 Sherman Democrat
July 4, 1976 "America Always Edition" Section D, pg.12 KANGAROOS PRODUCE OUTSTANDING ATHLETES Austin College launched its intercollegiate athletic program rather unimpressively in 1896 when Texas A&M beat the Kangaroos 22-4 in a one-game football season. Since that time, however, Austin College and its athletes have notched significant marks in the history of sports in the Southwest. Former Kangaroo Cecil Griggs, late Rice coach, was the quarterback who, with Jim Thorpe, led Canton Bulldogs in the early days of pro football. Charlie Robertson was a student at Austin College when he joined the Chicago White Sox in the early 1920s and pitched one of baseball's first perfect games. The same Eddie Dyer who coached the Kangaroos in the mid-1920s managed the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series championship in 1946. Willie Joe Carter starred with the Kangaroos in the 1930s and later was all pro twice with the Philadelphia Eagles. As a rookie in 1957, Gene Babb was a starter in the 49ers backfield with Y.A. Tittle, Joe Perry, and Hugh McIlhenny. Bo Mill, a 1961 AC graduate, was recently named to the NAIA Football Hall of Honor for his quarterbacking feats as an All-American for the Kangaroos in 1959 and 1960. Athletics have always been an important part of Austin College from the days when the Kangaroos beat Southwest Conference champion Baylor in 1924 to current times when the swimming tean won the NAIA District 8 title for the third time in 1976. Since 1896, the Kangaroos have participated in intercollegiate sport each year except during World War II, and the program has grown to include football, basketball, swimming, baseball, track, tennis, golf and soccer for men, and swimming, tennis and softball for women. The biggest change in the history of Austin College athletics came in 1954 when, after an intensive study, the doors were shut on big time, big business athletics. The college's non-subsidized program was initiated at that time. Students are no longer given scholarships based on athletic ability, rather solely on financial need. Austin College President Dr. John D. Mosely was convinced that the strictly amateur type of intercollegiate sports was the proper approach to take for a well-rounded program and his long-time dream was realized in May 1976, with the formation of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a non-scholarship, fully coeducational conference. Under the current program Austin College has twice sent basketball teams to the NAIA national tournament, played in a post-season football bowl game, twice had individuals with the small college total offence championships in football, had three All-American mentions in basketball, once had the nation's individual passing leader and twice had receivers finish in the nation's top ten. Kangaroos have signed professional contracts with the NFL, twice finished among the top 10 in team passing, set a national record for interceptions by one player in a season, led the nation in team interceptions, and set five national, individual and team records for a single game. More than 15 years ago, the Kangaroos began playing football on an indpendent basis although the team holds membership in both the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. DOUGHBOYS GIVE NAME FOR AC'S 'KANGAROOS' No one really known exactly why Austin College athletic teams are called Kangaroos but Dr. Edward Phillips, professor of history, says the name goes back a long time. "It probably goes back to the military training days," Phillips said. In 1917 a military student training corps was established on campus. "They had a system of discipline called Kangaroo Kourt," Phillips said, "and it was sometimes very rowdy. This probably led to named the athletic teams Kangaroos." Austin College is one of only two colleges in the U.S. with a Kangaroo nickname. The other is the University of Missouri at Kansas City.  Austin College History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |