Claude Royal "Tot" McCullough (May 20, 1895 – September 1963) was an
American football and
baseball player for the
Vanderbilt Commodores of
Vanderbilt University. He was a member of the
Delta Tau Delta fraternity. McCullough was noted for his size, given epithets such as "gigantic" and "Huge Tot McCullough."
Vanderbilt University
Football
"Tot" was an
end and
tackle
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking ...
on
Dan McGugin's
Vanderbilt Commodores football teams which won two conferences titles in
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil.
** The Spanish lin ...
and
1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
.
1921
He was selected
All-Southern by
Fuzzy Woodruff
Lorenzo Ferguson "Fuzzy" Woodruff (May 27, 1884 – December 7, 1929) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known throughout most of the southeast for his vivid writing. He was also a music and drama critic. He began his newspaper c ...
.
1922
McCullough was a starter for
the scoreless tie with the
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...
at the dedication of
Dudley Field.
Harry Kipke in recalling that game said "I picked myself up very, very painfully from every blade of grass in the place. It seems to me I spent most of the afternoon flat of my back and if I saw McCullough, their big end, on the street tomorrow, I'd start climbing a tree."
He may have been the player to stop Kipke on the goal line by bracing against the
goal post during the game, as he mentioned doing such once.
praised Tot's run defense. McCullough was also on the receiving end of Vanderbilt's only offensive play of note that day, a 20-odd yard pass from captain
Jess Neely.
["Powerful Wolverine Eleven Held To Scoreless Tie By Commodores."]
Augusta Chronicle 1922 Oct. 15
McCullough was ruled ineligible for the 1923 football season. Those who played for baseball in the South Georgia league, or any other unrecognized one, were disallowed from participating in varsity athletics in the
Southern Conference. Tot had played with the
Albany club.
Baseball
McCullough was a
first baseman and
outfielder for the
Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team, including a 1921
SIAA championship.
1921
Vanderbilt's yearbook ''The Commodore'' states that in a 1921 game against
Southwestern Presbyterian University, the team achieved a
world record in scoring 13
runs in one
inning
In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...
, after two men were
out
Out may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
* ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander
* ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese film ba ...
. The
''Tennessean'' recalls the event: "
Neely Neely is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Adam Neely (born 1988), American bass player and YouTuber
* Anne Neely (born 1946), American painter
* Bill Neely (born 1959), British television journalis ...
singled as did
Kuhn
Kuhn is a surname of German origin. It may refer to the following:
* Abraham Kuhn (banker) (1819–1892), German-American founder of Kuhn, Loeb & Co.
* Abraham Kuhn (otolarynologist) (1838–1900), Alsatian otolaryngologist
* Adam Kuhn (1741–181 ...
;
Neil fanned but Thomas got his third straight hit and both tallied. Big Tot got
hit by a pitched ball and Smith was safe on a
fielder's choice In baseball, fielder's choice (abbreviated FC) refers to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance. Fielder's cho ...
with one out. Woodruf flied out to
right. Tyner slammed one to
center which Jetty juggled and everybody advanced a pair of sacks. Ryan was
safe
A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body and ...
on another
error and two runs came over. Neely beat out his second hit of the inning and Kuhn
walked. Neil walked. Thomas was safe on an error and Big Tot McCullough picked one over the right field fence, clearing the sacks—but oh, what's the use? Why continue?"
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCullough, Tot
1895 births
1963 deaths
American football ends
American football tackles
Baseball first basemen
Baseball outfielders
Vanderbilt Commodores baseball players
Vanderbilt Commodores football players
People from Lewisburg, Tennessee
All-Southern college football players
Players of American football from Tennessee