The 1937 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

in the

1937 college football season The 1937 college football season ended with the Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh being named the nation's No. 1 team (and "mythical national champion") by 30 of the 33 voters in the Associated Press writers' poll. The AP poll was in it ...

. It was the Crimson Tide's 44th overall and 5th season as a member of the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

(SEC). The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas, in his seventh year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in

Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

and

Legion Field Legion Field is an outdoor stadium in the southeastern United States in Birmingham, Alabama, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but occasionally used for other large outdoor events. Opened in 1927, it is named in ho ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. They finished the season with a record of nine wins and one loss (9–1 overall, 6–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a loss against

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in the 1938 Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide opened the season with three consecutive

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

s against

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

Sewanee Sewanee may refer to: * Sewanee, Tennessee * Sewanee: The University of the South * ''The Sewanee Review'', an American literary magazine established in 1892 * Sewanee Natural Bridge * Saint Andrews-Sewanee School See also * Suwanee (disambiguati ...

and

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. In their fourth game, Alabama surrendered their first points of the season on defense in their 14–7 victory over

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. They then shutout their next two opponents,

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

prior to their game at

Tulane Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

. Against the Green Wave, the Crimson Tide won 9–6 on a game-winning fourth-quarter field goal by Hayward Sanford. After their sixth shutout of the season against

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

, Alabama won their second game of the season on a fourth quarter Sanford field goal against Vanderbilt, and clinched the SEC championship with the win. With their undefeated regular season, Alabama accepted an invitation to play in the 1938 Rose Bowl where they lost 13–0 to

Before the season

After the 1936 season, the first expansion of Denny Stadium was undertaken. The stadium originally opened for the 1929 season, and the concrete stands had a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

of 12,000. The 1937 expansion included the construction of a 6,000 seat eastern addition that was utilized primarily by students. Its construction was financed with a combination of funding from both the university ($140,000) and a grant from the

Public Works Administration The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recove ...

($90,000). Designed after the

Yale Bowl The Yale Bowl Stadium is a college football stadium in the northeast United States, located in New Haven, Connecticut, on the border of West Haven, about 1½ miles (2½ km) west of the main campus of Yale University. The home of the American foo ...

, at the time of this expansion the school envisioned a build-out of Denny Stadium at a capacity of 66,000.

Schedule

Game summaries

Howard

*Source: To open the 1937 season, Alabama outgained

(now Samford University) in total yards 198 to 6, and defeated the Bulldogs 41–0 at Denny Stadium.1937 Season Recap The Crimson Tide scored a pair of touchdowns in each of the first two quarters to take a 28–0 halftime lead. First-quarter touchdowns were scored on a 21-yard

Joe Kilgrow Joseph Flinn Kilgrow (August 30, 1917 – July 21, 1967) was a college football player and coach. Early years Kilgrow was born August 30, 1917, in Montgomery, Alabama. He attended Sidney Lanier High School. University of Alabama Kilgrow was a ...

touchdown pass to George Zivich and on a Perron Shoemaker blocked punt returned 15-yards for the score. In the second, touchdowns were scored by Herschel Mosley on a 91-yard punt return and on a 10-yard Mosley to Bud Waites touchdown pass. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a pair of second half touchdowns for the 41–0 victory.

Charlie Holm Charles H. Holm was a college football player, a prominent fullback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was drafted in the third round of the 1939 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American ...

scored on a four-yard run in the third and Alvin Davis scored on a 19-yard run in the fourth. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Howard to 15–0–1.

Sewanee

*Source: In the conference opener, Alabama defeated the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

65–0 at Legion Field in rainy conditions. In the game, Alabama outgained the Tigers 600 to 27 yards in total offense with both

and

each having gained over 100 yards rushing. The Crimson Tide also scored ten total touchdowns with Silas Beard, Kilgrow, Herschel Mosley and Billy Slemons each scoring two and both Holm and George Zivich each scoring one in the victory. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Sewanee to 16–10–3.

South Carolina

*Sources: Against the

Gamecocks A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...

of the

Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly ...

Alabama won 20–0 at Denny Stadium in what was the first all-time meeting between the schools. Touchdowns were scored by

on a short run in the first, on a 33-yard Kilgrow pass to Silas Beard in the second and on a one-yard Hal Hughes run in the third.

Tennessee

*Source: In Knoxville, Alabama defeated

rival A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

14–7 at Shields-Watkins Field one year after their scoreless tie at

. The overflow crowd of 25,000 included

Tennessee Governor The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

Gordon Browning Gordon Weaver Browning (November 22, 1889May 23, 1976) was an American politician who served as the 38th governor of Tennessee from 1937 to 1939, and again from 1949 to 1953. He also served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 19 ...

and Alabama Governor Frank M. Dixon. After a scoreless first quarter, the Crimson Tide took a 7–0 lead in the second quarter after a Carey Cox

interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...

set up the scoring drive. The touchdown was scored by

Vic Bradford Henry Victor Bradford (March 5, 1915 – June 10, 1994) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. As an amateur athlete, Bradford was a blocking back for the University of Alabama football team, the Crimson Tide, and played in the 1938 Rose B ...

on a two-yard quarterback sneak to complete a 60-yard drive. In the third, Alabama extended their lead to 14–0 after Hal Hughes scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. The Volunteers responded in the fourth with their only points, a three-yard

George Cafego George Cafego (August 29, 1915 – February 9, 1998) was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, earning varsity letters 1937 - 1939, and professionally in the N ...

touchdown pass to Edwin Duncan to complete an 85-yard drive. The Tennessee touchdown was the first points allowed by the Crimson Tide defense of the season. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 13–5–2.

George Washington

*Source: As the entered their game against

, Alabama was ranked No. 2 in the first AP Poll of the 1937 season. In the contest, the Crimson Tide defeated the Colonials 19–0 at

Griffith Stadium Griffith Stadium stood in Washington, D.C., from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street (left field), and between W Street and Florida Avenue NW. The site was once home to a wooden baseball park. Built in 1891, it was called Bounda ...

. For the second week in a row, Alabama was held scoreless in the first quarter, however a pair of second-quarter touchdowns gave the Crimson Tide a 13–0 halftime lead. In the second, touchdowns were scored by Joe Kilgrow on a 35-yard pass to Perron Shoemaker and Kilgrow on a six-yard run. The final points of the game were scored by Charlie Holm in the third after he returned an

30-yards for a touchdown. The win improved Alabama's all-time record against George Washington to 3–0.

Kentucky

*Source: As Alabama entered their

homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

contest against

, they dropped one place to No. 3 in the weekly poll. In the game, the Crimson Tide defeated the

Wildcats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...

41–0 before 13,000 at Denny Stadium. After

scored on a 27-yard touchdown run in the first, the Crimson Tide scored three second-quarter touchdowns for a 27–0 halftime lead. The second-quarter touchdowns were scored by Gene Blackwell on a six-yard run, Joe Kilgrow on a 20-yard run and on a ten-yard Herschel Mosley pass to Johnny Roberts. Alabama then closed the game with a pair one-yard touchdown runs in the second half for the 41–0 win. The first was scored by Billy Slemons in the third and the second by W. L. Waites in the fourth. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Kentucky 16–1.

Tulane

*Source: After their victory over Kentucky, the Crimson Tide moved up one position and regained the No. 2 spot in the weekly poll.

was ranked No. 19 in the poll after their victory over Ole Miss. In the contest, the Crimson Tide defeated the

Green Wave A green wave occurs when a series of traffic lights (usually three or more) are coordinated to allow continuous traffic flow over several intersections in one main direction. Any vehicle traveling along with the green wave (at an approximate spee ...

9–6 after they converted a game-winning

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

late in the fourth quarter. Tulane took a 6–0 lead in the first when John Andrews scored on a one-yard run three plays after William Kirchem blocked an Alabama punt to give the Greenies possession at the Tide's 18-yard line. Alabama did not score until early in the third when

completed an 87-yard drive with his one-yard touchdown run, and after a missed

extra point The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...

the game was tied at six. With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth, Hayward Sanford kicked a 23-yard field goal to win the game. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 11–3–1.

Georgia Tech

*Source: After their close victory over Tulane, the Crimson Tide dropped one position to the No. 3 spot in the weekly poll in spite of having more first-place voted than No. 2 California. In their game against

, the game remained scoreless before a fourth-quarter touchdown gave Alabama the 7–0 victory over the

Yellow Jackets Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera '' Vespula'' and '' Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of th ...

at Legion Field. In the fourth, Joe Kilgrow threw the game-winning two-yard touchdown pass to Erin Warren with only four minutes remaining in the game for the 7–0 win. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 11–10–2.

Vanderbilt

*Source: After their victory over Georgia Tech, Alabama had a

bye week In sport, a bye is the preferential status of a player or team that is automatically advanced to the next round of a tournament, without having to play an opponent in an early round. In knockout (elimination) tournaments they can be granted eit ...

prior to their annual

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden a ...

game against Vanderbilt. Prior to their game, Alabama dropped to No. 4 and Vanderbilt moved up to No. 12 in the weekly AP Poll. In the game against the

Commodores Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...

, Alabama won their second game of the season with a fourth quarter

in their 9–7 win at Dudley Field. After a scoreless first, the Crimson Tide took a 6–0 lead in the second quarter on a Joe Kilgrow touchdown pass to Erin Warren. The Commodores took a 7–6 lead in the third when Hardy Housman scored on a one-yard run and Joe Agee kicked the

. However, late in the fourth Hayward Sanford kicked the 27-yard game-winning field goal to give the Crimson Tide the 9–7 win. The victory clinched the SEC championship for the Crimson Tide and improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 10–9.

California

*Source: On November 30, Alabama accepted an invitation to play in the 1938 Rose Bowl against the

Golden Bears. In the game, the Crimson Tide were defeated in their only game of the season after their 13–0

loss before 87,000 fans at Pasadena.

Vic Bottari Vic Bottari (December 21, 1916 – January 6, 2003) was an American football player. Bottari, nicknamed "Vallejo Vic" attended the University of California, Berkeley and starred as a halfback, leading the Golden Bears to a win in the 1938 Rose ...

scored both touchdowns for the Golden Bears on runs of four-yards in the second and five-yards in the third. In the loss, the Crimson Tide turned the ball over eight times, on four

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...

s and four

s. Alabama had two scoring opportunities end inside the California ten-yard line, one on a fumble at the one-yard line and another at the six-yard line. The loss was also Alabama's first in the Rose Bowl Game.

After the season

Awards

After the season,

Leroy Monsky Leroy Gerald Monsky Sr. (April 12, 1916 – August 12, 1981) was an All-American football player. Monsky was born in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1916. He was an All-State football player at Sidney Lanier High School. After high school, Monsk ...

was a consensus selection and both Joe Kilgrow and James Ryba were selected to various 1937 College Football All-America Teams.

NFL Draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1937 squad were drafted into the

National Football League (NFL) The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

between the 1938 and 1940 drafts. These players included the following:

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

References

General * Specific {{Southeastern Conference football champions

Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons Southeastern Conference football champion seasons

Alabama Crimson Tide football The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Asso ...