Another Patriot leaves us

worcester wrote:Do you know why Bear Bryant scheduled that 9.12.1970 home game against USC which Bama lost 42-21?

He had wanted to recruit Black players but the University administration, state government, and much of the population wouldn't hear of it. Bryant knew what a great fullback Sam "Bam" Cunningham was and knew the Trojans would flatten the Crimson Tide, embarrassing Bama and  those who opposed integrating the football team. It worked, and from the following season on segregated football teams were a thing of the past at Alabama. Bear Bryant deserves credit for advancing civil rights in the Deep South in his own way. It might seem small to some, but it was actually pretty big.

Sam Cunningham was a huge addition to the Patriots. I'm sure that put a smile on Mike Holovak's face when Boston - yes, it was the Boston Patriots back then - drafted him.

Few remember this.  The all powerful SEC was changed because of that memorable game vs USC and the amazing talented Sam Cunningham.  Was one of my favorite Patriot players.

worcester wrote:Do you know why Bear Bryant scheduled that 9.12.1970 home game against USC which Bama lost 42-21?

He had wanted to recruit Black players but the University administration, state government, and much of the population wouldn't hear of it. Bryant knew what a great fullback Sam "Bam" Cunningham was and knew the Trojans would flatten the Crimson Tide, embarrassing Bama and  those who opposed integrating the football team. It worked, and from the following season on segregated football teams were a thing of the past at Alabama. Bear Bryant deserves credit for advancing civil rights in the Deep South in his own way. It might seem small to some, but it was actually pretty big.

Sam Cunningham was a huge addition to the Patriots. I'm sure that put a smile on Mike Holovak's face when Boston - yes, it was the Boston Patriots back then - drafted him.

Worcester, I posted this on a thread a few years ago. Think it goes hand in hand with yours.

53 YEARS AGO TODAY
Worcester, here's a little backstory to your post on the Bear. The previous year Coach Bryant and Coach McKay were at a coaches clinic together. The Bear could see the writing on the wall and knew that Bama would not be able to compete with the West coast (Pac 8 and Midwest (Big 10) powers as well as Penn St. without the black athlete. The Bear was also good friends with legendary Grambling coach Eddie Robinson, who would often chide the Bear on all the talent he was missing out on playing at HBCU'S throughout the south due to segregation. Bear implored McKay to schedule a home and home between Bama and USC. Bear insisted that the first meeting be in Alabama. McKay initially balked at that request but when Bear told him the reason why, so that the Bama fans could see firsthand the abilities of the black players and that segregation on the field and in society would ultimately be detrimental to the south and leave those states as well as their universities athletic programs far behind the rest of the country. Coach McKay agreed. USC got the win, Coach Bryant opened eyes and minds in the deep south. RB Wilbur Jackson became the first black player at Bama, as well as a 2 time All American. And, to make things better, the Tide went to L.A. the following season and beat the Trojans. All in all, it was a win for everyone. Coach Bryant knew that if it was good enough for Alabama football then it was good enough for all southern universities.
As far as Kentucky basketball, the Baron wasn't as socially enlightened as the Bear. Kentucky obviously was to southern basketball what Bama was to football. While Bryant used his God like stature to affect positive change, Rupp essentially did the opposite. His first recruit was a good player with questionable character and a volatile personality, to say the least. Tom Payne was not the type to be a standard bearer or trailblazer, as his later actions proved. There were many who felt that Rupp knew this going in and that Payne would fail and he (Rupp) could then play the "see I told you so" card about the "uncivilized negro". As history has proven, Rupp was at best misguided, at worst, dead wrong.

This post originally was on a thread acknowledging the 53rd anniversary of Texas Western (now UTEP) all black starting 5 defeating Adolph Rupp (and Pat Riley) in the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship.

Pat Riley-NYC. That UK team also had ABA legend Louie Dampier.

In 1966 I was in HS when Texas Western beat an all white Kentucky team to win the NCAA Championship.

I recall how happy me and my friends were to see this historic event.

#23 Frank Ramsey, original 6th man.  the 'Kentucky Colonel' Played for UK around 1954 I think.

Pictured in my updated Avatar

http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/Games/19660319TexasWestern.html

March 19th, 1966 Box Score