Furman University

2014 FB Record Book

Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/336821

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 107 of 147

2013 FURMAN PALADINS FOOTBALL Furman 108 Paladins HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS Forest (10-0), South Carolina (10-7), and Clemson (30-0). 1927 — Considered by many to be one of the finest teams in school history, W.L. "Billy" Laval's Purple Hurricane, nicknamed the "30-Mule Team", goes 10-1 and defeats Miami, 38-7, in the forerunner of the Orange Bowl. On Miami trip, team spends time at the beach, where it has a picture taken with two sports heroes of the time: Gene Sarazen and Gene Tunney. In addition to win over Miami, season features triumphs over Duke (13-7), North Carolina State (20-0), Wake Forest (53-0), South Carolina (34-0), and Clemson (28-0). In all, Furman notches seven shutouts and seventh state title. 1928 — T.B. Amis succeeds W.L. Laval as head coach. 1929 — Furman tops Erskine 19-6 in the first night game in South Carolina football history before a Manly Field crowd of 5,000. Ed Davis returns an interception 80 yards for a touchdown against Clemson, but Furman loses 7-6. 1930 — Offensive tackle Bob Wilder becomes Furman's first All-American football player, gaining Board of Football All- America honors. Hurricane edges Florida 14-13. 1931 — Furman goes 5-2-2 and defeats The Citadel 33-7 in a game featuring an 82-yard scoring run by Bob Griffin. Lyles Alley scores on 73-yard run in 34-6 win over Richmond. 1932 — A.P. "Dizzy" McLeod succeeds T.B. Amis as head coach and directs Furman to 8-1 record and eighth state championship. Furman closes the season with seven straight shutout wins and outscores the opposition on the year, 169-19. Drayton Dorn recovers school record four fumbles in 7-0 win over Clemson. Bob Griffin garners Furman's first South Carolina Jacobs Blocking Award. 1935 — Known as "The House of Magic" for its offensive prowess, Furman goes 8-1 and records six shutouts. Hurricane outscores its opposition, 232-44. Offensive guard Jack Shivers is tabbed South Carolina Jacobs Blocking Award winner. 1936 — Furman defeats Davidson 14-13 on Halloween afternoon in its first game in Sirrine Stadium. Furman joins the Southern Conference, and end Bob King becomes the school's first all-conference performer. King joins halfbacks June Scott and Joe Jenkins, and offensive guard J.W. "Pinky" Babb as first team all-state picks. Furman defeats South Carolina, 23-6 and Clemson 12-0 to win its ninth state championship. 1938 — On the strength of a 95-yard kickoff return by James "Pepper" Martin and 87-yard intercepted fumble return by Ray Zima, Furman defeats Marshall 18-13 in Huntington, in the first meeting between the two schools and first of 13 straight Furman wins over the Thundering Herd. Team captain Rhoten Shetley earns team most valuable player honors and is named to Collier's Little All-America team. 1939 — Rhoten Shetley becomes the first (and high- est) NFL Draft choice in school history, going in third round (19th overall pick) to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940. 1940 — Largest crowd (19,300) in Furman's home football history witnesses a 13-7 Clemson win over the Purple Hurricane. Gates Barker earns South Carolina Jacobs Blocking Award accolades. The Greenville Piedmont conducts a poll to select an all-time, all-star Furman team. The published results placed Bob King and Dan Wood at ends; Trask McCarson and Drayton "Daddy" Dorn at tackles; and H.H. "Hardrock" Smith and Jack Shivers at guards. June Scott, "Whitey" Rawl, Dewey Proctor, and Rhoten Shetley are selected as backs, and Shetley is named captain. Second team members are "Blackie" Carter, Flucie Stewart, A.P. "Dizzy" McLeod, Hazel Gilstrap, "Red" Dobson, Gates Barker, Johnson Moore, "Speedy Speer" (captain), Bob Smith, Red Schneider, and Lee Rhame. 1942 — Dewey Proctor is selected by the New York Giants in third third round (21st overall pick) of the 1942 NFL Draft. 1943 — Football is discontinued due to war. 1945 — Football is revived under head coach R.W. "Bob" Smith. 1949 — Paul Stombaugh leads the nation in punting, averaging 44.7 yards per attempt. 1950 — Bill Young is named head coach, and Ed Jasonek goes to the Blue-Gray Game. 1951 — Furman grants exclusive rights to WFBC radio to broadcast home and away games. Fullback Jim Piner is selected as South Carolina's Jacobs Blocking Award winner. 1952 — Furman goes 6-3-1 for its first winning season since 1940. Hurricane upsets West Virginia 22-14 in Morgantown for the Mountaineers' only Southern Conference loss of the season. Later in the year Furman knocks off Florida State 9-0 in Tallahassee. 1953 — Furman's 7-2 record is its best since 1936 and features a second straight win over Florida State (14-7) in Tallahassee. Furman uses an 82-yard punt return by Charlie West to edge Wake Forest 21-19 and close the season with five straight wins. 1954 — Former Navy line coach Homer Hobbs succeeds Bill Young as head coach. 1958 — Former Furman star and Illinois assistant Bob King begins his first season as Furman's head coach. The university moves from downtown to its present location north of Greenville. Alabama defeats Furman 29-6 in a night game in Tuscaloosa, marking the first win for Crimson Tide head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. 1960 — In one of the most bizarre uniform stories in college sports history, Furman and Clemson shared the same special water-repellant uniform pants for their respective games on October 8, 1960. Clemson wore the pants in defeating Virginia 21-7 in the afternoon, then had the pants shipped to Furman for a night game against William & Mary, which the Hurricane (as Furman was then known) defeated, 25-23. The pants defeated two teams from the state of Virginia on the same day. 1961 — By vote of the student body, Furman's nickname is officially chosen "Paladins" on September 15. Dr. Francis Bonner makes the presentation and reveals the university ▲ Quarterback Fred "Whitey" Rawl and Hurricane knock off N.C. State (31-0), Wake Forest (10-0), Georgia (14-7), South Carolina (10-7), and Clemson (30-0) on the way to 8-1-1 season. Captain of famed "30-Mule Team", Oscar "Bood" Pipkins and FU go 10-1, record seven shutouts, and top Miami (38-7) in forerunner of Orange Bowl. ▼ ▲ Seven of Furman's eight wins are shutouts. Bob Griffin wins Jacobs Blocking Award. ▲ Furman joins Southern Conference and goes 7-2, downing South Carolina (23-6) and Clemson (12-0) behind strong play of all-state guard Jack Shivers. 1926 1927 1932 1936

Articles in this issue

view archives of Furman University - 2014 FB Record Book