By Darin 
Did you know that in 1960, one man at Auburn set an NCAA record for field goals in a season—and that he also happened to be the team’s leading rusher and a hard-hitting starting linebacker?
Auburn Star
November 11, 1939 – Mobile, Alabama – Auburn’s great fullback, Ed Dyas, was born. Dyas was a great two-way player for the Tigers, but on offense, he led the team in rushing and scores.
In fact, the NFF’s website biography of Ed says that he was named an All-American at Fullback, the SEC’s Most Outstanding Back, and First-Team All-Conference in 1960. In his four years at Auburn, he handled all kicking duties, in addition to playing linebacker and fullback. Heck, one has to wonder if he ever left the field?
Oh, and did I mention that Dyas set an NCAA record for field goals in a season with 13? Ed Dyas was also selected as an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, received the Bill Streit Award for the highest senior GPA, and won the Cliff Hare Award, the highest honor an Auburn athlete can receive for academic, athletic, and leadership achievement. In 2009, the powers that be in the NFF voted to induct Ed Dyas into the exclusive club of the College Football Hall of Fame.
His dominance on the field earned him national recognition, including a prestigious First-Team All-America selection at fullback and the title of the SEC’s Most Outstanding Back in 1960. He also finished a remarkable fourth in the 1960 Heisman Trophy voting. Yet, Dyas’s greatest impact arguably came off the field. As a pre-med student, he was a three-time Academic All-SEC selection and became the first Auburn player to be named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete. He earned Auburn’s highest honor, the Cliff Hare Award, for his superior achievement in leadership, athletics, and academics, demonstrating the balanced excellence that defined his life and career as an eventual respected orthopedic surgeon.
Football Accolades and Accomplishments:
- College Football Hall of Fame Inductee (2009).
- First-Team All-American at Fullback (1960).
- SEC’s Most Outstanding Back (1960).
- Heisman Trophy Fourth Place Finisher (1960).
- NCAA Record for Field Goals in a Season (13 in 1960).
- NFF National Scholar-Athlete (1960).
- Cliff Hare Award Winner (Auburn’s highest honor).
- Three-Time Academic All-SEC Selection.
- Three-Year Starter at Fullback, Linebacker, and Kicker