Vanderbilt Commodores–No. 6; 23 | |
---|---|
Position | End, Fullback, punter |
Class | Graduate |
Personal information | |
Born: | Crowley, Louisiana, U.S. |
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
Career history | |
College | Vanderbilt (1920–1921; 1923–1924) |
High school | Central (Houston) |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Thomas Francis Ryan was a college football and basketball player.
Ryan was a prominent end and fullback and punter for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores football team of the Vanderbilt University from 1920 to 1921 and 1923 to 1924. He was also a guard on the basketball team, selected All-Southern by some writers in 1922. [1]
In a 34–0 victory over Middle Tennessee State Normal, The Commodore, Vanderbilt's yearbook, reported the lone plus of the passing game, stating "Practically the only thing of note was the aerial efficiency—Kuhn to Ryan and Kuhn to McCullough." The Commodores upset the Texas Longhorns 20–0. On a third down, at some point near the middle of the second quarter, Texas' Ivan Robertson, with the Commodores' Tom Ryan and Tex Bradford running after him, threw a pass not near a single Longhorn; which was intercepted by Vanderbilt's captain Pink Wade. Wade returned the interception for 65 yards and the first touchdown of the game. [2] In the effective Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) championship game, Vanderbilt tied the favored Georgia Bulldogs in the final quarter using a trick onside punt kicked by Ryan. [3] Ryan lined up to punt. Rupert Smith sneaked in behind Ryan, and rushed to recover the 25-yard onside kick. Smith jumped up to get the ball off the bounce among a hoard of Bulldogs, after they had let it bounce, [4] including the outstretched arms of the Bulldogs' Hartley, and raced for a 15-yard touchdown. [5] Vanderbilt therefore tied for a conference title. Ryan was on Walter Camp's list of all players worthy of mention. [6]
Ryan did not return for the 1922 season, preferring to stay an adjunct of the oil industry in Tampico, Mexico. [7]
The school's last football conference title to date came in 1923. In the 3–0 loss to national champion Michigan, Ryan had a fine game, out-punting the famed Harry Kipke. [8]
Vanderbilt beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta for the first time since 1906 on a Hek Wakefield drop kick. The punting battle between Doug Wycoff and Ryan was one of the few noted features of the game. [9] The first touchdown drive of the 16–0 win over Minnesota ended when Ryan broke through a hole created by Bob Rives, finishing a 63-yard march. [10] Ryan was selected All-Southern by his teammates. [11]
Robert Lynn Bomar was an American football end in the National Football League (NFL). Bomar played college football, basketball and baseball for Vanderbilt University, following coach Wallace Wade and classmate Hek Wakefield there from prep school, and was a unanimous 1922 All-Southern selection and a consensus 1923 All-American selection in football. The latter season included a first-team All-American selection by Walter Camp, rare for a player in the South. A paralyzing injury ended Bomar's college career, but he quickly recovered and sat on the bench for all of his team's games. He played for the New York Giants in 1925 and 1926, retiring abruptly after a separate injury. Bomar was nicknamed "the Blonde Bear".
Jesse Claiborne Neely was an American football player, a baseball and football coach. He was head football coach at Southwestern University from 1924 to 1927, at Clemson University from 1931 to 1939 and at Rice University from 1940 to 1966, compiling a career college football record of 207–176–19. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1971.
The 1921 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia during the 1921 college football season. This was the team's second season under the guidance of head coach Herman Stegeman. The Bulldogs had a 7–2–1 record, and were also co-champion of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association: co-champions Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt were also undefeated. Vanderbilt tied Georgia with an onside kick in their game which decided conference title. The Bulldogs' only two losses came against two of the football powerhouses of the day, Eastern schools Harvard and Dartmouth.
The 1922 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1922 Southern Conference football season. During the season, Dan McGugin's 18th as head coach, Vanderbilt compiled a record of 8–0–1 and outscored its opponents 177 to 16. The Commodores' defense was unrivaled in the South, leading the nation in giving up just 1.8 points per game, none of them at home. The season included a tie with Michigan at the dedication of the new Dudley Field; the first stadium in the South to be used exclusively for college football. The season was immediately dubbed one of the best in Vanderbilt and Southern football history.
The 1906 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1906 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his third season in that capacity. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Commodores played seven home games in Nashville, Tennessee at Curry Field, and finished the season with a record of 8–1 overall and 5–0 in SIAA.
The Tennessee–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores. They are both founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt and Tennessee have played 117 times since 1892. Tennessee leads the all-time series 78–33–5.
The 1921 Vanderbilt Commodores football team was an American football team representing Vanderbilt University during the 1921 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. It was Dan McGugin's 17th season as head coach, and Wallace Wade's first season as assistant coach. Vanderbilt outscored its opponents 161–21 for a record of 7–0–1 and a share of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) championship. The team's leading scorer was halfback Rupert Smith and its captain was "Pink" Wade, father of future Vanderbilt star Bill Wade. The Commodores played their home games at Dudley Field.
The 1923 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the sport of college football during the 1923 Southern Conference football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his 19th year in that capacity. The Commodores played six home games at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt finished the season with a record of 5–2–1 overall and 3–0–1 in SoCon play, outscoring opponents 137–33. The team suffered its losses to the national champion Michigan Wolverines and the undefeated Texas Longhorns.
The 1920 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1920 college football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his 16th season in that capacity. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Commodores played five home games in Nashville, Tennessee, and finished the season with a record 4–3–1 and 3–3 in the SIAA. The Commodores outscored their opponents, 134–124.
The Georgia–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and currently members of the SEC's Eastern Division with a total of 83 meetings. This rivalry is both Georgia and Vanderbilt's fourth longest football rivalry. Georgia leads the series 61–20–2.
The 1924 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1924 Southern Conference football season. The 1924 season was Dan McGugin's 20th year as head coach. Members of the Southern Conference, the Commodores played six home games in Nashville, Tennessee, at Dudley Field and finished the season with a record of 6–3–1. Vanderbilt outscored its opponents 150–53. Fred Russell's Fifty Years of Vanderbilt Football dubs it "the most eventful season in the history of Vanderbilt football."
The Sewanee–Vanderbilt football rivalry was an American college football rivalry between the Sewanee Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores. They were both founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Southern Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Both teams' histories feature some powerhouses of early Southern football, e.g. 1899 Sewanee Tigers football team and 1906 Vanderbilt Commodores football team. It was the oldest of Vanderbilt's rivalries; dating back to 1891 when Vanderbilt played its second ever football game and Sewanee played its first. Vanderbilt leads the series 40–8–4. It used to be claimed as the oldest rivalry in the south, older than the "South's Oldest Rivalry" between North Carolina and Virginia. Usually played towards the end of the season on Thanksgiving Day, the two teams have not met again since 1944.
Henry Smith "Hek" Wakefield was an American college football player and coach. He played fullback and end for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University from 1921 to 1924, receiving the honor of consensus All-American in his senior year. He was considered the greatest drop kicker in school history.
Oliver Wall Kuhn, nicknamed "Doc Kuhn", was an American football, baseball and basketball player for the Vanderbilt University Commodores and later a prominent businessman of Tampa, Florida. As a college football quarterback, Kuhn led Vanderbilt to three consecutive Southern titles in 1921, 1922, and 1923 – the most-recent conference titles for Vanderbilt football. In 1922, Vanderbilt tied Michigan at the dedication of Dudley Field, and Kuhn was picked for Walter Camp's list of names worthy of mention and Billy Evans' All-America "National Honor Roll."
David Argillus "Gil" Reese nicknamed "the Tupelo Flash" was an American football, basketball, and baseball player for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. He was captain of all three his senior year, the first to do so at Vanderbilt. Gil was the brother of baseball player Andy Reese, playing with him on the Florence Independents in Alabama.
Rupert McAdoo "Rupe" Smith was an American football and baseball player from Tennessee. Smith was the leading scorer on Dan McGugin's 1921 Vanderbilt Commodores football team which shared a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) title, and was retroactively selected for a national title by Clyde Berryman. Smith had previously played for the Middle Tennessee State football team.
Francis Kennedy "Scotty" Neill was an American football and baseball player for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. He won the Bachelor of Ugliness in 1922, Vanderbilt's highest honor for a male undergraduate. Neill was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity, and graduated with an M. D. in 1925.
William James "Pink" Wade was an American football player for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. Wade was the captain of the 1921 SIAA champion Vanderbilt football team. He was the father of quarterback Bill Wade.
The 1922 Michigan vs. Vanderbilt football game, played October 14, 1922, was a college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and Vanderbilt Commodores. The game ended as a scoreless tie. It was the inaugural game at Dudley Field, the first dedicated football stadium in the South.
The Georgia Tech–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Vanderbilt Commodores. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Southern Conference (SoCon), and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). Georgia Tech leads the series all time 20–15–3.