The 1949 College All-Star Game
This
year marked the beginning of All-Star players returning to the game as
nationally renowned coaches. University of Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson
had played in the All-Star game in 1937 when Slingin’ Sammy Baugh
electrified the crowd with his aerial genius as the All-Stars defeated
the Green Bay Packers. Wilkinson’s 1949 team had a number of players who
became household names in the game such as Norm Van Brocklin of Oregon,
Frank Tripucka of Notre Dame, Chuck Bednarik of Pennsylvania and Al
DeRogatis of Duke. Notre Dame’s William Fischer was voted the All-Star’s
Most Valuable Player. They were expected to show superiority with their
passing but unfortunately the score would prove to be the
most
lopsided in the game’s history (equaled in 1966 by the Green Bay
Packers) as the Philadelphia Eagles won 38-0.
The Eagles great running back, Steve Van Buren began the scoring with a
1-yard run in the second quarter to which Cliff Patton added an extra
point. Patton would add four more extra points during the evening and a
14-yard field goal. Pete Pihos recovered a blocked punt on the All-Star
22-yard line and on the third play from scrimmage, Russ Craft ran 4
yards for the score. Earl “Greasy” Neale’s Eagles led at half time 17-0.
Scoring for the Eagles continued in the third quarter with a Tommy
Thompson TD pass to Pihos in the endzone. Philadelphia didn’t let up in
the fourth with a 4-yard plunge by Noble Doss and a 13-yard TD pass from
Bill Mackrides to Neill Armstrong. Having smothered the All-Stars, the
Eagles brought the series record to 9 wins for the pros, 5 wins for the
collegians with 2 ties between them.