/Arizona State) Army Air Force Training Command Skymasters 1945; Los Angeles Bulldogs (PCFL) 1939, Cleveland Rams 1940-42, Los Angeles Dons (AAFC) 1946-48
I have a lifetime NFL pass, awarded by Commissioner Elmer Layden.
Hank Rockwell
Hank Rockwell
Mike "Mo" Scarry (1920-2012)
Center/Linebacker/Tackle—(Waynesburg/Western Reserve) Cleveland Rams 1944-45, Cleveland Browns (AAFC) 1946-47; Coach—Western Reserve 1948-49, Loras 1952-53, Waynesburg 1963-65
Lou Sossamon (1921-2019)
Center/Linebacker—(South Carolina) Bainbridge Naval Training Station Commodores 1943-44, Pearl Harbor Pacific All-Stars 1945, New York Yankees 1946-48
Art Statuto (1925-2011)
Center—(Notre Dame) Fort Pierce Naval Amphibious Training Base Amphibs 1945, Buffalo Bills (AAFC) 1948-49, Los Angeles Rams 1950
I remember the game because of Pepper Martin. I caused one of his kicks to go wide of the goal posts and as I was lying on the ground I suggested he go back to playing baseball.
Art Statuto, note to Mel Bashore on an August 17, 1948 exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers
Art Statuto, note to Mel Bashore on an August 17, 1948 exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers
Frank Szymanski (1923-1987)
Center/Linebacker—(Notre Dame) Detroit Lions 1945-47, Philadelphia Eagles 1948, Chicago Bears 1949
John Tavener (1921-1993)
Center/Linebacker—(Indiana) Miami Seahawks 1946 [All-American 1944, College Football Hall of Fame 1990]
Lou "Chooch" Tsoutsouvas (1915-2001)
Center/Linebacker—(Stanford) Pittsburgh Pirates 1938
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Clyde "Bulldog" Turner (1919-1998)
Center/Linebacker/Offensive Guard/Offensive Tackle/Halfback—(Hardin-Simmons) Chicago Bears 1940-52; Second Air Force Superbombers 1945 [College Football Hall of Fame 1960, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1966]
After Nagurski, the most powerful was Bulldog Turner. He came along in 1940, I believe. He used to rattle my ribs a lot, too. I lit into him to protect myself, as I had to do against Nagurski. Ah, that Bulldog, he weighed about 245 and had a twenty-one-inch collar, was a great blocker on offense and on defense was as fine a linebacker as ever played the game. They talk about Dick Butkus, but I'm not sure Butkus could carry Bulldog's shoes.
Clarke Hinkle
Clarke Hinkle
Milt Vucinich (1920-2008)
Center/Linebacker—(Stanford) Chicago Bears 1945
Chalmers Walters (1900-1992)
Center—(Washington) Los Angeles Wildcats (AFL) 1926
Elmer "Bear" Ward (1912-1996)
Center/Linebacker—(Utah State) Detroit Lions 1935 [All-American 1934]
I received a very bad knee injury while playing a post season game at Hollywood, Cal. against Green Bay Packers. [The] Lions had the knee operated on but it did not respond for full recovery. I am of the opinion if I had not been injured, I could have played in NFL league for several years. . . .
Elmer Ward, excerpt of letter to Mel Bashore, 1991
Elmer Ward, excerpt of letter to Mel Bashore, 1991
Caleb Van "Tex" Warrington, Jr. (1921-1993)
Center/Guard/Linebacker—(William & Mary/Auburn) Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) 1946-48 [All-American 1944]
He's a fine lineman. He plays guard and center.
Carl Voyles, Brooklyn Dodgers head coach
Carl Voyles, Brooklyn Dodgers head coach
Jim Watson (1921-2004)
Center/Linebacker—(Pacific) Washington Redskins 1945
Jim Watson failed to sign a 3x5 card, but printed his name on a questionnaire that I sent to him in December 1995. He wrote that "the most single hard hitting head-on tackle I ever had was against Steve Van Buren of the Philadelphia Eagles on a punt run back. I got him but we both ended up 10 feet apart."
Joe Winkler (1922-2001)
Center/Linebacker—(Purdue) Cleveland Rams 1945
Alex Wojciechowicz (1915-1992)
Center/Linebacker—(Fordham) Detroit Lions 1938-46, Philadelphia Eagles 1946-50 [All-American 1936-37, College Football Hall of Fame 1955; Pro Football Hall of Fame 1968]
In my last year, 1950, we played an exhibition game against the Bears before the regular season. Chuck Bednarik was sick so I had to fill in for him on defense at linebacker. And Vic Lindskog, our center got himself injured so I had to play for him on offense. I was thirty-five then and I had to go the full sixty minutes, Greasy [Neale] told me. My God, I thought. Well, just after the game started I lined up on defense across from Ken Kavanaugh, who was a very fine end. I said to him, "Listen Ken, I'm not going to play dirty or rough or whatever today, just a nice cool game because I've got to go sixty minutes. It's only an exhibition game so I'll take it easy on you." He said okay, he'd go easy, too. I thought everything was fine but then a few plays later we were going at it easy enough when a Bear halfback [or fullback Joe Osmanski in another version of his story] came up and blind-sided me. I got a hell of an elbow right in the mouth. Well, we didn't have facemasks in those days and he knocked my two front teeth out. It knocked me out, too. When I woke up I was without the teeth and I was furious. After all those years [13], and there in my last season, I get them knocked out. Well, I had to stay in the game and there was a long way to go. But I was enraged and I played so hard, so did everyone else after that shot, that we beat the hell out of them that day . . . .I went gunning for every Bear on the field. I mean I was a wild man. After a while, half of them were running away from me on each play because they knew I was so mad and I was going after them with a vengeance.
Alex Wojciechowicz
Alex Wojciechowicz
The hard-leather helmet days of football knew no better center than Alex Wojciechowicz, the heart of Fordham's famed Seven Blocks of Granite. He was the perfect example of football basics, blocking and tackling with a fierce pride. In 1936, Wojciechowicz became an All-America selection and in 1937 as he led the Rams to a 7-0-1 mark. No Fordham foe was able to score a touchdown against the "Blocks of Granite" that year. After graduation, he played for Detroit (1938- 1946) and Philadelphia (1946-1950) in the NFL. In 1955, he was elected to the National Football Foundation's Hall of Fame and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968. At 5-11 and 192 pounds, Alex was the centerpiece of Fordham's granite wall. Perhaps the greatest honors of his career came against arch rival Pitt. In each of his three games against the Panthers, Alex was cited as the man responsible for stopping the Blue and Gold dead - cited not by sportswriters, but by the Pitt team.