Fordham Rams football, 1940–1949
1940
The Rams played in the 1941 Cotton Bowl Classic but lost, 13-12, to Texas A&M.
[1]
1941
The Rams offense scored 182 points while the defense allowed 67 points. Fordham was invited to play in the 1942 Rose Bowl, but declined the invitation because it had previously accepted a berth in the 1942 Sugar Bowl. The Rams, who defeated the University of Missouri by a 2-0 score, were the 1942 Sugar Bowl champions.
[2]
1942
The Rams offense scored 103 points while the defense allowed 155 points.
1943 to 1945
Fordham did not field a football team due to World War II
1946
1947
The Rams offense scored 44 points while the defense allowed 245 points.
| Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
| October 4 |
|
at Georgetown |
|
Washington, DC |
L 7-40 |
| October 11 |
|
Penn State |
|
Bronx, New York |
L 0-75 |
| October 18 |
|
at Rutgers |
|
|
L 6-36 |
| October 25 |
|
at Merchant Marine Academy |
|
|
W 12-0 |
| November 8 |
|
at Boston University |
|
|
L 6-26 |
| November 15 |
|
at Lafayette |
|
Bronx, New York |
L 0-7 |
| November 22 |
|
at Holy Cross |
|
|
L 0-48 |
| November 29 |
|
at New York University |
|
|
T 13-13 |
| *Non-conference game. |
[3]
- January 1947: After a disastrous 1946 season, the Fordham boosters raised money for thirty new scholarships. In addition, the school made several additions to its coaching staff, including the hiring of Vince Lombardi.[4] Vince Lombardi would be responsible for coaching the freshman team. In addition, he would help the varsity team implement the T-Formation on offense. Lombardi would do this for a salary of $3,500 a year.[5] Athletic director Jack Coffey stated that he thought Lombardi would one day become head coach of the varsity team.[6]
Freshman team
The freshman team would be Vince Lombardi’s first experience as a head coach above the high school level. Many of the freshmen on the team were in their twenties. Three of the freshmen were players that Lombardi had coached in high school: Dick Doheny, Billy White and Larry Higgins.[7] Twenty-three-year-old freshman Herb Seidell was elected as captain of the freshman team. He had served in the Navy with Leo Paquin, who was one of Lombardi’s teammates on Fordham’s Seven Blocks of Granite. Andy Doheny was the starting quarterback. One of the highlights for the team was defeating Rutgers freshman team by a score of 12-0. The Rams held the Scarlet Knights to negative yards, while the Rams gained 400 yards on the ground.[8] After a 33-0 defeat of New York University’s freshman team, the New York Herald Tribune stated that Lombardi should feel proud for a job well done.[9] Other members in the media were very optimistic about Lombardi because the varsity team finished the season with a record of 1-6-1.
1948
The Rams offense scored 182 points while the defense allowed 192 points.
1949
The Army Cadets hosted Vince Lombardi’s former team, the Fordham Rams at Michie Stadium.[10] One of the members of the Rams was Vince’s brother, Joe Lombardi, who transferred to the school after Lombardi left. Tim Cohane, writer of Look Magazine was a Fordham alumnus, and a friend of Army coach Red Blaik. He pressured both teams to play each other. Cohane felt the game would help Fordham rise to national prominence.[11] Herb Seidell, the Fordham captain, lost a tooth in the game. Several fights ensued and the media named the match, the Donnybrook on the Hudson. There were multiple penalties for unnecessary roughness.
References
- ^ http://cfreference.net/cfr/school.s?id=65&season=1940
- ^ http://cfreference.net/cfr/school.s?id=65&season=1941
- ^ http://cfreference.net/cfr/school.s?id=65&season=1947
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.89, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.89, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.89, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.89, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.92, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.92, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.108, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.108, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3