1963 Remember this?

by **BUS** » Fri Jul 14, 2023 10:36 am

The link below is a video containing the highlights of the 1963 SMU - Navy game. I know some of you already have this video, but it's always encouraging to view it again.

The victory over 4th-ranked Navy is a reminder that we can overcome the huge challenges we face in life. Coach Fry would tell you that "you can't do it by yourself....it takes a team.... so surround yourself with winners!"

May you and your family have a meaningful and grateful day!

Kelly

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6khw4vy1h2ggi ... 3.mp4?dl=0[quote][/quote]

by **shadowman** » Fri Jul 14, 2023 11:03 am

Thanks for posting that, I had not seen it before.

Great game and good to see Staubach, man he was a great college and NFL QB.

I miss the weekly coaches shows, something the youngsters don't get to experience. Was always nice to have the head coach talk you through the highlights and give some "behind the scenes" anectdotes.

Anyone remember back in the day at the State Fair where they had a theater set up in one of the exhibition buildings and would show the SWC conference highlights from the previous year? That was always the highlight of the fair for me back before the internet and very few games were on TV.

I wonder if their is an archive of those somewhere? I imagine that famous clip you can see on Youtube of SMU against Texas Tech when Bobby Leach had the miracle Kickoff return at the end to avoid the tie came from that.

by **jpe747** » Fri Jul 14, 2023 2:19 pm

Yes. The theater was sponsored by Humble Oil (Exon today). I was a kid, but I LOVED it! You could watch SWC football for hours.

by **jpe747** » Fri Jul 14, 2023 2:48 pm

BTW, John Roderick of SMU was the speedster track star discussed in an earlier post. He was a surprise for NAVY as he was on the track team and was talked into playing wide receiver, not a running back. I was one of the fortunate Mustang fans at the game and the stands went wild. Great game - one of the greatest in Mustang history!

by **lawkota** » Fri Jul 14, 2023 2:54 pm

Navy lost two games that year, both in the Cotton Bowl.

by **geezerdonk** » Fri Jul 14, 2023 5:59 pm

Mrs. G. and I had tickets and rode out to Fair Park on the fraternity bus. We decided that we didn't want to see SMU get humiliated by No. 2 Navy so we decided to go to the fair instead. From the midway we could hear the crowd inside the Cotton Bowl going crazy so we abandoned the fair and went to the game. I think we got in toward the end of the second quarter. About all I remember is Roderick running circles around the Navy defenders. Some of my fraternity brothers had smuggled in a fair amount of booze and many were drunk by the time the game was over.

by **shadowman** » Fri Jul 14, 2023 6:42 pm

jpe747 wrote:Yes. The theater was sponsored by Humble Oil (Exon today). I was a kid, but I LOVED it! You could watch SWC football for hours.

Heh, I was the same way, I would watch it 3 or 4 times in a row. What a bummer it was, when whatever year it was, to get to the Fair that year and head straight for the theater only to learn no SWC conference highlight reel was going to be played. Was probably the mid the 80s. They kept the theater for two or three more years but showed junk, not football related. Then they finally just took the whole thing out.

At least we got Youtube and DropBox!

by **shadowman** » Fri Jul 14, 2023 6:45 pm

geezerdonk wrote:Mrs. G. and I had tickets and rode out to Fair Park on the fraternity bus. We decided that we didn't want to see SMU get humiliated by No. 2 Navy so we decided to go to the fair instead. From the midway we could hear the crowd inside the Cotton Bowl going crazy so we abandoned the fair and went to the game. I think we got in toward the end of the second quarter. About all I remember is Roderick running circles around the Navy defenders. Some of my fraternity brothers had smuggled in a fair amount of booze and many were drunk by the time the game was over.

Heh, good to see you are least consistent, you didn't trust SMU football all the way back to the early sixties!

I kid, wish I could have seen that game live. Glad you and Mrs. G got to catch most of it.

by **SoCal_Pony** » Sat Jul 15, 2023 12:06 am

Yes, thanks for sharing, BUS

pretty funny to think that when many of us were kids, we might have been sitting next to each other at the Humble Oil Theater at Fair Park

I always went, i always stayed for awhile

by **PlanoStang** » Sat Jul 15, 2023 7:24 am

I (SMU 76) listened to the game with my Dad (SMU 50 NAVY pilot WWII) on the radio. Kern Tipps did the play by play I think. First time I’ve seen the video. Dad was obviously pulling for SMU, but joking that he couldn’t lose this game. Thanks for posting!

A few weeks later we drove to the Cotton Bowl from east Texas, and my brothers and I saw our first SMU game. SMU 14 Arkansas 7

by **mustang1108** » Sat Jul 15, 2023 8:34 am

This was very cool to watch and see highlights from the famous 1963 gave against Navy. This game was before my time as I started attending games in the early 90s as a kid. I had heard many stories about this game from my grandfather because not only did he love SMU, but as a die hard Dallas Cowboy fan it featured his all-time favorite player, Roger Staubach. One thing that stood out to me was seeing a fullback with the #37. I am not sure when Doak's #37 was officially retired, but for as long as I can remember I can't think of there ever being a #37 on the field or even seeing a picture of it on someone besides Doak.

by **Charleston Pony** » Sat Jul 15, 2023 8:53 am

Thanks for posting this, BUS. Our family moved to Dallas in 1959 and lived in the same neighborhood as both Hayden Fry & Tom Landry. My brothers & I were close in age to Hayden's kids Randy & Zach and we played ball together but never attended SMU games. We were big Cowboys fans as Dad could buy an end zone seat in the Cotton Bowl and bring 5 kids free so games were always an event for us. The Cowboys were competing with the Dallas Texans for fans so they marketed aggressively in those days. SMU football wasn't on my radar until the Cotton Bowl game vs Georgia but I would listen to all the SMU basketball radio broadcasts. Have to admit I never set foot on campus or attended a SMU game until my FR year in 1970.

by **SMUstang** » Sat Jul 15, 2023 9:53 am

Got out of the Army in '62 and returned to SMU in the fall of '63. I remember seeing this game in person. Great game against a ranked team and a heisman trophy winning quarterback. Good memories. The only two Navy losses that year were SMU and Texas, both in the Cotton Bowl. Go figure.

by **masterbeater** » Sat Jul 15, 2023 6:23 pm

The '63 Navy-SMU game was my first game as the Mustang Band freshman bass drummer (AKA Master Beater). The game was on the Friday night before the Texas-OU game during the State Fair and the trailer bringing band gear to the Cotton Bowl, including the bass drum, was stuck in traffic and not at the stadium in time for the pre-game show. So, the director, Dr. Dreibrodt and I, hats in hand, had to go over to the Navy band and ask to borrow their bass drum. Amid snickers, no doubt amplified by the fact that Navy was the overwhelming favorite with Roger Staubach as their QB, I used the Navy bass drum and the show went on. Needless to say it was sweet when SMU won the game with the last second defensive stand. Go Ponies!

by **EastStang** » Sun Jul 16, 2023 8:54 am

Having gone to law school at William & Mary, they played in the Oyster Bowl in Norfolk. I was surprised to see SMU played Navy in 1960 in the Oyster Bowl. We have a long history with the Middies.