| 1950 Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 1st Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
 Official program cover | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 7, 1950 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1949 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Gator Bowl Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Travis Tidwell (QB, Auburn) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | T. G. Kain ( SEC) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 20,000 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||
The 1950 Senior Bowl was a college football exhibition game featuring players from the 1949 college football season and prospects in the 1950 NFL Draft. The inaugural edition of the Senior Bowl was played on January 7, 1950, at Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. [2] The teams were coached by personnel from the National Football League (NFL); Bo McMillin of the Detroit Lions for the North, and Steve Owen of the New York Giants for the South. [3] The game was broadcast on the Mutual Radio Network. [4] After the North took an early 13–0 lead, the South came from behind for a 22–13 victory. [1] South quarterback Travis Tidwell of Auburn completed 13 of 19 passes for 246 yards and was named game MVP. [5]
The day after the game, it was announced that eight players from the Southwestern Conference (SWC) who had participated in the game would lose their scholarships; although each had completed their college sports career, they had not yet completed their college studies. [6] The SWC schools ended the players' scholarships because they had accepted payment for appearing in the Senior Bowl, with each of the 26 players on the winning team receiving $475 and each of the 24 players on the losing team receiving $343, [7] coming from 60 percent of the ticket sales. [6] While the players accepted payment knowing that their scholarships could be ended, Senior Bowl organizer Jimmy Pearre pointed out that the colleges "have made millions off these players". [6] The players and their college teams were:
- Arkansas: Theron Roberts [8]
- Baylor: J. D. Ison, [9] Rupert Wright [10]
- SMU: Jack Halliday, Dick McKissack, Doak Walker
- Texas: Ray Borneman, [11] Paul Campbell
This would prove to be the only edition of the Senior Bowl played in Jacksonville, as the game moved to Mobile, Alabama, in 1951 and has remained there since. In 1994, Gator Bowl Stadium was closed and demolished; it was replaced with Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, now known as TIAA Bank Field.
Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| South | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
at Gator Bowl Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: Saturday, January 7, 1950
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST [4]
- Game attendance: 20,000
- Referee: Thomas G. "Shaky" Kain
- Source: [1] [5]
| Game information |
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References
- ^ a b c d Leslie, Bill (January 8, 1950). "Travis Tidwell Outshines Field As South Wins Senior Bowl 22-13". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. Johnson City, Tennessee. UP. p. 11. Retrieved November 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Doak Walker, Charlie Justice Meet Today in Jacksonville's All-Star Senior Bowl Grid Tilt". Oneonta Star. Oneonta, New York. AP. January 7, 1950. p. 10. Retrieved November 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "All-Stars Clash In Jax Today". The News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. AP. January 7, 1950. p. 8. Retrieved November 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Today's Radio Program". Orlando Evening Star. January 6, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved November 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b MacNeely, F. T. (January 8, 1950). "Travis Tidwell Sparks Rebels To 22-13 Victory In Senior Bowl". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. AP. p. 1C. Retrieved November 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Eight Players Lose Athletic Scholarships". The Honolulu Advertiser. UP. January 9, 1950. p. 11. Retrieved November 12, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Winners Get $475, Losers $343 In Senior Bowl Tilt". The Miami News. January 8, 1950. p. 1-D. Retrieved November 12, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "1948 Arkansas Razorbacks Draft". 247Sports.com. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ "J.d. Ison". legacy.com. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ "Rupert Wright Jr". legacy.com. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ "Ray Borneman College Stats". sports-reference.com. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
Further reading
- "January 7, 1950: The First Ever Senior Bowl Is Played". On This Day In Sports. January 7, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2020.