Today's Tidbit... Six Players To Watch In 1954

Comparing preseason predictions to the end-of-season outcomes is always fun. It can also be educational when looking back in time, such as the 1954 season since most of us have little awareness of a season played almost seventy years ago.

So, here's a page from a promotional booklet with background information and the schedules for about 200 college teams. The booklet's writers looked at the 1952 and 1953 seasons to identify 6 Players To Watch for 1954. Nearly seven decades later, we can check their prognostications based on individual player statistics, the team record, NFL draft position, and Heisman Trophy votes.

1954 Rockwood Co. Football Schedule

Don King set Clemson's game rushing record for freshmen versus Fordham in 1951 by gaining 234 yards as a Single-Wing tailback. He became a T-formation quarterback his sophomore season when college football returned to the single platoon game. In addition to leading the team in passing four straight years, he was named second-team All-ACC in 1953 and 1954. However, perhaps the top collegiate achievement for the undrafted King was winning the Boston Globe's "Swede" Nelson Sportsmanship Award in 1953. He earned the award by instructing his team to avoid tackling the Wake Forest quarterback low after the QB injured his knee early in their game.