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When my dad died he left me with much SMU memorabilia including ticket stubs, programs, and full sports' sections from the 1949 Notre Dame vs SMU game. Interest piqued I started reading about and watching the video and listening to the audio from that game. Rote was of course the star and well deserved. But Johnny Champion who was all of 5' 5" and 160 pounds dropped Leon Hart and Jim Mutscheller with pretty blocks and was a key blocker on all three of Rote's touchdowns. And in addition he cranked out what looks like over 200 yards of total offense from running, passing (the game's longest gain 78 yds), and receiving (the game's longest reception 69 yds). He was as tough and elusive as anyone on the field that day. And if you watch the video from the game, he was really making ND players very annoyed. Yet it is impossible to find anything about him via the the internet. If any one out there has more detailed info on players from that game, and especially JC, I would be very grateful to hear from you.

We have a troll called Johnny Utah that posts here every now and then.

I also was intrigued by Johnny Champion. The name is perfect for an SMU football player.

The DMN did a pretty extensive obituary at the time of Johnny Champion's death. Check their archives.

Found this:

Johnny Champion SMU Star, Dies Of Heart Attack HOUSTON (AP) - Funeral services for Johnny Champion, 41, former Southern Methodist football great, are set for Tuesday at Lake Jackson. Champion died Saturday at his Lake Jackson home of an apparent heart attack. He had been a beer distributor in Freeport for the past seven years. Survivors Include the widow and two sons, Bruce, 14. and Fred, 12. Champion, a wlngback who stood only 5 feet-6 and weighed 165 pounds during his college career, played at SMU along with Kyle Rote and Doak Walker. He will probably be best remembered for his classic battle against Leon Hart, All American end and Heisman Trophy winner, in the SMU-Notre Dame "game of the half-century" in 1949. A fun-loving type, Champion taunted Hart all day in the Cotton Bowl and did an amazing job of blocking the 265-pound player although SMU lost 27-20.

Also, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns after college and later played for the Fort Hood Tankers.