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Game Recaps 1960s

1960

NORTH 26, SOUTH 7

MVP: Jackie Lee, Cincinnati
NORTH COACH: Jim Lee Howell, Giants
SOUTH COACH: Weeb Ewbank, Colts
TOP PLAYERS: Jackie Burkett, Carroll Dale

Cincinnati's Jackie Lee passed the North to a 26-7 upset victory over the South in front of a record crowd of 40,119. Passing for two touchdowns and completing 13-of-21 passes for a record 283 yards, Lee almost single-handedly turned a torrid first half duel into a second half rout. He capped his record-setting day in Mobile with another Senior Bowl record: a 73-yard TD pass - and walked away with the game's MVP award.


photo of Weeb Eubank with three football players


Colt's Coach Weeb Eubank was a fixture in Mobile in the 1960s, coaching in the game five times during the decade.


1961

SOUTH 33, NORTH 26

MVP: Dick Norman, Stanford
NORTH COACH: Jim Lee Howell, Giants
SOUTH COACH: Weeb Ewbank, Colts
TOP PLAYERS: Norm Snead, Pat Dye, Ed Dyas

Wake Forest quarterback Norm Snead rifled a Senior Bowl record four touchdown passes, including the game-winner with just seven seconds remaining, to give the South an electrifying 33-26 victory.

The contest featured the greatest passing duel in Senior Bowl history, as Snead threw for 305 yards, but was topped by North quarterback Dick Norman of Stanford's 311 - performances that now rank as the fourth and fifth highest individual totals in the game's history.

With just three minutes remaining, the North tied it, 26-26, on a 15-yard Norman pass, That set the stage for Snead's game-winning 55-yarder to Georgia's Fred Brown, who made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone in the final minute, to send the Ladd Stadium crowd into a frenzy.

 


1962

SOUTH 42, NORTH 7

MVP: Earl Gros, LSU / Ronnie Bull, Baylor
NORTH COACH: Tom Landry, Cowboys
SOUTH COACH: Weeb Ewbank, Colts
TOP PLAYERS: Ed Budde, Lee Roy Jordan, Jim Dunaway

With LSU's Earl Gros and Baylor's Ronnie Bull leading a devastating ground attack, Coach Weeb Ewbank's South squad scored a convincing 42-7 victory over the North in front of 35,132 fans. Bull gained 133 yards, including a record 58-yard scoring run, and Gros added 114 as the pair shared the game's MVP Award.

The South rolled out to a 42-0 lead before the North avoided the first shutout in Senior Bowl history with a score in the game's final seconds.

 


1963

SOUTH 33, NORTH 27

MVP: Glynn Griffing, Ole Miss
NORTH COACH: Tom Landry, Cowboys
SOUTH COACH: Weeb Ewbank, Colts
TOP PLAYERS: Ed Budde, Lee Roy Jordan, Jim Dunaway

Glynn Griffing of Ole Miss and Gary Cuozzo of Virginia sparked the South to five touchdowns in the first three quarters, but it took the greatest goal line stand in Senior Bowl history, led by Alabama All-American Lee Roy Jordan, for the South to hold off the North, 33-27.

The South surged to a seemingly invincible 33-6 lead after three periods, but the North scored 21 points in the final quarter to cut the lead to, 33-27. The North then drove down to the South three-yard line in the game's final minute. Two runs and an incomplete pass set up a fourth-and-goal situation from the one-yard line. On fourth down - on what was the final play of the game - the South threw quarterback Jerry Gross of Detroit for a two-yard loss, completing the miraculous defensive stand.

 


1964

SOUTH 28, NORTH 21

MVP: Ode Burrell, Mississippi State
NORTH COACH: George Wilson, Lions
SOUTH COACH: Tom Landry, Cowboys
TOP PLAYERS: Paul Krause

In a contest strikingly similar to 1963, the South, with Miami's George Mira, game MVP Ode Burrell of Mississippi State and Georgia Tech's Billy Lothridge leading the offense, scored four TD's in the first three quarters and then withstood a North comeback in the final period to record its fourth straight series win, 28-21. Most of the 37,094 who witnessed the thriller stayed to the end despite a cold rain that worsened as the game progressed.

Utah State quarterback Bill Munson led the North's late rally, passing for two fourth-period scores - one to future Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Paul Krause of Iowa, who also kicked two extra points.

 


1965

SOUTH 7, NORTH 7

MVP: Steve DeLong, Tennessee
NORTH COACH: George Wilson, Lions
SOUTH COACH: Tom Landry, Cowboys
TOP PLAYERS: Joe Namath, Tucker Frederickson, Bob Hayes, Marty Schottenheimer

Not even Alabama's Joe Namath could rally coach Tom Landry's South troops to victory, witnessed by a record sellout crowd of 40,605. The contest ended in a 7-7 tie - the first tie in the game's 16-year history.

The South dominated the statistics, but had to come from behind to salvage the draw as the South racked up 415 yards in total offense to the North's 150. Trailing 7-0, Namath, who threw for 246 passing yards, connected with Florida A&M speedster "Bullet" Bob Hayes on a 53-yard scoring toss for the South's lone score in the third quarter. The South controlled the ball for nearly the entire fourth quarter, but couldn't get it in the end zone and missed two field goals of 29 and 35 yards.

 


man holding sign needing a ticket


With Alabama's Joe Namath playing for the South, it was a tough ticket in 1965, played before a record sellout crowd.


1966

SOUTH 27, NORTH 18

MVP: Howard Twilley, Tulsa
NORTH COACH: Mike Holovak, Patriots
SOUTH COACH: Weeb Ewbank, Jets
TOP PLAYERS: Gale Gillingham, Paul Crane, Walt Garrison, Howard Twilley

Tulsa's Howard Twilley put on the Senior Bowl's greatest receiving show ever, but it wasn't enough as the South scored a 27-18 come-from-behind win. The South overcame an 18-7 halftime deficit behind the running of Arkansas' Bob Burnett, who scored twice, and the passing of Texas A&I's Randy Johnson.

But the game's star was clearly Twilley, who was voted the game's MVP with 12 pass receptions - a record performance that still stands.

 


photo of Howard Tilley catching football


Tulsa's Howard Tilley caught 12 passes in 1966, a record that still stands today.


1967

NORTH 35, SOUTH 13

MVP: Bubba Smith, Michigan State
NORTH COACH: Norm Van Brocklin, Falcons
SOUTH COACH: Otto Graham, Redskins
TOP PLAYERS: Bubba Smith, Ray Perkins, Gene Upshaw

The North won for the first time since 1960, and celebrated breaking the streak with a convincing 35-13 victory, setting North team records for points scored and largest winning margin in the process.

The North's defensive charge was led by Charles "Bubba" Smith. The "man mountain" from Michigan State, who earned the game's MVP Award, helped hold the South to just 23 rushing yards - a record that still stands today.

 


photo of Bubba Smith receiving award


Bubba Smith of Michigan State launched his Hall of Fame NFL career by earning MVP honors in the North's 35-13 victory.


1968

SOUTH 34, NORTH 21

MVP: Kim Hammond, Florida State
NORTH COACH: Mike Holovak, Patriots
SOUTH COACH: Hank Stram, Chiefs
TOP PLAYERS: Jim Kiick, Claude Humphrey

Florida State quarterback and game MVP Kim Hammond teamed up with Alabama's Dennis Homan to lead the South to a 34-21 win.

The Hammond-Homan connection accounted for 116 yards and a touchdown, Tulane's Bobby Duhon rushed for 74 yards and two scores and Ole Miss' Jimmy Keyes ended the Senior Bowl's field goal drought with successful boots of nine and 23.

San Diego State's Haven Moses set a Senior Bowl record that still stands with a 100-yard kickoff return for one of the North's touchdowns.


1969

NORTH 35, SOUTH 13

MVP: Jerry Levias, SMU
NORTH COACH: Allie Sherman, Giants
SOUTH COACH: Charley Winner, Cardinals
TOP PLAYERS: Ted Hendricks, Joe Greene, Gene Washington, Roger Wehrli, Ted Kwalick, Bill Bergey, Bill Stanfill

Future NFL stars such as All-Time Senior Bowl team members "Mean" Joe Greene, Ted Hendricks and Roger Wehrli, along with Gene Washington, Bill Bergey and Ted Kwalick, helped attract another sell-out crowd of 40,646 as the North, trailing 16-14 in the third quarter, came back to score a 27-16 victory.

 


head shot photo of Roger Wehrli


The 1969 game featured three players named to the All-Time Senior Bowl Team: 'Mean' Joe Greene, Ted Hendricks and Roger Wehrli (above).