March 17

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss the gridiron legacies of ten different HOF players that were born on March 17.

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by photographer Harris and Ewing circa 1937 and is titled "Sammy Baugh in Washington ."

March 17, 1871 - Hesper, Kansas - The two way player that manned both the halfback and tackle positions at two schools Kansas in 1895 and Pennsylvania 1897 to 1899, John Outland entered into life. The National Football foundation voters selected the name of John Outland in 2000 to become an inducted player in the College Football Hall of Fame. The Outland Trophy was created in his honor to recognize the best collegiate lineman each season. There is more on this legend when you click his name.

March 17, 1872 - Melbourne, Australia - Pat O’Dea the University of Wisconsin fullback from 1896 to 1899 was born. This fella has an interesting football story that you can find more about by clicking his name.

March 17, 1876 - Cimarron, New Mexico - The halfback/quarterback of the 1895 and 1897 to 1901 Columbia University Football teams, Bill Morley was born. Bill was part of a high powered and worrisome backfield for Columbia Lions opponents as they could score from anywhere per the National Football Foundation. Morley led the first Lions team to beat Yale, and the 5-0 victory was pretty much carried on Morley’s shoulders. Bill beat up  the Eli's pretty good with his crushing blocks and piercing runs. After playing one season at Michigan in 1895, Morley went on to receive All-America honors in 1900 and 1901 with Columbia. During his three Columbia seasons, Morley helped the Blue and White amass a record of 23-11-1. Bill Morley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Bill was picked as the first former player to coach the Lions and he notched up a 26-11-4 record during four seasons at the Columbia helm. His 1902 team finished 9-1, losing only to Yale. 

March 17, 1905 - Youngstown, Ohio - The University of Pittsburgh’s great end from 1927 to 1929, Joe Donchess was born. The NFF says Donchess quit school in the fifth grade to earn money working in a steel mill. That could been the end of this student-athlete's story right there but it's thankfully not. Some five years later,  an alumnus of Wyoming Seminary, found out about Donchess' story and then promptly sent Joe off to that famous prep school. Donchess turned out to be an excellent student and a fast learner and made up three grades in one year. After graduating from Wyoming Seminary Joe attended Pitt and he excelled there both academically and in athletics.  The Panthers were undefeated in 1929, and that coincided with the year Donchess was chosen as a consensus All-American. The Panthers were highly touted and went to the Rose Bowl that season, sporting four All-Americans and a label as one of the great teams in the history of Eastern football," It may have all gone to the team's heads as Pitt was dominated by the University of Southern California, in a 47-14 thumping. Donchess again played in the Rose Bowl in 1928 against Stanford, and again, despite a powerful team, Pittsburgh was the victim of a 7-6 defeat at the hands of the Cardinal. Joe Donchess received the honor due to his great legacy being placed into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
 

March 17, 1912 - Kaylor, Pennsylvania - Joe Stydahar the tremendous two way tackle from West Virginia University from 1933 to 1935 was born. The FootballFoundation.org tells of how Stydahar regularly dismantled and caused all kinds of havoc for opposing offenses. As a senior in 1935, Stydahar performed so well that he was asked to play in the East-West Shrine Game and the College All-Star Game in Chicago. Jay Berwanger, the first Heisman Trophy winner, playing in the backfield on those All-Star teams had this to say about Stydahar: "I played in two all-star games with him and thought he was the best tackle by far of that collegiate group. He proved to me in those two games that he was a tremendous player." The College Football Hall of Fame inducted Joe Stydahar in 1972. After school the Chicago Bears used their top pick in the very first NFL Draft of 1936 to chose Joe to join the team. Stydahar played in Chicago for 9 seasons as a two way player that seldom left the field for coach George Halas. He made the All-NFL team in five straight seasons and many times didn't wear a helmet in the games. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Joe Stydahar in 1967. Joe later went on to be the head coach of the LA Rams and later the Chicago Cardinals.   

Now let me tell you a story of the gridiron that starts off just before World War I started in a small town in the great state of Texas. A family of five lived on a small farm there and the patriarch earned a living by working on the Santa Fe Railroad when not tending to the farm. When the children were not very old their father left the homestead forcing the mother to raise the children and make ends meet using the farm's resources.  The younger boy Samuel was a spirited youth who helped his mother along with his siblings. When Samuel was 16 the family moved to a larger town in Texas and the boy became enamored with the game of baseball. He found throwing the football around too especially through a swinging tire as it helped his arm strength and accuracy for baseball. Samuel's favorite thing to do with the pigskin was to punt it high and as far as he could. The local high school coach talked Samuel into playing quarterback on the team and he also got to do his favorite football activity of punting when needed. Samuel blossomed as an athlete and it looked like his baseball aspirations were going to come true. Washington State University was all set to give him a scholarship for baseball but then tragedy set in about a month before he was ready to leave. In a local game in Texas, Samuel injured his leg while sliding into second base and because of the injury the dream scholarship offer fell through. At his low point of despair something promising occurred, Coach Dutch Meyer of Texas Christian University told the boy he could play three sports: basketball, football and baseball. Another fortunate circumstance occurred right before Samuel's first season at TCU, college football adopted the use of a narrower gearth football which they figured would fit the hand better for better throwing. This played perfectly to Samuel's skill set and his training from youth. Slingin' Sammy Baugh threw 587 passes in his three seasons for 39 touchdowns and became the early face of the gridiron passing game. Remember teams that threw the ball even 10 times in a game were considered odd in those days. We remember Sammy and his March 17, 1914 birth in Temple, Texas on this day. Sammy Baugh according to the NFF says that Baugh was also an excellent punter, who as a professional would lead the league four times. During a 3-2 TCU victory over LSU in the Sugar Bowl, Baugh punted 14 times for a 48 yard average, placing many kicks inside the Tiger five yard line. Baugh gained All America status in 1935 and repeated as a consensus All- America in his 1936 senior season.  The National Football Foundation saluted the great career of Sammy Baugh by placing his stats and story in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. When Baugh left TCU he joined the Washington Redskins when they used the number one overall pick in the 1937 NFL Draft to select him. In 16 professional seasons Sammy played on five division and two league championship teams. As a passer Baugh led the league six times and still holds many NFL passing records tossing an amazing for the time 187 TDs. In addition to being a great passer and punter, Baugh was also an extremely efficient defensive player as he led the NFL in interceptions in 1943 and finished his NFL career with 31. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Sammy Baugh's gridiron legacy in 1963.
 

March 17, 1915- Thomaston, Georgia - Bill Hartman the fine fullback from 1935 to 1937 at the University of Georgia was born. The NFF says that he was All-America fullback and captain in 1937. That season Bill booted an 82-yard punt against Tulane and ran back a 93-yard kick return against Georgia Tech. Bill Hartman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

March 17, 1916 - Union County, Tennessee - Tennessee Volunteer guard from 1938 and 1939 Bob Suffridge arrived into this life. The FootballFoundation.org states that Suffridge was All-America three times, and was chosen by the Football Writers Association for the all-time All-America team.  Bob was a brilliant blocker and tackler. Suffridge had an uncanny knack of anticipating the snap count and using his quickness to disrupt plays.  Bob once blocked the same point-after- touchdown three times, twice called for off-sides when many observers felt that the officials got the call wrong. Bob Suffridge received his induction to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1961. Bob Suffridge played with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1941 and 1945 bookending his service to his country in the US Navy during World War II.

March 17, 1931 - Bowdon, Georgia - The great guard from 1948 through the 1951 season at Georgia Tech, Ray Beck was born. The NFF says that Ray was named as an All-America player by the Football Writers Association and the American Football Coaches Association. The Birmingham Quarterback Club named him the Most Valuable Lineman in the Southeastern Conference. In 1951 Beck helped Georgia Tech to an 11-0-1 season that included a 17-14 victory over Baylor in the Orange Bowl. That 1951 season at Georgia Tech was part of a streak of 30 games without a loss. The College Football Hall of Fame inducted Ray Beck in 1997. After he graduated Ray played in the NFL with the New York Giants for a couple of seasons. 

March 17, 1967 - Houston, Texas - The awesome Texas A&I running back from 1986 through 1989 Johnny Bailey was born.  The National Football Foundation says that Bailey is one the greatest running backs in Division II history, Johnny Bailey earned first team All-America honors for an amazing four times. Bailey opened his collegiate career with four 200-yard games, and rushed for 100 yards or more in his first 11 games. He went on to break the 200-yard plateau 13 times and captured the Division II national rushing title in 1986, 1987, and 1988. Bailey was college football's all-purpose yardage leader with 7,803 yards and number three all-time leading intercollegiate scorer with 428 points. The collegiate records and story of Johnny Bailey were preserved in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Johnny played in the NFL for six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears and the St Louis Rams even leading the League in punt returns twice.