I can name a few off the top of my head. Do you know others?

Sammy Baugh Sweetwater NFL 37-52 HOF 63

Don Maynard Colorado City NFL 58-68 HOF 87

Bulldog Turner Sweetwater NFL 40-52 HOF 66

Jack Pardee Christoval NFL 57-73


Not NFL but worthy of note:

Grant Teaff Snyder

Dan Blocker O'Donnell

Billy P. Huddleston Iraan

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 12/8/2005 8:38p).]

Frank Meyers(sp?)- San Angelo Central, Aggie class or '78. OL for Minnesota.

sammy baugh was the best hes in the HOF i've never heard of bulldog turner but i'm from sweetwater plz imform me of who he is

If you consider Throckmorton a part of West Texas (I would), throw Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly (1961-1974) into the mix.

From my hometown of Stamford, both in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame:

--Bob Harrison: played for OU during their 47 game winning streak, finished 5th in the Heisman voting as an offensive lineman in 1956; played Linebacker for the 49ers, Eagles, and Steelers from 1959-1967 and was an All-Pro.

--Mike McClellan: star running back and defensive back for Stamford's state championship teams, played for OU alongside Harrison; played defensive back for the Eagles in 1962 and 1963, at which time the team had two players from Stamford on its roster

As a side note, McClellan attempted the long jump three times competitively: in 1957 at district, regional, and state, where he broke the UIL record and held it for something like 25 years.


We also can't leave out Jarrin' John Kimbrough, the Haskell Hurricane, star of the 1939 national championship team, runner-up to Tom Harmon for the 1940 Heisman, and at one time, the highest paid player in professional football.

Here's a really neat article written about him in the 12th Man Magazine a while back:
http://12thmanfoundation.com/mag/Vol4/vol4no08/stilltheman.html

aggiefan44

Clyde (Bulldog) Turner was born at Plains, TX but played hs football at Newman High School, a now defunct community in Fisher County a few miles north of Sweetwater. He played college ball at Hardin-Simmons. Drafted by the Chicago Bears as center in 1940 and played for them 13 years. One time described at toughest lineman to ever play the game. Admitted to NFL Hall of Fame in 1966. My dad used to get his haircut and the Bluebonnet Hotel and I saw Bulldog there several times hanging out with other good ole boys. He had a little brother named Dugie who some said was tougher than Bulldog.

Clyde (Bulldog) Turner



A grad of Sweetwater High that as a kid I knew would go on to greatness was Marion Flanagan who played in the 40s. I lost track of him years ago.

Edit: Speak of the devil and I get to add another to the list! I googled Marion Flanagan's name and found out he played at TEXAS A&M and in 1943 ran back 49 punts which is second place in the SWC records book. He was drafted in 1946 by the Washington Redskins. That is all the info I could find so I suspect he was caught up in WWII and drafted after the war by the Redskins based on college record and may never have played for them. I couldn't wait to get the Saturday papers in those days to see what he had done in the previous night's game ... and I wasn't from Sweetwater!

I ran into Bob Lilly in Guam in 1970 and helped him get a ride back to the states on a military plane ... he was visiting bases in southeast Asia as part of a USO tour of some sort. He definitely was a WT great.

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 12/8/2005 11:42p).]

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 5/5/2006 9:31p).]

I have to say that the best of the lot for what they did was Don Maynard, NFL Hall of Famer (receiver) from Colorado City. I played against him a couple of years in hs but never saw much of him except his back going for another score. Part of the reason was he had a teammate named Mule Kyser who spent most of the game sitting on my chest.

Jack Mildren, Abilene High, OU All-American 1971, Drafted by Baltimore Colts 1972.

Um, Roy Williams, Cedric Benson and Shaud Williams right now.


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Bubba Franks TE-Green Bay
He came out of Big Spring in '96.

J.T. Smith WR-St. Louis(Arizona) Cardinals
He came out of Big Spring in the mid 1970's.

There were three or four more that played in the NFL from Big Spring, but none that are noteable.

Bubba Franks TE-Green Bay
He came out of Big Spring in '96.

J.T. Smith WR-St. Louis(Arizona) Cardinals
He came out of Big Spring in the mid 1970's.

There were three or four more that played in the NFL from Big Spring, but none that are noteable.

As previously mentioned:

Shaud Williams - Andrews, Texas.









Third down back, but he can play for a small guy. Compare him to these linemen:


[This message has been edited by BQ93 (edited 12/9/2005 9:11a).]

Wasn't Junior Miller from midland? He played for the Falcons in the mid-80's. I can't remember where he played college, maybe OU.


editted...to correct, he played for Osborn at Nebraska....and was a two time all pro

[This message has been edited by powerbiscuit (edited 12/9/2005 12:56p).]

Crane Golden Cranes To the NFL:

Bob McKay
1st Round Draft Pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1970-9 years in the NFL with Cleveland and New England-All American at Texas


Kenny Walker
8th Round Draft Pick to the Denver Broncos. Played two seasons-was All-American at Nebraska-despite being deaf.

Donnie Anderson Stinnett High/Green Bay

Isn't Zach Thomas from a small town out in West Texas somewhere?

Plus, I know we don't want to mention him but it appears that old Eric Winston will be in the league next year.

As a side note, played against Shaud Williams and the Andrews Mustangs in junior high. I was weak OLB, and I couldn't keep wide enough to keep him hemmed in. That guy ran all over us. My football career didn't last much longer.

quote:

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Isn't Zach Thomas from a small town out in West Texas somewhere?

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pampa, north of amarillo

You can't leave out Sammy Baugh from Rotan. He played for Texas Christian Univ. (1934–36) and the Washington Redskins (1937–52), helping the latter win two league championships. An excellent punter and defensive back as well, he led the National Football League in passing, punting, and interceptions in 1943, and was a six-time All-Pro. When Baugh retired, he held most of the NFL's passing records.

Sorry saw yall already mentioned him. He is from Rotan though

Ray Mickens - El Paso, Andress High

Moses - Sammy Baugh was born in Temple. He played his high school football in the 20s at Sweetwater and college ball at TCU where he was All-American. I don't know when he came to the Rotan area but I know he had a ranch north of Rotan near the Double Mountains in the 50s. He still lives at the ranch and over the years has hosted clinics for a number of promising college quarterbacks.

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 12/12/2005 1:23p).]

An interesting case is Byron "Santone" Townsend who played high school football at Odessa High. He was a great one, played at Texas and was drafted into the NFL by the St Louis Rams in 1952.

The interesting point is during the 30s and 40s it was common for towns with high-$$$ boosters to openly recruit high school stars. Townsend lived in San Antonio but played football at Odessa. Someone said his Odessa classmates had never seen him. Hence the nickname "Santone."

Not to take anything away from the great Cooper Robbins who coached powerhouse teams at Breckenridge in the 40s and 50s but some folks hinted that oilmen in the area paid top wages to daddys of talented recruits. Breckenridge was Bud Wilkenson's prime picking ground for the legendary OU teams in the 50s.

I remember reading Friday Night Lights and, during the discussion of the great Odessa teams of yore, wondering where Townsend got the "Santone" nickname. That would make sense.

If anyone has ever read "Texas" by James Michener, the part covering the 1920's and 1930's and the oil boom town covers just what Fossil was talking about. The rich oilmen of Larkin go hire a big-time football coach, and he provides them with a list of players that he wants to see wearing the colors of the Fightin' Antelopes before the next season.

So, they travel around the state finding these guys and offer jobs in the oil field to the fathers of the guys that are actually school age. The rest were guys that were 20 years old and had played for two or three high schools. Since the entire book was written based on fact (with fictional characters and towns interacting with real historical figures and places), I don't doubt that that part is true.

Just as an aside, that's by far the greatest fiction book I've ever read. I didn't think anything could beat Lonesome Dove, but it did. It makes you more proud to be a Texan than you can imagine.

[This message has been edited by WestTxAg06 (edited 12/12/2005 2:18p).]

V T Smith, Little All American back for Abilene Christian College in late 40s. Drafted by Los Angeles Rams. In 1950 set record for kickoff returns that still stands, fielded 22 for 33.7 yard average. I am sure he is a West Texas kid but can't locate home town by Google. Does anyone know?(Saw him in an ACC game in '49. A powerful N-S runner who loved for someone to try to take him head-on.)

I was thinking only Ags in the NFL from WT. Also, Clayton Weisuhn, ASU and from Wall that played for NE for about 6 or 7 years. His nephew is on our basketball team.

Also Clayton's brother played a year or two as well.

I think the player profiles on AggieAthletics.com lists some of that info about Slade and his family.

http://www.acu.edu:9090/sports/news/2000-02/000215-vtsmith.html

Vitamin T. Smith passed away Feb 2000

quote:

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Smith was born Oct. 30, 1923, in Sweetwater and lived there until his father, who was a Church of Christ minister, moved to Goldendale, Wash. The Smith family moved again before V.T. Smith's senior season, and he graduated from Ventura (Calif.) High School.

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The Sheik - Thank you for the update. VT's real first name was Vorda or something on that order. Some sportswriter came up with Vitamin as a replacement during his playing days and it stuck.

Sean Holcomb from Greenwood spent some time on somebody's practice squad (I wanna say Patriots). He graduated from Greenwood in the early 90's and played college at Kingsville. I don't think he ever made the actual roster, but I could be wrong.

Ray Berry from Cooper went to Baylor and then spent several years with the Vikings and ended up with Seattle

http://www.texnews.com/1998/ads/football/berry.html
I forgot about him


There's another Viking back there some where. A guy from Hamlin played for them back in the early 70's. My cousin used to date him. . . .
Bob something if I remember right

I think it was Bob Pearce or Robert, drafted by the Vikings in 1970 out of SF Austin.

Tate Randle (Colts) and Rick McIvor (Cardinals) from Fort Stockton played in the NFL. In the 60's I think George Resley from FS played for the Colts also.

I worked at the bank in Gatesville where Bulldog Turner banked in retirement. We had a note we kept from long ago that was cosigned by George Halas.

Rick McIvor from Fort Stockton played at some college...lol then in the NFL. Jonathan Palafox from sweetwater played at Angelo State then for the Bills I believe. Domenic Rhodes of the colts is from Abilene I think. Eric Winston from Midland is a shoe in for a 1st round pick out of Miami.

John Norman played at Tceh and then in the NFL, his brother Josh played and won a national championship at Ou and then played tight end for the chargers before they drafted Antonio Gates. Roy Williams outta Odessa. Stormy Chase from Odessa Permian as well played in the league. and we all know Boobie Miles would of ruled the league if he would of not gotten hurt at Ratliff.

EMC I was hoping someone would mention Clayton and Booger. Slade's dad was actually the best athlete in the family, but he decided to pursue being a cowboy.

WTAG,

Not intending to highjack this thread...

But, I have a fond spot for Clayton. I lived about 1-1/2 south of him with Hwy 87 between us. Came home one Sunday after a trip and my dogs had gotten out. ( 2 labs) They had made it across 87 somehow and he found them at his shop and kept them till he answered an add I put in the paper.

Needless to say, he got a nice gift certificate to Zentners!

[This message has been edited by EMc77 (edited 12/21/2005 7:15a).]