Harold Griffin (American football)

Last updated

Harold Griffin
Florida Gators
Position Halfback
Personal information
Born:c. 1929
Weight165 lb (75 kg)
Career history
College Florida (1946–1949)
High school Hillsborough (Tampa, FL)
Career highlights and awards

Harold Griffin (born c. 1929) is a former American football player. He played college football as a back for the Florida Gators football team. He led the NCAA major college players in 1946 with an average of 20.1 yards per punt return and set an unofficial national collegiate record with an average of 26.7 yards per return in 1947.

Contents

Early years

Griffin grew up in Tampa, Florida, and attended Hillsborough High School where he was selected as an All-Southern high school player in 1945. [1] [2] [3]

University of Florida

Griffin enrolled at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, after first enrolling at Auburn University. [4] He shared the Gators' backfield with Chuck Hunsinger from 1946 to 1949. [5] [6] As a freshman in 1946, he led all NCAA major college players with an average of 20.1 yards per punt return. [7] On October 19, 1946, he returned a punt 98 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown in Florida's homecoming game against Miami. [8] [9] He returned another punt 87 yards during the 1946 season, [10] and on November 23, 1946, he ran 73 yards for Florida's only touchdown against NC State. [11]

As a sophomore in 1947, Griffin reportedly set a new national record with an average of 26.7 yards per punt return, including returns of 67 and 90 yards. [12] On November 14, 1947, he also returned a punt 46 yards with two minutes remaining in the game to set up the Gators' tying touchdown against Tulane. [13] On October 1, 1949, he returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown in a victory over Tulsa. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

Peter L. Warrick is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football at Florida State University, and was recognized a consensus All-American twice. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals fourth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Bengals and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL, and the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League (IFL).

Devin Hester American football player (born 1982)

Devin Devorris Hester Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely regarded as the greatest return specialist in NFL history, and was the first and only person to return the opening kick of the Super Bowl back for a touchdown. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Miami, where he was the first player in the university's recent history to play in all three phases of American football: offense, defense and special teams. In addition to Chicago, Hester also played for the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks over his 11-season NFL career.

Wes Chandler American football player (born 1956)

Wesley Sandy Chandler is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and ranked twelfth in NFL history in receiving yards and thirteenth in receptions when he retired. Chandler is a member of the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame. He played college football for the Florida Gators and was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Ingle Martin American football player (born 1982)

Harry Ingle Martin IV is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the late 2000s. Martin played college football for the University of Florida and Furman University, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos of the NFL and the New York Sentinels of the United Football League (UFL). Martin is currently the head football coach for Christ Presbyterian Academy, a private preparatory school in Nashville, Tennessee.

Max McGee American football player (1932–2007)

William Max McGee was a professional football player, a wide receiver and punter for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL. He played from 1954 to 1967, and is best known for his seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns, scoring the first touchdown, in the first Super Bowl in 1967.

1958 LSU Tigers football team American college football season

The 1958 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University (LSU) in American football during the 1958 NCAA University Division football season. After finishing the season with a 10–0 record the team was named national champion by the Associated Press (AP) and the Coaches Poll (UPI).

2008 Florida Gators football team American college football season

The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida, campus. They were led by fourth-year head coach Urban Meyer.

Louis Oliver, III is an American former college and professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Oliver played college football for the University of Florida, and was twice recognized as an All-American. He was a first-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL.

Kevin Ray Williams, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at the University of Miami.

1929 Florida Gators football team American college football season

The 1929 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1929 college football season. The season was Charlie Bachman's second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Bachman's 1929 Florida Gators finished with an overall record of 8–2, and a conference record of 6–1, placing fourth of twenty-three conference teams.

The 1946 Florida Gators football team was an American football team that represented the University of Florida in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1946 college football season. In their first season under head coach Raymond Wolf, the Gators compiled a 0–9 record, finished last in the SEC, and were outscored by a total of 264 to 104.

The 1958 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1958 NCAA University Division football season. The season was the ninth of ten for Bob Woodruff as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Woodruff's 1958 Florida Gators finished with an overall record of 6–4–1 and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 2–3–1, placing eighth in the twelve-member SEC.

The 1971 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. The season was Doug Dickey's second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Dickey's 1971 Florida Gators finished with a 4–7 overall record and a 1–6 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), tying for eighth among ten SEC teams.

1984 Florida Gators football team American college football season

The 1984 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. The campaign was Charley Pell's sixth and last as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team, as he was forced to resign three games into the season after the release of an NCAA report detailing numerous recruiting and other rules violations committed during his tenure at Florida. Offensive coordinator Galen Hall had been hired the previous summer and was not implicated in the scandal, so he was named interim head coach.

The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season undefeated with a record of 13–0 and as National Champions. The team was noted especially for its strong defense, which led the nation in fewest points allowed and, in a strong bowl game performance, prevented defending national champion Miami from scoring an offensive touchdown.

The 2002 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Virginia Tech Hokies, The 57th edition of the Gator Bowl, it was played at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 1, 2002. The game was the final contest of the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 30–17 victory for Florida State.

Hagood Clarke, III is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive back in the American Football League (AFL) for five seasons during the 1960s. Clarke played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Buffalo Bills of the AFL.

Javier Arenas (American football) American football player (born 1987)

Javier E. Arenas is a former American football cornerback. Arenas played college football for the University of Alabama, earned consensus All-American honors, and was a member of a BCS National Championship team. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Buffalo Bills of the NFL. Arenas also had a brief stint with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League.

The 1946 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football. The team was led by Jim Tatum in his first and only season as head coach and compiled an 8–3 record and a share of the Big Six Conference championship. Along with first-year backfield coach Bud Wilkinson, who became the head coach himself the following year, Tatum installed the new split-T offense.

Jacoby Ford American gridiron football player (born 1987)

Jacoby Ford is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was also an accomplished track and field athlete. He played college football as a wide receiver and return specialist for the Clemson Tigers at Clemson University, where he competed in sprinting events. During his stint in the NFL, Ford was widely regarded as one of the fastest players in the league. He has one of the top 100 meter times by NFL players.

References

  1. ↑ "All-Southern Prep". Kingsport (Tenn.) Times-News. December 23, 1946. p. 6.
  2. ↑ "Two Tampa Football Players Awarded Berths On All-Southern Prep Squad". The Palm Beach Post. December 23, 1945.
  3. ↑ "All Big-Ten". The Evening Independent. December 15, 1945.
  4. ↑ "Hillsborouh Grid Star Changes Mind". The Palm Beach Post. April 20, 1946.
  5. ↑ "Gators Entrain For Tilt With Tulane". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. October 4, 1946.
  6. ↑ "Gators To Start Secret Practices". The Evening Independent. September 1947.
  7. ↑ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. 2015. p. 72.
  8. ↑ "Miami Comes From Behind To Defeat Florida, 20-13". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. October 20, 1946. p. 11.
  9. ↑ "State '11' Held Lead At Half". The Palm Beach Post. October 20, 1946.
  10. ↑ "Dangerous Anywhere". The Monroe News-Star. September 26, 1947. p. 13.
  11. ↑ "Florida Gators Lose To Wolfpack". Cumberland Sunday Times. November 24, 1946. p. 30.
  12. ↑ "Net Returns". Council Bluffs (Iowa) Nonpareil. October 10, 1948. p. 37.(Note: The NCAA does not recognize Griffin's 26.7 yard average in 1947, presumably because he did not have enough returns. The NCAA record book recognizes Gene Derricotte as the 1947 with an average of 24.8 yard per punt return in 1947.)
  13. ↑ "Tulane, Florida Scrap To Tie In Action-Packed Game". Monroe Morning World. November 16, 1947. p. 10.
  14. ↑ "Florida Dumps Tulsans, 40-7". Miami (Okla.) Daily News-Record. October 2, 1949. p. 5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.