Dick Maegle cemented his football legacy through electrifying speed, unforgettable Cotton Bowl heroics, and a dominant collegiate career that propelled him straight to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Football Bio
A legend of the game, born on September 14, was Dickie Maegle, born in 1934. Dickey’s outstanding 1954 season at Rice earned him the honor of being the consensus All-American in the 1954 Cotton Bowl Classic. Maegle was part of one of the most famous plays in NCAA football history.
With Rice up by one over Alabama and the Owls backed up at their own five-yard line, Maegle took a pitch on a sweep play and broke loose down the sideline.
The Crimson Tide were chasing after him, but no one could catch him except for Tommy Lewis, who came off the sideline without a helmet and tackled Dickey. The officials, seeing the whole thing, awarded the team Rice a 95-yard touchdown.
Dick Maegle finished the game with 265 rushing yards as Rice won 28 -6. 6. Ed Sullivan invited both Lewis and Maegle on this program later to discuss the play.
Dickey played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Dallas Cowboys, and as a rookie in 1955, he was selected to the Pro Bowl after picking off six passes. Dickey Maegle was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
- Consensus First-Team All-American in 1954.
- Drafted in the 1st round (10th overall) of the 1955 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
- Selected to the NFL Pro Bowl in his 1955 rookie season.
- Recorded 265 rushing yards in the 1954 Cotton Bowl Classic, setting a long-standing bowl game record.
- NFL career spanned from 1955 to 1961, recording 28 career interceptions as a defensive back.
- Later legally changed the spelling of his last name to “Maegle” to ensure proper pronunciation.
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