I am still “young” enough to think of these guys as “old-timers,” and I remember watching them with my Grandpa (Groat) and my Dad (both Groat and McIlhenny). Dad and Grandpa held these men in high esteem!
Don McIlhenny was an early Dallas Cowboy, and my Dad was immediately drawn to him, because Southland Athletic had an association with the Cowboys. This running back played NFL seasons also with San Francisco, Green Bay, and Detroit—a total career that spanned 64 games. I was about six years old when he was a rookie and ten when he played in the Cotton Bowl.
He is probably best remembered in our area, because he was the very first Cowboy to score a RUSHING TOUCHDOWN, and he was the second leading Dallas rusher that inaugural season (1960).
He is also known in this area, because his son, Lance McIlhenny, followed in his Dad’s footsteps and played his college ball at Sothern Methodist University— SMU—and led them to 34 victories, 5 losses, and 1 tie in games he “started.” When he played for SMU, they were considered “big time.” (1980s) Mr. McIlhenny also had a son, Lott, who played football at SMU.
DON McILHENNY: 1934—2023, passed on peacefully at age 88.
Dick Groat was a two-sport professional “star”—known in the 1950s as a “slick infielder” and a “lightning quick guard.” He was “All-American” in both basketball and baseball while at Duke University in the early ‘50s, and his jersey has been long retired there. He remains to this day their 2nd all-time leading scorer!
Groat attempted something very rare—playing professional basketball and baseball during the same year—and he accomplished this feat with Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates and the National Basketball Association’s Fort Wayne Pistons. He is only one of 13 players to be a “double player” of this type!
Apparently, basketball was what Groat liked the most and considered it “fun,” while he mentioned baseball as “work.”
With an ultimatum to choose one or the other (from Branch Rickey of Pittsburgh) while he was splitting time between the two teams, Groat distanced himself from baseball (reluctantly) and chose the career that viewed him as a “star” for 14 years—San Francisco, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh (his 1st and most spectacular). He was an “all-star” five seasons!
Note: He missed two seasons due to service in the military.
The 1960 season was his GREATEST, in my (and most experts) opinion, when his batting average was .325, he was chosen National League Most Valuable Player, and he led the Pirates to a great upset victory of the heavily favored New York Yankees in 1960’s World Series.
DICK GROAT: 1930— 2023…..two-times World Series Champion (’60 and ’64) and played in 8 All-Star Games.
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