"Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A." | |
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![]() Cover of the 1950 sheet music to "Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A." | |
Song | |
Written | 1950 |
Composer(s) | Ruth Roberts |
Lyricist(s) | Gene Piller, Bill Katz |
Audio sample | |
An excerpt of Winterhalter's 1950 recording of "Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A." |
"Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A." is a sports anthem, novelty song, and jazz march by American songwriter Ruth Roberts. First recorded by Hugo Winterhalter in 1950, it became one of the most frequently heard songs on American radio during that year's college football season. It was later covered by a number of other artists, including Percy Faith and The Crew-Cuts. Lyrically associated with gridiron football, it is a staple in the repertoire of some college and high school marching bands and is particularly associated with the University of Nebraska.
"Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A." is an energetic jazz march composed in 1950 by Ruth Roberts with her husband Gene Piller and long-time collaborator William "Bill" Katz. [1] [2] [lower-alpha 1] It has been described as musically and thematically similar to the 1933 song "You Gotta Be a Football Hero". [1] [2]
The song's lyrics are typical of those of American university fight songs, and communicate what Frank Hoffmann has described as "an adolescent manner of praising the power of the football team". [3] They tell of the athletic exploits of an eponymous, fictional character known by the moniker "Mr. Touchdown" who will unfailingly run touchdowns if given a pigskin. In the bridge, the lyrics recall Mr. Touchdown's triumphs over specific college football teams, such as describing "the day he murdered Minnesota", how he "took Wisconsin's white and red and made it black and blue instead", and declaring that "what he did to Arkansas should happen to your mother-in-law". [4]
Hugo Winterhalter's 1950 recording of the song was released as a single in September 1950, with the album's B side a performance of the patriotic, anti-communist song "The Red We Want is the Red We've Got". [5] In the November 25, 1950 issue of Billboard , "Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A" was listed among the ten most played songs on American radio. [6]
To promote the song's debut, RCA offered a prize of a television set and a silver-plated album of Winterhalter's recording to the college football player who scored the most touchdowns during the 1950 football season; as part of the promotion, albums of "Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A." were sent to sports reporters at American newspapers. [7] The University of Nebraska's Bobby Reynolds ultimately claimed the prize, which was presented to him by Winterhalter in February of 1951. [8] Reynolds, who became best known among Nebraska fans during his legendary 1950 season, has since been described as Mr. Touchdown. [9] [10]
"Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A." was covered by The Crew-Cuts on their 1956 album On the Campus, and by Percy Faith on his 1958 album Touchdown! [11] It was performed during pre-game ceremonies of Super Bowl III in 1969 and is a regular number in the University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band's pregame shows, played between the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "March of the Cornhuskers". [12] [13] It has also been performed by the marching bands of the University of Michigan and other universities and high schools. [14]
In 2020, Yardbarker named "Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A." second on a list of the "25 best songs about sports"; in September 2018, it was named by the Daily Mississippian to its "playlist of the week". [15] [16]
The song is part of the soundtrack to the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds . [15]
Tommie James Frazier Jr. is an American former football player and coach who played quarterback for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
The University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band is the marching band of the University of Nebraska and is part of the Glenn Korff School of Music within the Hixson–Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. The band consists of 300 students from over 60 different academic majors from across the campus. It performs at all home football games, seen by millions of people each year in Memorial Stadium and on television.
Bobby Reynolds was an American football player known among University of Nebraska Cornhuskers fans as "Mr. Touchdown". He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984.
"Hail Varsity" is the fight song of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (NU), written in 1936 by Joyce Ayres and composed the same year by Wilbur Chenoweth. The song is often played at Memorial Stadium during Nebraska's football games by the University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band and at other athletic events by the school's pep band.
The 1900 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska as an independent during the 1900 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Walter C. Booth, the Cornhuskers compiled a record of 6–1–1, excluding two exhibition games. Nebraska played home games at Antelope Field in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1940 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1940 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled an 8–2 record, won the Big Six championship, was ranked No. 7 in the final AP Poll, and lost to Stanford in the 1941 Rose Bowl. The Cornhuskers outscored opponents by a total of 183 to 75. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1911 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska as a member of Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1911 college football season. The team was coached by first-year head coach Ewald O. Stiehm and played its home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1915 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1915 college football season. The team was coached by fifth-year head coach Ewald O. Stiehm and played its home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln, Nebraska. They competed as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. The 1915 season was part of Nebraska's 34-game unbeaten streak that ran from 1912 to 1916.
The 1930 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1930 college football season. In its second season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled a 4–3–2 record, finished fourth in the Big Six, and outscored opponents by a total of 119 to 61. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1931 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1931 college football season. In its third season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled an 8–2 record, won the Big Six championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 136 to 82. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1932 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1932 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled a 7–1–1 record, won the Big Six championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 105 to 52. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1933 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1933 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled an 8–1 record, won the Big Six championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 138 to 19. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1934 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1934 college football season. In its sixth season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled a 6–3 record, finished in second place in the Big Six, and outscored opponents by a total of 106 to 89. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1939 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1939 college football season. In its third season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled a 7–1–1 record, finished second in the Big Six, and was ranked No. 18 in the final AP Poll. The Cornhuskers outscored opponents by a total of 115 to 70. They were also ranked at No. 9 in the 1939 Williamson System ratings, at No. 8 in the Boand System ratings, and at No. 23 in the Litkenhous Ratings.
The 1941 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1941 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled a 4–5 record, tied for second place in the Big Six, and outscored opponents by a total of 93 to 81.
The 1946 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska as a member of the Big Six Conference during the 1946 college football season. In their first year under head coach Bernie Masterson, the Cornhuskers compiled a 3–6 record and were outscored by a total of 161 to 126.
The 1947 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska as a member of the Big Six Conference during the 1947 college football season. Led by Bernie Masterson in his second and final season as head coach, the Cornhuskers compiled an overall record of 2–7 with a mark of 2–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the Big 6.
The 1949 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1949 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Glassford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1950 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1950 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Glassford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1951 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big Seven Conference in the 1951 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Glassford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.