The 1937 College All-Star Game
After
a day of intermittent rain showers, the weather had become sticky and
hot as the College All-Stars and the Green Bay Packers with coach Earl
“Curly” Lambeau met for the fourth annual renewal of the classic. The
crowd of spectators numbered 86,560, probably more than would attend any
other event that year. On that evening, August 31, 1937, Slingin’ Sammy
Baugh of Texas Christian University showed he was “all of the football
player anybody ever said he was…” as was stated in one newspaper
account. The College All-Stars were able to defeat the professionals for
the first time due in part to Baugh’s abilities and their coach Charles
E. (Gus) Dorais of Detroit University.With Dorais’ “directing genius” and a quick
kick by Baugh in the first quarter, the All-Stars gained the momentum
and field position they would need to score. After the Packers
possession and resulting punt to the All-Stars’ 48-yard line, Baugh
called two running plays and then electrified the huge crowd with a
20-yard pass to Gaynell Tinsley of Louisiana State University. Tinsley
caught the ball 28 yards from the Packers’ goal and raced for the
touchdown (the extra point was missed). Baugh held together an airtight
defense, which kept the Packers from even threatening to score. With
Arnie Herber at quarterback for the Packers and George Sauer and Joe
Laws running, their only real chance at scoring fell apart at the
three-yard line in the second quarter. The All-Stars were able to turn
back three drives by the professionals in one of the most thrilling
games of the series.
Samuel Adrian Baugh not only passed
his
team to victory, but also intercepted twice and punted beautifully.
Green Bay did fare better statistically than their a
mateur opponents,
gaining 298 total yards to the All-Stars’ 180 yards total offense. Arnie
Herber passed for 202 yards on 14 throws while Baugh completed 7 of 13
passes for 115 yards. The Packers had 17 first downs to the All-Stars 8,
but it was Baugh’s “riflelike pass” for the touchdown that thrilled the
spectators most. The pass gave the game its only score and assured Gus
Dorais and the All-Stars a 6-0 win. It was a fitting debut of Baugh as
he would rewrite the NFL record books in an all-pro career for the
Washington Redskins.