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If anyone from SMU's athletic/PR dept. reads these boards, I certainly hope that there will be a tribute or dedication for Kyle Rote at an SMU home game this year, similar to what was done for Doak Walker after he passed away.

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"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!"

Here's the DMN story about a great Mustang:



Kyle Rote, former SMU All-American, dead at 73
08/16/2002
By RICK ALONZO / The Dallas Morning News

Kyle Rote, a former hard-running SMU All-America halfback and NFL star in the 1950s, died early Thursday morning. He was 73.

Mr. Rote died of complications from pneumonia at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, where he was admitted Aug. 4 for emergency hernia surgery, said Nina Rote, his wife of 30 years. She said surgery for the hernia was successful, but her husband developed pneumonia while in intensive care.

Kyle Rote Jr. said his father was a longtime smoker who battled emphysema in recent years.

Mr. Rote was named an All-American in 1950. He was a first-round pick in the 1951 NFL draft and went on to play in four Pro Bowls for the New York Giants during his professional career from 1951-61.

Fred Benners, an SMU player from 1949 to 1951, shared the field with Mr. Rote and Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker.

"He had the greatest God-given physical equipment of anybody I ever played with, including Doak," said Mr. Benners, who also played with Mr. Rote with the Giants in 1952. "No question about it. He had the size and the whole package. ... Kyle may not have been quite as intense as Doak, but as far as being able to pass, punt, run, catch – I never knew anyone better."

After his playing career, Mr. Rote coached the Giants' offensive backfield for two seasons (1962 and '63). He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1962 and the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1964. He was also a former president of the NFL Players Association.

Mr. Rote also is remembered for his broadcasting work in the late 1960s and early '70s. Along with Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis, Mr. Rote broadcast the New York Jets' famous upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III for NBC. He also was a member of NBC's broadcast team for Super Bowl V, the Cowboys' 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Colts.

Kyle Rote Jr. played soccer professionally for the Dallas Tornado and for the U.S. national team.

Instant recognition
Mr. Rote gained instant recognition in 1949, when he rushed for 115 yards and completed 10 passes for 146 yards in a 27-20 loss to national champion Notre Dame. He also averaged 48 yards punting in that game. Mr. Rote filled in for Mr. Walker, who missed the game with an injury.

SMU was a 28-point underdog in that game, but SMU, led by Mr. Rote, almost pulled off the upset.

"That was probably his most outstanding game in college," said Blackie Sherrod, sports columnist for The News.

Texas sportswriters voted that game the single-greatest performance by a Texas athlete in the first half of the 20th century.

During his senior year at SMU, he appeared on the cover of Life magazine's Nov. 13, 1950, edition. That was the only season SMU's football team has ever been ranked No. 1 in the nation. It then suffered a loss to Texas. Mr. Rote was an All-Southwest Conference selection in 1949 and '50. He finished his college career with 2,049 yards rushing.

"There are people who saw him play at SMU who say he was as talented as any athlete that's been here," said SMU athletics director Jim Copeland, who got to know Mr. Rote personally in recent years. "He was multi-talented and a super person."

A teammate of former Cowboys coach Tom Landry, Mr. Rote was named to the Pro Bowl four consecutive seasons from 1953-56. He played halfback for the Giants until 1956, when he moved to split end. Mr. Rote rushed for 871 yards and caught 300 passes for 4,797 yards and 48 touchdowns during his 11-year career, all with the Giants.

In 1958, Mr. Rote played in one of the greatest NFL games of all time. The Baltimore Colts beat the Giants, 23-17, in overtime in a nationally televised game on Dec. 28 in New York.

"He was one of the Giants' key offensive players on those teams in New York," said Raymond Berry, an SMU alumnus who played for the Baltimore Colts against Mr. Rote in that game. "They were one of the most dominant teams in the league most every year Kyle was there. One of the most remarkable things about his career is he made the switch from running back to wide receiver. In every generation of players, there's only one or two that can do that."

Nobody better
Said Mr. Benners: "In his prime, there was nobody in the National Football League that was a better offensive player than Kyle Rote as far as I'm concerned."

Mr. Rote attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio. He was an all-state basketball and football player.

Before leaving to play for the Giants in the summer of 1951, Mr. Rote played minor-league baseball in Corpus Christi. He hit three home runs in a game.

"He was the best natural athlete I've ever seen, and that includes everybody in baseball, everybody in football and everybody in basketball," said NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall, a former teammate of Mr. Rote.

Eight Giants players named sons after him, Mr. Summerall said. That list included Mr. Summerall, Frank Gifford, Jim Patton, Don Heinrich and [deleted] Nolan.

Mr. Rote was talented beyond the football field as well, Mr. Summerall said. He liked to write poetry and was an artist.

Mr. Summerall also credited Mr. Rote for getting him his start in television. Mr. Summerall had been home one day when Mr. Rote called to inform him there was an opening to become the Giants analyst.

"That's how I got into TV," Mr. Summerall said.

Mr. Rote, who lived with his wife in St. Michaels, Md., is also survived by three other children from his first marriage: Gary, Chris in Corpus Christi and Elizabeth.

Mrs. Rote said there will be a viewing Tuesday in New York City at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home. A private burial will be on Wednesday at the National Memorial Cemetery in Falls Church, Va.