The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point, Army, Army West Point, The Academy, or simply The Point, is a four-year federal service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort that sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River with a scenic view, 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City. It is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the United States Army.More
2 1953 college football season
The 1953 college football season finished with the Maryland Terrapins capturing the AP, INS, and UPI national championship after Notre Dame held the top spot for the first nine weeks. The No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners defeated Maryland in the Orange Bowl, but there was no further polling after the November 30 results were released. However, Notre Dame was selected as the National Champions by 10 other polls and the Oklahoma Sooners received first in two polls. However, despite the team receiving National Championship rings, the University of Notre Dame does not recognize this title due to their policy of only recognizing AP or coaches' poll titles during the polling era (1936–present). Maryland was also the first champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which had been formed earlier in 1953 by seven colleges formerly with the Southern Conference. The year 1953 also saw the Michigan State Spartans, previously an independent, join the Big Nine Conference, which then became the Big Ten; MSU won the conference title in that first year and was the conference representative to the Rose Bowl, which it won 28–20 over UCLA.More
3 Earl Blaik
Earl Henry "Red" Blaik was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and United States Army officer. He served as the head football coach at Dartmouth College from 1934 to 1940 and at the United States Military Academy from 1941 to 1958, compiling a career college football record of 166–48–14. His Army football teams won three consecutive national championships in 1944, 1945 and 1946. Blaik was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1964.More
4 Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
The Lambert Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS college football.
In affiliation with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers, the Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Benjamin and Henry Lambert in memory of their father, Henry. The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue jewelry house and were prominent college football boosters. The trophy, established in 1936 as the "Lambert Trophy" to recognize supremacy in Eastern college football, has since grown to recognize the best team in the East in Division I FBS. A set of parallel trophies collectively known as the Lambert Cup is awarded to teams in Division I FCS, Division II, and Division III. The Metropolitan New York Football Writers, owned and operated by American Football Networks, Inc., took the administration of the Lambert Meadowlands Awards back from the New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority in 2011.More
Regular season
The Cadets had lost six players, including Freddie Myers, to academic ineligibility.[1] The Cadets defeated Furnam 41–0, the team's first shutout since the 1951 scandal.[2] After a loss to Northwestern, the Cadets were undefeated for the rest of the season. In a scoreless tie against the Tulane Green Wave, future Green Bay Packer Max McGee starred for Tulane.[3] In the Army–Navy Game, Army's 20–7 victory over Navy was its first since 1949.[4] The turning point of the season was an October victory over #7 ranked Duke University. Duke featured stars such as Red Smith and Worth (A Million) Lutz. Tommy Bell ran up the middle. Quarterback Pete Vann switched the ball to his left hand, and made a southpaw pass. Red Smith was tackled by Bob Mischak in the final minutes of the game. Mischak ran 73 yards to make the tackle catching up eight yards of separation to save a touchdown. Inspired by Mischak, Army held Duke inside the one yard line, took over on downs, and eventually won the game. "When Bob Mischak, who was posthumously enshrined in the Army/West Point Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, made that unlikely play, what Blaik called " a marvelous display of heart and pursuit," the Army football team regained it's soul." Direct quote from Maraness[5]
1953 Army Cadets football team Regular season articles: 25
1 Tulane Green Wave
The Tulane Green Wave are the athletic teams that represent Tulane University, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tulane competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference. There are 14 Green Wave intercollegiate programs.More
2 Max McGee
William Max McGee was a professional football player, a wide receiver and punter for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL. He played from 1954 to 1967, and is best known for his seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns, holding the first touchdown, in the first Super Bowl in 1967.More
3 Army–Navy Game
The Army–Navy Game is an American college football rivalry game between the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and the Navy Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, Maryland. The Black Knights, or Cadets, and Midshipmen each represent their service's oldest officer commissioning sources. As such, the game has come to embody the spirit of the interservice rivalry of the United States Armed Forces. The game marks the end of the college football regular season and the third and final game of the season's Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series, which also includes the Air Force Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) near Colorado Springs, Colorado.More
4 Handedness
In human biology, handedness is the better, faster, or more precise performance or individual preference for use of a hand, known as the dominant hand. The incapable, less capable or less preferred hand is called the non-dominant hand. Right-handedness is most common; about 90% of people are right-handed. Handedness is often defined by one's writing hand, as it is fairly common for people to prefer to do some tasks with each hand. There are examples of true ambidexterity, but it is rare—most people prefer one hand for most purposes.More
5 Bob Mischak
Robert Michael Mischak was a college and professional American football guard and tight end who played six seasons in the American Football League, from 1960 to 1965. He was selected by his peers as a Sporting News AFL All-League guard in 1960 and 1961. He was an AFL Eastern Division All-Star in 1962. He also played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and was a starting guard in the famed 1958 "Greatest Game Ever Played". In addition, Mischak was a 3-time Super Bowl champion coach with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders.More
6 Furman Paladins football
The Furman Paladins football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Furman University located in the state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southern Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1889. The team plays its home games at the 16,000 seat Paladin Stadium. They are coached by Clay Hendrix.More
7 Michie Stadium
Michie Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. The home field for the Army Black Knights, it opened 97 years ago in 1924 and has a current seating capacity of 38,000.More
8 West Point, New York
West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the American Revolution. Until January 1778, West Point was not occupied by the military. On January 27, 1778, Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons and his brigade crossed the ice on the Hudson River and climbed to the plain on West Point and from that day to the present, West Point has been occupied by the United States Army. It comprises approximately 16,000 acres (6,500 ha) including the campus of the United States Military Academy, which is commonly called "West Point".More
9 1953 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 1953 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1953 Big Ten Conference football season. In their seventh year under head coach Bob Voigts, the Wildcats compiled a 3-6 record, finished in last place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 205 to 166.More
10 Ryan Field (stadium)
Ryan Field is a stadium in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago. Near the campus of Northwestern University, it is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten Conference. It is the only FBS stadium without permanent lighting. Its current seating capacity is 47,130.More
11 Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a city in the Chicagoland area. Located in Cook County, Illinois, it situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is 12 miles (19 km) north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wilmette to the north, and Lake Michigan to the east. Incorporated in 1863, Evanston had a population of 74,486 as of 2010. Evanston is home to Northwestern University, founded before the city's incorporation in 1855, and is one of the world's leading research universities.More
12 1953 Dartmouth Indians football team
The 1953 Dartmouth Indians football team was an American football team that represented Dartmouth College as an independent during the 1953 college football season. In their 11th season under head coach Tuss McLaughry, the Indians compiled a 2–7 record, and were outscored 219 to 152. Bayard Johnson was the team captain.More
13 1953 Duke Blue Devils football team
The 1953 Duke Blue Devils football team represented the Duke Blue Devils of Duke University during the 1953 college football season.More
14 Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the sport of polo. Bound on the south and north by 110th and 112th Streets and on the east and west by Fifth and Sixth (Lenox) Avenues, just north of Central Park, it was converted to a baseball stadium when leased by the New York Metropolitans in 1880. The fourth Polo Grounds is the one generally indicated when the Polo Grounds is referenced. That is, the third Polo Grounds, built in 1890, as renovated after a fire in 1911. It was located in Coogan's Hollow and was noted for its distinctive bathtub shape, very short distances to the left and right field walls, and an unusually deep center field.More
15 Manhattan
Manhattan, known regionally as the City and the urban core of the New York metropolitan area, is the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City, and coextensive with the County of New York, one of the original counties of the U.S. state of New York. Manhattan serves as the city's economic and administrative center, cultural identifier, and historical birthplace. The borough consists mostly of Manhattan Island, bounded by the Hudson, East, and Harlem rivers; as well as several small adjacent islands. Manhattan additionally contains Marble Hill, a small neighborhood now on the U.S. mainland, separated from the rest of Manhattan by the Harlem Ship Canal and later connected using landfill to the Bronx. Manhattan Island is divided into three informally bounded components, each aligned with the borough's long axis: Lower, Midtown, and Upper Manhattan.More
16 1953 Columbia Lions football team
The 1953 Columbia Lions football team was an American football team that represented Columbia University as an independent during the 1953 college football season.More
Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium that stood in New Orleans from 1926 to 1980. It was officially the Third Tulane Stadium and replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium", which was located where the Telephone Exchange Building is now. The former site is currently bound by Willow Street to the south, Ben Weiner Drive to the east, the Tulane University property line west of McAlister Place, and the Hertz Basketball/Volleyball Practice Facility and the Green Wave's current home, Yulman Stadium, to the north. The stadium hosted three of the first nine Super Bowls, in 1970, 1972, and 1975.More
19 New Orleans
New Orleans is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Louisiana. With an estimated population of 390,144 in 2019, it is the most populous city in Louisiana. Serving as a major port, New Orleans is considered an economic and commercial hub for the broader Gulf Coast region of the United States.More
20 1953 NC State Wolfpack football team
The 1953 NC State Wolfpack football team represented North Carolina State University during the 1953 college football season. The Wolfpack were led by second-year head coach Horace Hendrickson and played their home games at Riddick Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. They competed as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the league's inaugural year, after NC State and the other ACC schools split off from the Southern Conference. They finished winless in conference with a 0–3 record, and a 1–9 record overall. Hendrickson resigned as head coach following the end of the season.More
21 1953 Penn Quakers football team
The 1953 Penn Quakers football team represented the University of Pennsylvania during the 1953 college football season. In head coach George Munger's final season at Penn, the Quakers compiled a 3–5–1 record and were outscored 152 to 96 by their opponents. Although they finished with a losing record, Penn played a tough schedule, opposing four different ranked teams in a row, and defeating No. 10 Navy, 9–6. Their three losses against ranked teams were by a combined 24 points, including a ten-point loss against Notre Dame.More
22 Franklin Field
Franklin Field is an American sports stadium located in Philadelphia at the eastern edge of the University of Pennsylvania's campus. It is the home stadium for the Penn Relays, and is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, track and field, lacrosse and formerly for soccer, field hockey and baseball. It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation exercises, weather permitting.More
23 Philadelphia
Philadelphia, colloquially Philly, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous U.S. city, with a 2019 estimated population of 1,584,064. Since 1854, the city has had the same geographic boundaries as Philadelphia County, the most-populous county in Pennsylvania and the urban core of the eighth-largest U.S. metropolitan statistical area, with over 6 million residents as of 2017. Philadelphia is also the economic and cultural center of the greater Delaware Valley along the lower Delaware and Schuylkill rivers within the Northeast megalopolis. The Delaware Valley's population of 7.2 million makes it the eighth-largest combined statistical area in the United States.More
24 1953 Navy Midshipmen football team
The 1953 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy (USNA) during the 1953 college football season. Navy competed as an independent with no conference affiliation. They began the season ranked 13th in the pre-season AP Poll. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Eddie Erdelatz.More
25 John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia)
John F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia that stood from 1926 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Designed by the architectural firm of Simon & Simon in a classic 1920s style with a horseshoe seating design that surrounded a track and football field, at its peak the facility seated in excess of 102,000 people. Bleachers were later added at the open (North) end.More
Before the end of the 1953 season, the New York Daily News had a headline in their paper that Vince Lombardi was the top candidate to become the Giants new head coach.[6] Although Giants co-owner Wellington Mara was a classmate of Lombardi at Fordham University, the Giants were actually interested in Army head coach, Colonel Red Blaik. Blaik had declined the job, but recommended Lombardi, who was his offensive co-ordinator at Army.[7] Despite being Red Blaik's top aide, Vince Lombardi was anxious and frustrated. Three other Army assistants, including Murray Warmath were now head coaches.[8] In June, Lombardi had turned forty years old. Lombardi would be hired as the offensive co-ordinator for the 1954 season.[9]
1953 Army Cadets football team Personnel articles: 5
1 Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas Lombardi was an American football coach, and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight and five total NFL Championships in seven years, in addition to winning the first two Super Bowls at the conclusion of the 1966 and 1967 NFL seasons.More
2 Wellington Mara
Wellington Timothy Mara was the co-owner of the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) from 1959 until his death, and one of the most influential and iconic figures in the history of the NFL. He was the younger son of Tim Mara, who founded the Giants in 1925. Wellington was a ball boy that year.More
3 Fordham University
Fordham University is a private Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named for the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its original campus is located, Fordham is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the northeastern United States, and the third-oldest university in New York State.More
4 Earl Blaik
Earl Henry "Red" Blaik was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and United States Army officer. He served as the head football coach at Dartmouth College from 1934 to 1940 and at the United States Military Academy from 1941 to 1958, compiling a career college football record of 166–48–14. His Army football teams won three consecutive national championships in 1944, 1945 and 1946. Blaik was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1964.More
5 Murray Warmath
Murray Warmath was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1952 to 1953 and at the University of Minnesota from 1954 to 1971, compiling a career college football record of 97–84–10. In 1960, Warmath led the Minnesota Golden Gophers to a share of the Big Ten Conference title, an appearance in the Rose Bowl, and a national championship, the program's most recent to date. The following season, Minnesota placed second in the Big Ten Conference and returned to the Rose Bowl. Warmath's 1967 squad captured a share of a second Big Ten championship.More
References
^When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.147, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN978-0-684-84418-3
^When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.147, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN978-0-684-84418-3
^When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.147, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN978-0-684-84418-3
^When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.147, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN978-0-684-84418-3
^When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.148, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN978-0-684-84418-3
^Giants Among Men, p. 152, Jack Cavanaugh, 2008, Random House, New York, ISBN978-1-4000-6717-6
^Giants Among Men, p. 153, Jack Cavanaugh, 2008, Random House, New York, ISBN978-1-4000-6717-6
^When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.146, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN978-0-684-84418-3
^Giants Among Men, p. 154, Jack Cavanaugh, 2008, Random House, New York ISBN978-1-4000-6717-6