Baseball & Lightweight Football Coach
A Moment Please
Star Athlete and Coach Eric “Red” Tipton 1915-2001: National College Football Hall of Fame also honored at Duke, William and Mary, and Army. One of fifteen College FB Hall of Fame men who also played ML Baseball – in the top half in seasons (7) and games played (501). A star running back and punter at Duke 1936-1938: 25-4-1 team record, two Southern Conference titles..rushed for 1,633 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. Named a First Team or second team All-America
halfback in 1938.
Duke’s 1938 team went undefeated 9-0-0, and remarkably, did not allow a single point during the season! Lost 7-3 to USC in the 1939 Rose Bowl game one of college footballs most historic games. The most memorable performance of Tiptons football career was the final game of the 1938 season – Duke took on #4 Pittsburgh in freezing, snowy conditions. In the 7-0 win, Tipton kept the powerhouse Pitt offense bottled up with 14 punts inside the 20, including seven of them inside the 10.
Chose a career in pro baseball – 7 seasons in the major leagues with the Philadelphia Athletics and Cincinnati Reds- hit .270 with 22 homers and 151 RBIs in 501 career games. “In 1626 career at-bats in the Major Leagues, he struck out only 127 times (about 7.8%). He finished his career with a .270 batting average (the league average during his career was .265), a .360 on-base percentage, 22 home runs, 151 runs batted in, 20 steals (he was never caught stealing), and a .977 fielding percentage.”
Was an assistant football coach at William and Mary and then hired by Army’s Earl ‘Red” Blaik in 1957 as varsity baseball coach and head coach of the new 150-pound Lightweight Football team. In 20 seasons his baseball teams were 234-201-5 with 3 league titles. In Lightweight FB he was 104-14-1 – a .878 winning percentage with 13 league titles – still unmatched or surpassed!
Tipton_2001_career-summary
Tipton_1937_byArtKrenz_SpokaneDailyChronicle_Nov21937
Tipton_1938_byJackSords_MeridenRecord_Oct41938
Tipton_1938_Tipton-OBrien_byAlanMaver_LodiNewsSentinel_Dec61938
Tipton_1938_puntingversusPitt_byClarkandPrice_NewsandCourier_Dec111938
Tipton_1938_puntingversusPitt_byClarkandPrice_HeraldJournal_Dec121938
Tipton_1938_byArtKrenz_Dec1938
Tipton_1938_byGeneMack_GreatestPuntingExhibition
Tipton_1943_byAlanMaver_cartoon
EricTipton_byDavis_FortLauderdaleNews_Aug131943
1976_ Eric Tipton -100th_101476_NewYorkTimes-1
Tipton_ArmyBaseball_1977_NYT_Apr51977
Tipton_1977_FinalBaseballGame-Chellman_NewburgEveningNews_Jun51977
Tipton_1977_FinalParade-pic_NewburgEveningNews_May151977
Excellent bio at
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/803d7037
Text and sports articles from Russ Grimm known better as Skip – Class of 1976
Leading 14 to zero it was 4th Down, on their own 38. The play had been sent in. They were operating out of the Texas Wishbone and the 150 quarterback saw that the middle was clogged with defenders. He checked off to a slant pass to his wide open split end. Ten men momentarily stiffened, for if the play failed, each knew they would all be in for punishing comments. Number 51 snapped him the ball, as he raised up to pass Coach Tipton nearly swallowed his cigar; but then was to never say a word as Donnie took the pass for 61 yards to the 1 yard line. The Army defense led by numbers 83 & 67 dominated the field. Number 40 piled up yards resulting in a 41 to 0 score. Glynn Mallory a 150 player, Class of 61 enjoyed the humor when Mrs. Tipton ordered Crab Cakes that evening in Annapolis.
The 1973 Team is at http://forwhattheygaveonsaturdayafternoon.com/wp-1974/150
For What They Gave on Saturday Afternoon 