Updated with Postscript 8/19/2015
Linfielder Dennis Anderson, Class of 1958, is quoted in a newly-published (June 2015) about the San Francisco 49ers NFL team. The book, by Dave Newhouse, is "Founding 49ers "The Dark Days Before the Dynasty" from Black Squirrel Books, a trade imprint of The Kent State University Press of Ohio.
Linfielder Dennis Anderson, Class of 1958, is quoted in a newly-published (June 2015) about the San Francisco 49ers NFL team. The book, by Dave Newhouse, is "Founding 49ers "The Dark Days Before the Dynasty" from Black Squirrel Books, a trade imprint of The Kent State University Press of Ohio.
A 49er of fame is R. C. Owens, who played football and
basketball (with Elgin Baylor, who later transferred to Seattle University) at
the College of Idaho (C of I) in Caldwell, Idaho. The Idaho college was a Northwest Conference
football power in the early 1950s.
Owens played for San Francisco, 1957-1961. He is known as
the receiver on the 49ers famous "Alley Oop" play where its quarterback
lofts the ball high and Owens jumps and catches it. The play came into being
when Owens played for C of I in McMinnville against Linfield. Here's what
the book says:
=Owens was a great leaper who would lift pro football,
literally, to new heights. In a preseason game in Seattle against the Chicago
Cardinals, Y.A. Tittle heaved a wild pass into the end zone. Owens soared high
and caught it for a touchdown. Something new was happening, but it wasn't yet
exactly clear.
=But, the NFL, and perhaps the 49ers, didn't know that
Owens already was dunking the football in college. In 1954, he pulled out a
20-18 come-from-behind victory over Linfield College of Oregon with two
touchdown catches plucked above the defensive backs. Dennis Anderson, a
Linfield player and future journalist, watched agog from the sideline. "I
thought the quarterback had put up a duck, but Owens jumped high, reached down
over the defender and took the ball away for a touchdown," said Anderson.
"I hadn't ever seen that done before, and I didn't see it done again until
he played for the 49ers."
Anderson, who lives in McMinnville, has his own
football-related fame. It came in 1986 working in the
Linfield Athletic Dept. as a volunteer. Through his research, The Streak of
Linfield football was discovered. See link to 2001 LA Times article below for info.
Speaking of The Streak. It's at 59 seasons. A winning season in 2015 will make it an even 60.
Speaking of The Streak. It's at 59 seasons. A winning season in 2015 will make it an even 60.
Sources:
--Kent State University Press
--Star
athlete R.C. Owens and The College of Idaho lift each other to new heights
--R.C.
Owens dies at 77; 49ers 'alley oop' receiver LA Times June 24, 2012
--Northwest Conference football champions
1952 C of I, Pacific
1953 C of I
1954 WU, C of I, L&C
1955 L&C, C of I
--A Small College With a Mean Streak LA Times
Sept 27, 2001
http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/27/sports/sp-50428Postscript ---
Paul Durham, Linfield athletic director and football coach, was sports editor and "Dodging with Durham" sports columnist of the McMinnville N-R/News-Register for many years, including the winter of 1954-1955. He was known as a writer, not only for the newspaper but also for the Linfield Athletic Department newsletter. But, he also knew how to promote athletics.
Durham’s N-R story said the Jan. 17 game was seen by an “overflow crowd that swarmed the Linfield gym” to see Baylor, a freshman, who scored 27 points and had 27 rebounds, “only seven short of the total compiled by the entire Linfield team.”
In Durham’s Jan. 24, 1955, “Dodging with Durham” column, he wrote that Owens is “suffering from a fouled up left shoulder, which he hurt in trying to tackle Lewis and Clark’s (Caley) Cook in their football game this fall. The arm comes out of its socket rather easily and has to be put back in. The injury is painful but hurts less the more often it happens. Fans” including Anderson “at the Linfield–C of I basketball game in McMinnville last week, saw Owens take time out to have his coach put the arm back in place after it was dislocated in a backboard scramble. An operation can correct the problem. Linfield boys who have had operations of that type in recent years are Tom Barrett and Vern Marshall.
"Doctors say that after the operation the shoulder is stronger than ever since the ligaments and muscles are shortened and the arm can’t slip out of place again. There is a slight constriction of the use of the arm, however as far as full reaching is concerned.”
(Baylor went on to star in the NBA for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers and is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.)
Oh, about Durham knowing how to promote athletics. His promotional genius was on display on a N-R sports page in its Monday, Jan. 17, 1955, edition. Below is the photo and cutline with the photo. Durham came up with the springs idea, borrowed the springs, wrote the cutline and took the photo.
The photo was taken inside Davison Auto Parts in McMinnville. Note the NAPA auto parts signage (NAPA/ National Automotive Parts Association, Assurance of Quality) in the upper right hand corner of the photo and the cans of motor oil in the photo’s lower right hand corner.
Cutline:
=DOESN’T REALLY NEED ‘EM -- Standing on a couple of truck springs provided by Dave Davison of Davison Auto Parts is College of Idaho’s great basketball performer R.C. Owens. Checking to see if Owens is using the springs to advantage is 6-6 Elgin Baylor, the phenomenal freshman who is getting national recognition for his shooting and rebounding ability. These two lads will use the springs in their own legs tonight on the Linfield court when they lead the Coyotes into battle against the Wildcats. (News-Register Pix 4681)=
Did you know?
In the 1949-1952 seasons, Helser and Durham were Linfield men’s basketball co-coaches. In the 1952-1961 seasons, Helser had the job on his own before Ted Wilson became coach starting with the 1961-1962 season.
Wilson coached Linfield in the 1965-1966 season, until he had a heart attack in late February 1966. Helser took over and coached the Wildcats the remainder of the season. The remainder included four NWC season-ending games (all wins) , the NAIA District 2 playoffs (131-83 and 74-49 wins over Bob Quinn-coached EOC/Eastern Oregon College in a best of three series) and a game (95-81 loss) in Kansas City, Mo., in the 24th annual NAIA national basketball tourney vs. Lakeland (Wisc.) Muskies.
By the way, when Wilson was an EOC student-athlete, Quinn was his basketball coach.
