Football

Arnold Tucker's football career wasn't one of glittery headlines and record-breaking stats. It was a story of quiet courage, unwavering leadership, and the bittersweet echo of what could have been. Yet, his tale remains etched in the annals of gridiron history, a testament to the power of resilience and the enduring legacy of a wartime era.

Born in South Carolina in 1924, Tucker's path to football glory began at the University of Florida before landing him at West Point under the legendary coach Earl "Red" Blaik. It was on the hallowed grounds of the Military Academy that Tucker's star truly began to shine.

World War II cast a long shadow over his college years, but Tucker found his calling under the gridiron lights. As quarterback, he orchestrated the Army Black Knights to three consecutive national championships (1944-46), boasting an astounding 27-0-1 record with him at the helm.

While lacking the flashy playmaking abilities of his Heisman Trophy-winning teammates, Felix "Doc" Blanchard and Glenn Davis, Tucker was the steady hand, the conductor of the Black Knights' offensive symphony. He possessed an uncanny understanding of Blaik's intricate T-formation, dissecting defenses with surgical precision and delivering pinpoint throws.

Despite his undeniable leadership and contributions, the individual accolades eluded Tucker. He finished fifth in the 1946 Heisman Trophy voting, overshadowed by the brilliance of his teammates. But his value to the team was undeniable. His calm demeanor and steely focus under pressure were instrumental in leading the Black Knights through their undefeated run.

Tucker's story isn't without its bittersweet echoes. Drafted by the Chicago Bears, he never played professional football, choosing instead to serve his country in the Air Force. His ascent to football immortality may have been halted, but his legacy at West Point remained untarnished.

Born September 11, 1978, in St. Rose, Louisiana, was Pro Football Hall of Fame Safety Ed Reed. The legend was was one of the greatest safeties in NFL history. He played 12 seasons in the NFL, all with the Baltimore Ravens, and helped the team win a Super Bowl in 2000.

Reed was known for his incredible range and ball skills. He had a knack for being in the right place at the right time and making interceptions. He also had a knack for returning interceptions for touchdowns.

Reed was a nine-time Pro Bowler, a six-time All-Pro, and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. He also holds the NFL record for most career interceptions returned for touchdowns (10).

Reed was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

August 27, 1921 - The Minneapolis Marines/Redjackets team joins the AFPA/NFL for the 1921-24 and again rejoined the NFL for the 1929 and 1930 seasons as the Minneapolis Red Jackets. The Marines were founded in 1905 by a group of working-class teenagers. They played their home games at Nicollet Park, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Marines were one of the most successful teams in the early days of professional football, winning four local championships from 1913 to 1916.

Quarterback Rube Ursella and tackle Walt "Big Boy" Buland were the Minneapolis star players who played as teens in the early years of the team right up through the professional ones in the early 1920s. A stout defense was what the Marines were known for, as Ursella and Big Boy played both ways.

July 28, 1923 - Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos franchise forms and plays in the League from 1923 through 1927 when they were sold and moved to Orange, New Jersey. (See July 27 entries of this series). They were originally called the Kelley Duluths named after the Kelley-Duluth Hardware Store as the team was put together with the help of the store's owner M. C. Gebert. Three years later they changed their name to the Duluth Eskimos. The teams played very few home games due mainly to fact of the harsh early winters that settle in upper Minnesota. As a matter of fact the team played only one home game over their final two seasons. The Duluth franchise was one of the first ever NFL teams to use a logo. As we talked about briefly in yesterday's July 27 History Headlines, the Eskimos mostly road schedule eventually caught up to them financially and their rights and roster were given to the new Orange Tornadoes franchise in 1929.

Born May 1, 1930, in Trinity, Texas, was the University of San Francisco’s stud halfback of 1949 to 1951, Ollie Matson. Ollie finishied as a contender for the Heisman Trophy. After that season, he turned around and won the silver and bronze medals in the 1952 Olympic Games! The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Ollie Matson in their legendary museum in 1976. In 1952 Matson was the number one overall pick by the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL Draft. He played well for the Cards but was traded to the Rams in 1959 for nine players! You can learn more about that trade here. Ollie racked up over 12,000 yards of total offense in the League and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

Born January 22, 1927, in Stevens, Arkansas, was Joe “ The Jet” Perry of Compton Junior College. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Joe put his relatively small school, Compton Junior College, on the map when he registered 22 touchdowns in a single season! However, these feats didn’t attract the pro football scouts, and Perry ended up being found by the professional game in a fascinating tale told by ProFootballHOF.com. Before the Jet completed his college football career, Uncle Sam called him to enter into military service for his country. At some point after his initial training, Joe was playing football for the Alameda, California Naval Training Station team when one of the San Francisco 49ers of the new All-America Football Conference players saw him in action. This Niners player reported this information to the 49ers’ brass, who offered Joe Perry a contract. Perry accepted their proposal in 1948 when he was complete with his obligations. In 1969 Joe Perry was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Born October 7, 1878, in Cheyenne, Wyoming was legendary College Football Hall of Fame Coach, Andy Kerr.   He attended Dickinson College, where he played baseball and ran track, and later transferred and played college football at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a two-time All-American. He later served as the head football coach at Stanford University (1922–1923), Washington & Jefferson College (1926–1928), Colgate University (1929–1946), and Lebanon Valley College (1947–1949), compiling a career college football record of 137–71–14. His 1932 Colgate team went a perfect 9–0, was not scored upon, and was named a national champion by Parke H. Davis. Kerr was also the head basketball coach at the University of Pittsburgh for one season (1921–1922) and at Stanford for four seasons (1922–1926), tallying a career college basketball mark of 54–26. Kerr retired from coaching in 1949. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. He died in 1969 at the age of 77.

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Here is our story about the 1965 Rose Bowl game.

Born August 9, 1967, in Fort Myers, Florida was Deion Sanders was a defensive back from Florida that is enshrined in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the NFL he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons then later played for the Cowboys, 49ers and Washington.

Sanders flair and athleticism put him in the spotlight right out of the gate on his career and earned him the nickname "Primetime." He was not only a great coverage and ball hawking corner but his kick return skills made for an exciting play every time he touched the ball. He was so electric with his hands on the ball that the Cowboys often played him on the offensive side of the ball as well. Sanders combined on 513 tackles, 493 solo, one sack, 53 interceptions, 10 passes defended, 10 forced fumbles, 13 fumbles recovered, nine defensive touchdowns as well as 60 receptions for 784 yards and three touchdowns, 212 punt returns for 2,199 yards and six touchdowns, 155 kick returns for 3,523 yards and three touchdowns.

After football, he went on to work for the NFL Network as a commentator on many of their shows. He has been a head coach at Jackson State and Colorado.

July 11, 1926 - Los Angeles Buccaneers franchise forms. The team dissolved after playing just one season. According to the American Football Database website the Buccaneers were a traveling team in the National Football League during the 1926 season. The team never actually played a league game in Los Angeles. It was operated out of Chicago with players from California colleges. According to the Database article, historian Michael McCambridge has stated that the Buccaneers originally planned to play in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum but due to  the Coliseum Commission banning pro teams from its stadium the franchise became a road team after the decision. The Bucs did have some success though as a traveling team posting a respectable 6-3-1 record in the NFL in 1926. The last game of the Buccaneers' existence was an exhibition game against their first AFL “cross town” rivals the Los Angeles Wildcats in San Francisco, with the Buccaneers being shut out, 17-0, on January 23, 1927. Just to note, the Wildcats never played a game in LA either in the first edition of the AFL.