1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team
| 1961 Syracuse Orangemen football | |
|---|---|
Liberty Bowl champion | |
Liberty Bowl, W 15–14 vs. Miami (FL) | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 16 |
| AP | No. 14 |
| Record | 8–3 |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Dick Easterly[1] |
| Home stadium | Archbold Stadium |
Template:1961 NCAA University Division independents football records The 1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. The Orangemen were led by 13th-year head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and played their home games at Archbold Stadium in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse finished the regular season with a record of 7–3 and ranked 14th in the final AP Poll. Running back Ernie Davis rushed for 823 yards and 12 touchdowns en route to his second straight consensus All-American honors. Davis became the first African-American football player to win the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the nation's best college football player each year. Syracuse was invited to the 1961 Liberty Bowl, where they defeated Miami (FL).
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 23 | at Oregon State | No. 10 | W 19–8 | 35,729 | |
| September 30 | West Virginia | No. 5 | W 29–14 | 25,000 | |
| October 7 | at Maryland | No. 7 | L 21–22 | 35,000 | |
| October 14 | at Nebraska | W 28–6 | 35,387 | ||
| October 21 | at Penn State | L 0–14 | 44,390 | ||
| October 28 | Holy Cross |
| W 34–6 | 31,000 | |
| November 4 | Pittsburgh |
| W 28–9 | 40,152 | |
| November 11 | Colgate |
| W 51–8 | 25,000 | |
| November 18 | at Notre Dame | No. 10 | L 15–17 | 49,246 | |
| November 25 | at Boston College | W 28–13 | 17,600 | ||
| December 16 | vs. Miami (FL) | No. 14 | W 15–14 | 15,712 | |
| |||||
Source:[1]
1961 team players in the NFL draft
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | Club |
| Ernie Davis | 1 | 1 | Running Back | Washington Redskins |
| Pete Brokaw | 8 | 107 | Back | Baltimore Colts |
| George Francovitch | 10 | 131 | Guard | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Gary Fallon | 12 | 157 | Halfback | Minnesota Vikings |
| Dick Easterly | 14 | 190 | Back | San Francisco 49ers |
| Bob Stem | 19 | 265 | Center | New York Giants |
Ernie Davis was the first black player to be chosen first overall in the NFL Draft.[3][4] Davis was drafted by the Washington Redskins then traded to the Clevand Browns in the first round of the 1962 American Football League draft.[5][6] Tragically, he would never play in the NFL; he was diagnosed with leukemia shortly before he was to enter the league, and died in May 1963, less than a year after his diagnosis.
Awards and honors
- Ernie Davis, Heisman Trophy[7]
References
- ^ a b 2017 Syracuse football media guide. pg. 148
- ^ https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1962.htm
- ^ "Washington Picks 1st Negro on Team". Petaluma Argus-Courier. AP. 4 December 1961. p. 4. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ Sports Illustrated, October 13, 2008, p.24
- ^ "Ernie Davis Joins Cleveland Browns". Syracuse Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. 23 December 1961. p. 9. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.564, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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