Jimmy Hitchcock shatters Auburn records and captivates the nation as the first Tiger to earn All-American honors in both football and baseball.
Football Bio
June 28, 1911 – Inverness, Alabama – Jimmy Hitchcock, a great player from Auburn University in 1930 through the 1932 season, was born. Jimmy’s brilliant career was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954, as he excelled at both quarterback and halfback for Auburn University.
The National Football Foundation notes that Hitchcock was a triple-threat halfback who led the Southern Conference in scoring in 1932 and handled the punting duties for the Tigers. As a matter of fact, Jim became Auburn’s first All-American following his brilliant senior season.
“The Phantom of Union Springs” compiled an incredible record as a punter, kicking 232 times without having a single punt blocked. During a 1932 game against rival Tulane, Hitchcock flashed his ball-carrying brilliance with a 60-yard touchdown return of an intercepted pass, followed quickly by a 63-yard TD run out of his punting formation.
Tulane was demoralized, and Hitchcock was racing toward one of the finest seasons the South had ever witnessed. That same season, after Auburn had defeated coach Wallace Wade’s Duke eleven, Wade commented: “I have never seen a finer all-around back play against one of my teams.”
Jimmy was also an excellent baseball player for the Tigers and, in fact, the school’s first student to be nominated as an All-American in both sports. His athletic prowess led him to a 7-year career in professional baseball after college, and during the off-season, he helped Auburn by coaching the Tigers’ backfield players.
Jimmy Hitchcock cements his legacy as one of the most versatile athletes in Southern sports history. He proves his dominance on the gridiron as a triple-threat star and secures his eternal spot in the College Football Hall of Fame, leaving behind an unmatched dual-sport legacy at Auburn University.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1954.
- Auburn’s First All-American: Earned consensus All-American honors in football following his brilliant 1932 senior season.
- Southern Conference Scoring Leader: Led the conference in scoring as a triple-threat halfback in 1932.
- Flawless Punting Record: Compiled an incredible record by kicking 232 times in three varsity seasons without a single punt being blocked.
- First Dual-Sport All-American: Became Auburn’s first athlete to receive All-American laurels in both football and baseball.
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: Inducted posthumously in 1969.
- Professional Baseball Career: Played seven seasons in professional baseball after graduating.