When discussing the old time greats at Kyle Field, Joe Routt is naturally first because of his All-American honors, but there was a player who preceded Routt by several years that was equally praiseworthy.

Joel Hunt played for Texas A&M 1925-27 and was all-Southwest Conference all three years. He ran, passed, punted, place-kicked, and played defense. John Heisman, who coached Rice against Hunt's teams, called him " the greatest all-around player I ever saw."



Texas A&M had a 20-4-3 record in Hunt's time and was conference champion in 1925 and 1927. In 27 games Hunt scored 30 touchdowns, 5 field goals, and 29 extra points. His 30 touchdowns were a school record for 63 years (until 1990). He scored 224 total points, and that was a school record for 51 years (until 1978).

In 1925 he threw a touchdown pass that beat Southern Methodist 7-0. In 1927 against Southern Methodist he scored three touchdowns, averaged 40 yards on punts, and intercepted four passes in a 39-13 victory. In 1927 he scored 128 points; he also had 3-touchdown games against Arkansas, Sewanee, and Texas Tech.

Hunt stood 5-10 in height; his playing weight was 162 pounds his senior year. He served as head football coach at Marshall (Texas) Junior College 1928-1929, at Georgia 1938, at Wyoming 1939. He was assistant coach at Texas A&M 1930-32, at Houston 1955, at Louisiana State 1933-36, 1940-41, 1945-47. (Hunt was in WWII but I do not have info on his service.)

He joined the pros as assistant with the Buffalo Bills 1949, Baltimore Colts 1950. In 1951-53 he was a salesman for Wilson Sporting Goods. He played pro baseball, mostly in the minor leagues, but made the majors for 16 games in 1931-32 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Hunt was born Oct. 11, 1905, in Texico, New Mexico. He died July 24, 1978, in Teague, Texas. (Teague is about 40 miles northeast of College Station.)

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 8/18/2007 8:48p).]

Great stuff Fossil, keep 'em coming. I know that it may sound like a cliché to say this, but those truly were different times that produced some really special people. Those men, like Routt and Lummus, should be an inspiration to us all.

And btw, we need to do throwback jerseys like those for one game sometime soon.

Here is a great Aggie story with a current twist. Dick Todd '39 was a star running back on the great '36-'38 Aggie teams. You youngsters will recognize the name of the great Taylor Whitley '02.

This article was taken from the Washington Post dated August 3, 2007.

quote:

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Redskins

Grandson of great trying to catch on
By David Elfin

August 3, 2007

Dick Todd played eight seasons with the Washington Redskins, with a two-year break for military service in World War II in the middle.

More than five decades later and seven years after his death, Todd's Redskins tenure is a topic of conversation because his grandson, Taylor Whitley, is trying to win a job on Washington's offensive line.

"My grandfather and I were very close," said Whitley, who went to Texas A&M, just like his grandfather. "I've got all kinds of Redskins memorabilia, a ball autographed by the team and all his football cards. I've seen his first contract. It was for $1,200. This organization means a lot to me and my family. So it's important for me to make a good impression."

Todd, a third-round pick out of Texas A&M in 1939, led the 1940 NFL runners-up in rushing and the 1942 champions in receiving. He set the Redskins' record for punt return average in 1941. And Todd took over as coach in 1951 after the Redskins had been pounded in their first three games and guided them to a 5-4 finish before he was replaced by Hall of Famer Curly Lambeau.

Although Whitley didn't get into a game last season, he began making an impression after the Redskins signed him in October. The 6-foot-4, 316-pound Baytown, Texas, native started 11 games at guard for Miami in 2004 but was cut by new coach Nick Saban the next summer. Whitley caught on with Denver for the latter part of 2005 but was released.

"Taylor's a pretty good fit because he can play tackle and center and he's a good guard," offensive line coach Joe Bugel said. "That sixth, seventh guy has to play all the positions. Taylor's a very intelligent and athletic young man, and he's gotten tougher since he's been here. We'll probably keep nine guys, and he's got a strong chance of making it."

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Dick Todd played high school football at Crowell in north central Texas. He was probably the most famous player to come out of that part of Texas both in high school and at Texas A&M.

Haskell is just a few miles south of Crowell and I think Todd's success at A&M was a great factor in John and Jack Kimbrough deciding to come to Aggieland.



[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 8/18/2007 11:19p).]

Keep the history coming, fossil!

The three Aggie All-Americans that followed in the footsteps of Joe Routt in those great years of 1936-1940.

MARSHALL ROBNETT - OG (1940)
Robnett was a consensus All-American selection as a senior in 1940 after helping the Aggies to two straight SWC titles and the 1939 national championship. Robnett finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1940 when he was one of the primary blockers for Heisman runner-up John Kimbrough. The 1940 Aggies led the SWC in scoring offense with 18.8 points per game. Robnett was a sixth-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals in 1941.


JOHN KIMBROUGH - RB (1939, 1940)
Kimbrough was a consensus All-American pick as a senior in 1940 after also earning All-American laurels as a junior in 1939. He rushed for 611 yards and seven touchdowns his senior year, and added five interceptions on defense as he finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy and led A&M to its second straight SWC title. He helped the 1939 team win the national championship, rushing for 475 yards and 10 touchdowns. Kimbrough rushed for 1,357 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career. He was a first-round draft pick by the Chicago Cardinals in 1941.


JOE BOYD - OT (1939)
Boyd earned All-American honors as a senior in 1939 after helping the Aggies to a perfect 11-0 record and their only national championship as team co-captain. Boyd was an All-SWC selection in 1938-39. In his three years at A&M, the Aggies built a record of 20-6-3. Boyd was a fourth-round draft pick by the Washington Redskins in 1940.

And possibly the greatest all around Aggie of them all Yale Lary '52, the only Aggie in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

quote:

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Yale Lary

Date of birth - November 29, 1930

Place of birth - Fort Worth, Texas

Position(s) - Defensive back, Punter

College - Texas A&M

NFL Draft - 1952 / Round 3/ Pick 34

Career highlights

Pro Bowls - 9

Honors - NFL 1950s All-Decade Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Teams - 1952-1964 Detroit Lions

Robert Yale Lary was a football player.

He played at Texas A&M University where he was a standout in football and baseball, and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round in 1952. He would help lead the Lions to three NFL championships.

He played right safety, a position which gradually became free safety, for the Lions from 1952 to 1964. He had 50 career interceptions, an outstanding figure for that era. He was a Pro Bowl selection for nine years. He also returned kickoffs in 1952, 1953, and 1956. He missed the 1954-1955 seasons for military service.

He was also an outstanding punter, winning punting titles in 1959, 1961. and 1963. His career average was 43 yards per punt, in 503 attempts. According to Paul Hornung in 2004 he was the best punter ever.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

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[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 8/19/2007 12:27a).]

Return with me for a trip down memory lane of Aggie football. We have had some great players over the years.

The horseshoe and DeWare field house.