Rollins Tars football

Last updated
Rollins Tars
First season1904
Last season1949
Location Winter Park, Florida
Past conferences Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1925–1942)
Conference titles1 SIAA
ColorsBlue, White, and Yellow
     

The Rollins Tars football team represented Rollins College in the sport of college football. They first completed in 1904, [1] and last competed in 1949. [2] [1]

Contents

History

The 1908 team claims a state championship, and the 1940 team won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. Jack McDowall was a prominent athletic director. [3] [4]

1947 homecoming controversy

During the 1947 college football season, Rollins was scheduled to have their homecoming game on November 28 at Orlando Stadium against Ohio Wesleyan (OWU). [5] OWU's team included an African American player, Kenneth Woodward. In this era, there was concern that "a black player on the field would create a firestorm in the Deep South." [5] Trustees at OWU— including Branch Rickey, who played a key role in breaking the baseball color line by signing Jackie Robinson—supported Woodward playing the game. [5] However, the Rollins board of trustees wanted to cancel the game, which was the action taken following a vote of the Rollins student council on November 24. [5] Contemporary newspapers reported that Rollins had "no objections whatsoever" to playing the game, but had canceled the game after "consulting leading white and negro residents" in their area. [6] In addressing students and faculty, Rollins president Hamilton Holt stated: [5]

May I say this to you students; you will probably have critical decisions like this to make as you go through life—decisions that whatever you do, you will be misinterpreted, misunderstood, and reviled….It seemed to all of us that our loyalties to Rollins and its ideals were not to precipitate a crisis that might and probably would promote bad race relations, but to work quietly for better race relations, hoping and believing that time would be on our side.

Two years later, the 1949 Sun Bowl controversy saw Lafayette College of Pennsylvania decline an invitation to a bowl game in El Paso, Texas, when an African American player on their team would not have been allowed to play.

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The 1930 Rollins Tars football team was an American football team that represented Rollins College as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1930 college football season. Led by Jack McDowall in his second season as head coach, the Tars compiled an overall record of 2–1–3.

The 1939 Rollins Tars football team was an American football team that represented Rollins College as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1939 college football season. In their 11th years under head coach Jack McDowall, the Tars compiled an 8–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 239 to 42.

The 1941 Rollins Tars football team was an American football team that represented Rollins College as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1941 college football season. In their 13th season under head coach Jack McDowall, the Tars compiled a 5–2–1 record, shut out five of eight opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 164 to 41.

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The 1932 Rollins Tars football team was an American football team that represented Rollins College of Orlando, Florida, as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1932 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Jack McDowall, the Tars compiled a 6–0–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 91 to 39. It was the first undefeated season in Rollins football history. The victory over Miami (FL) was also the first for a Rollins team.

References

  1. 1 2 Mueller, Morgan (March 3, 2016). "Rollins Football: A History". From the Rollins Archives. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  2. ↑ Diaz, George (September 14, 2011). "Rollins football team huddles for first time since 1949". Orlando Sentinel . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Jack McDowall". NC Sports Hall of Fame . Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  4. ↑ "All American Player Is Given Coach Job". Altoona Mirror . July 24, 1929. p. 17. Retrieved March 13, 2015– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Seymour, Mary (Fall 2011). "The Ghosts of Rollins (and Other Skeletons in the Closet): The Football Game That Wasn't". Rollins Magazine. Rollins College. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Rollins Cancels Final Grid Game". Fort Lauderdale Daily News . AP. November 25, 1947. p. 14. Retrieved May 27, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
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