Completed Pages

You Must Go To the Bottom of the Page for the Nomination

The Nomination is an attempt to give meaning to Col Blaik's statement to the Team after the Navy Game on 28 November 1953

"I never coached a team that gave me more than you did. I never have coached a team that has given me as much satisfaction. Considering all the conditions since 1951, you have done more for football at West Point than any other team in the history of the Academy."

The Nomination Letters and Bob Mischak's Letter are at

http://forwhattheygaveonsaturdayafternoon.com/wp-letters/bob-class

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Nomination Below

Pages 1 to 13

The last 6 left margin small photos (The Black Lion Award, 4 Class Crests and Team) aligned with page 13 on the submitted Nomination. Depending upon Mac, Desk Top and size monitor small photos may not mach up with pages. There are no photos associated with the first page. Some of the small photos provide addition information in an attempt to tell this story.

Nomination of 1953 West Point Football Team for the Army Sports Hall of Fame

Col. Blaik after the Navy Game

He ordered the door secured and as he turned to speak his eyes were misty. "I never coached a team that gave me more than you did. I never have coached a team that has given me as much satisfaction. Considering all the conditions since 1951, you have done more for football at West Point than any other team in the history of the Academy."

Many Graduates in a number of Classes believe they did more for the Academy than any other Team in any Sport.

An article in the Nov '53 Pointer published the day before the Navy Game concluded with --

"Tomorrow afternoon, radio sets will be tuned on Philadelphia all the way from Berlin to Panmunjom. Graduates will be listening for news of an Army victory. But they'll be listening for something more - something none of them talk about. They'll be listening for evidence that the Corps is on its way back. They want to know that the values which they stand for are still alive in the Corps."

Prior to the Duke Game the Cheerleaders imposed a "Silence" upon the Corps of Cadets after the traditional pregame sendoff of the team. The Cheerleaders put a cork in the bottle of more than two years of pent up frustration. When the Corps completed its subdued, strangely silent, pregame march-on at the Polo Grounds, and the last man double-timed onto the first step of the stands, the Corps of Cadets exploded out. They shook that old stadium almost non-stop in the sunshine and shadows of that Indian summer afternoon. The Chanting - - Go! Go! Go! - - is remembered to this day by the players. 'It was continuous, just deafening".

Bob Mischak, '54 as a player and a coach, participated in 3 Super Bowls, 8 AFC Championships and numerous playoff games. As the starting Offensive Tackle on the 1958 Giant Team he participated in The Greatest Game Ever Played. Bob had this to say of the 1953 Duke Game (perhaps Army's Greatest Game) - "As many reports have stated, the 1953 team "Returned to Glory" with the defeat of the nationally ranked Duke Blue Devils at the Polo Grounds in New York City. From a player's stand point, that was the epitome of any game, team, and student body support that I've been associated with - bar none."

The '53 Team's success was marked with the most unusual Lambert Trophy presentation in the award's 17 year history. For the first time, on a Sunday evening, 20 December 1953, in Washington Hall, the Lambert Trophy, emblematic of Eastern Football Supremacy, was presented outside of New York City to West Point's Football Team and the Corps of Cadets.

Col. Blaik - -

"By the time the season got down to the Penn and Navy games, the starting eleven and about four substitutes carried the full load".

The commitment to Team, to the Academy, to returning Army Football to respectability is illustrated in the fact that Bob Farris '56, played the 2d half of the Navy Game blind in one eye. He was never to play another down of Football. Bob did not tell the Coaches or Team Doctor of his condition.

Years later Col. Blaik was to write - -

"For two years these boys had seen the roughest action. They had lived with the coaching lash, dirt, blood, and defeat".

There is more to some teams than statistics can provide.

Col. Blaik (Football Coach of the Year) leaving the field late afternoon Nov. 28th 1953 after the Army Team beat Navy 20 to 7

"I have never coached a team that give me more than you did. I never have coached a team that has given me as much satisfaction. Considering all the conditions since 1951, you have done more for football at West Point than any other team in the history of the Academy."

Col Blaik "When I come to describe the team of 1953, what they meant to me and, far more important, what they meant to West Point, I cannot praise them enough."

To understand the magnitude of the accomplishments of this team, recall that General McArthur gave his opinion in 1951 that it would take "at least 10 years" for Army to recover. In 1950, Army was 8-1 with a victory over Stanford, which finished the season ranked number seven in the nation; was tops in the nation in scoring defense, fourth in total defense, ninth in passing defense, and 10th in rushing offense; featured an All-American at end who finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy balloting, and two tackles who received votes for first team All-American; and would have been undefeated except for the stunning upset by Navy.

In 1951, Army went 2-7, defeating only Columbia and The Citadel and was trounced by Navy. Only one player received any national recognition, a name eventually to be etched in the hearts of all Army fans for decades to come: Mischak '54 was number five in total kickoff return yards and first in average yards returned. The 1952 season was better, 4-4-1, but again losing to Navy.

True, the Corps of Cadets did look for better things than in 1951 and "52". Any prognostication that Army would win the Lambert Trophy, emblematic of the Eastern Championship, and be rated No. 14 nationally would have been tabbed fantastic. With Coach Blaik's words as background, the team's history echoes his witness.

They were one of the smallest Army football teams in years, at season's end thirty-eight men, a team of heroes with no stars and with a different hero each Saturday, all playing for honor and love of the game. They were led by quiet, solid leaders from the class of 1954; augmented by a small number of players from the smallest Academy class in years, 1955, and a bevy of talented yearlings in the class of 1956 who set the gridiron on fire that fall. The NCAA changed the rules for the 1953 season to what is now called "one platoon" football, really "iron man" football.

Though the phrase wasn't originated by Coach Earl Blaik, it was the incomparable football teacher, the thoroughly emotionally-controlled Blaik who, with tears in his eyes, handed the Army-Duke game ball to Bob Mischak, Army's left end who made the incredible game-saving tackle. Blaik's words to Bob were simple but powerful, "Don't ever give up."

The cheating incident had never-publicized, lingering effects on Army football players in the three following seasons, effects witnessed and painfully felt by the young, inexperienced B and C teams - the men who accomplished the "football miracle" of '53.

Adding to the effects the players faced was the revelation that the much-admired Army varsity had been deeply involved in what became a national scandal.

In a number of cases the players left to pick up the pieces became subjects of totally unwarranted suspicions and stinging criticisms simply because they were Army football players. The season of 1953 changed all that -- the team and the Corps of Cadets washed the effects away with stunning, inspirational teamwork and marvelous achievements.

As Blaik wrote years later in baring his bitterness and frustration over the cheating incident, "For two years these boys had seen the roughest action. They had lived with the coaching lash, dirt, blood, and defeat."

Following the 1952 season, changes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules greatly restricted substitution and for several years virtually ended the offensive-defensive unit two-platoon system. The result was to lengthen playing time for varsity players, decrease the number of varsity letters awarded, increase injury potential, and cause a return to what in years past had been called "iron man football". To compete under the more complicated substitution rules, Coach Blaik chose to return to the type of two-platoon system he inaugurated at Army during the World War II years, two or three units that went both ways, on offense and defense.

While the rule changes impacted all collegiate teams, no team Army was to face in 1953 had suffered the total loss of its varsity lettermen and team leaders two years earlier. The losses had forced virtually complete rebuilding from the ground up. Other colleges and universities would have been able to accelerate efforts to make up such losses with much larger student bodies and massive numbers of alumni on the lookout for talent, aggressive well-funded recruiting, junior college transfers, and the growing lure of expanding professional football immediately after graduation. Not so at Army.

The NCAA rule changes had other impacts not normally visible to cadets and Army sports fans -- but were quite clear to team members vying for varsity status and the coveted Major A. The remaining 1953 team members, who, at the end of the 1952 season believed they had almost secured starting offensive or defensive platoon positions, suddenly found themselves being retested and moved from one position to another to determine who could play both offense and defense and had the conditioning, strength and stamina to play both ways.

Their extraordinary individual responses were inspirational, highlighting individual willingness to sacrifice for the team --

Bob Farris played the second half of the Navy game blind in one eye. Although he was captain of the '54 team, he was never to play another down of football.

Vann to Holleder Lombardi's uncompromising demands on Vann, resulted in Peter becoming a superb drop back passer; with great ball-handling ability whose faking repeatedly confused defensive linemen. He was to set numerous Academy Records while the success Lumbardi achieved as an Assistant under Col Blaik propelled him into in the Pros.

Hagan's handoff to Attaya initial scoring drive against Duke. Uebel #34 and probably #55 - Farris. NY Times Number #10's faking holds the defensive line in place allowing dominance by the offensive lineman for the wide open end run by Pat.

It's important to note, that Peter Vann was a sterling offensive team leader his last two years at Army, became a classic drop-back passer and deft ball-handling and faking wizard who repeatedly confused defensive linemen, and was far more than Blaik's description of him on defense as "dependable in a crisis". Playing at defensive right halfback on the last play of the season's crucial, turnaround game, he too made a game-saving play, batting away a pass thrown from Duke's quarterback to their alternate quarterback -- in the Army end zone - then went on to be ninth in Heisman Trophy voting and a second team All-American quarterback in 1954.

In the spring of 1952 Col Blaik said of Leroy Lunn - "as an offensive guard has excellent ability -- and his presence sets a visual example of what constitues good preformance.

Because of the requirement to play both ways Lunn did not start in '53. Years later Col Blaik was to say - - "I think it epitomized the character of this team and Lunn's inspirational leadership that he was able to handle a difficult situation in a manner that increased his stature. It was not an easy thing to walk out there every Saturday for the toss of the coin and then to have to return to the bench and not be in for the kick-off."

Roy never let this bother his playing when he did get in. He improved so much that he clearly earned the right to start with his team against Navy. Then he went out and played the best game of his career."

At quarterback, Peter Vann shared the job to some extent with Jerry Hagan early in the season, but improved gradually to indispensable level.

Vann, Pat Uebel, and Tommy Bell at halfbacks and Gerry Lodge at fullback played 60 minutes against Penn and almost all the way in the Navy game.

Right halfback Tommy Bell, scored one of the two touchdowns against Duke, became a first team All-American in 1954 and that same year one of the few four-year lettermen in Army football history. Yearling left halfback Pat Uebel, who scored one of the two touchdowns in the stunning upset of No. 7-ranked Duke and all three of Army's touchdowns in the win over Navy -- one of a small number of Army players to score three touchdowns against Navy, and to that time the only player to score all three touchdowns in a win over Navy - was another hero in the 1953 Army backfield. Of Army's two lead halfbacks Coach Blaik would write, "In '53 and '54 both Uebel and Bell were among the top echelon of all-time West Point halfbacks."

Rounding out the backfield after the loss to injury in the Tulane game of the swift, agile, hard-driving fullback, and punter, "Freddie Attaya", was guard-converted-to-fullback Gerry Lodge, who stepped into Freddie's shoes and performed magnificently at both fullback on offense and linebacker on defense. This backfield, 3 great ends and this Team that brought Vince Lombardi to the attention of the New York Giants at the end of the 1953 season.

Tommy Bell against Duke

Blaik said of the three ends on the 1953 team, "Our end play was handled by Bob Mischak, Lowell Sisson, and a yearling of unusual potential named Don Holleder. Sisson was another who kept improving and hit the top in the Navy game. After Attaya's injury, Sisson did the punting.

Mischak developed into a fine pass receiver and on defense he delivered the play that was the pivot, in a real sense, of the entire season. Holleder was a naturally talented pass receiver with outstanding speed, hands, and competitive fire. By 1954 he became just about the most dangerous offensive end in college ranks. A first team All-American end in 1954, he voluntarily gave up the chance to become a two-time All-American, by acquiescing to Coach Blaik's request that he switch to quarterback for the 1955 season, a position he had never played in either high school or college.

On 17 October 1967, his courage and heroism in Vietnam while attempting to rescue wounded soldiers in his unit cost him his life. Don Holleder's life and service became the inspiration for the now-well-known Black Lion Award to football players at every level of football played in the nation, from youth leagues to intercollegiate Division IA.

Zeigler # 22 - 14 Yards, Burd coming across to Block.

"Ski" Ordway

Franklin - double team tore up knee talking with 58 Zaborowski after Duke Game

Attaya Army's Fullback

Neil Chamberlain injured summer of '53 - prior to the Navy Game. "Saturday Army will be represented by two different uniforms - - one black and gold, the other gray. I've found that I fight just as hard in one as I did in the other. We'll all beat Navy this year."

Coach Earl Blaik: "Injuries as the season advanced cost the team solid fullback and punter, three-year letterman Fred Attaya '54; hard-nosed right halfback and three-year letterman Mike Zeigler '56; and spirited end and three-year letterman "Ski" Godwin Ordway '55. By the time the season got down to the Penn and Navy games, the starting eleven and about four substitutes carried the full load."

Army linemen on the thinly-manned 1953 team included three guards, Captain Leroy Lunn, his classmate Dick Ziegler, and yearling Ralph Chesnauskas, whose talents included extra-point conversions. Ralph calmly kicked the two extra points against Duke to win the game, and became a first team All-American in 1954.

Center "Norman Stephen" was a steady, rock-solid team leader on offense, who on the first play from scrimmage in the second half of the second home game of the season, against Dartmouth, and in response to stinging criticism from Col Blaik - lit a small but growing fire in the team and Corps of Cadets - when he broke from the huddle and ran, almost sprinting to the ball, prompting the team to follow his lead. The roar of approval and support from the Corps each time Norm broke and ran to the ball, from that point forward through the rest of the season, continued to unify a determined Corps of Cadets with their team. He was a standout linebacker who was the on-field captain who called defensive signals. Starting at tackle were two yearlings, "Ron Melnik" and Howard Glock, with first classman Joe Lapchick, Jr. doing most of the reserve playing.

Coach Blaik considered the heart of his defense to be yearling Bob Farris, a top man academically who in 1955 became the Corps' First Captain, played tackle on offense and was a line backer on defense in 1953. "The linebacking of Farris against Navy was as fine as I have ever seen in that game," he wrote. "Unfortunately, the abandon with which he played cost him a detached retina that ended his football. To have played him would have risked an aggravation that might have impaired his sight."

None of the foregoing tells of the incredible will-to-win spirit and support of the 1953 team by the entire Corps of Cadets, all of it specifically intended to unify the team and Corps of Cadets in ways never before seen or heard at West Point.The Corps' preparation for the game had been more than unusual, including a "silence" imposed by the cheerleaders at the meal following Blaik's talk.

The "silence" which began after the traditional pregame sendoff of the team - proved potent. The cheerleaders had put a cork in the bottle of more than two years of pent up frustration. When the Corps completed its subdued, strangely silent, pregame march-on at the Polo Grounds, and the last man double-timed onto the first step of the stands, the men in gray exploded out.

1953 was a series of firsts: a helicopter flyover; the introduction of the cannon; a huge Beat Navy Flag made by the Quartermater Corps; the weather ballon from Army Aviation at Stewart Field for the Duke Game releasing the Corps from the imposed Silence; Special Guidon Flags made by the Cadet Store posted in the Mess Hall listing every year Army Beat Navy.

After the Duke Game the sidelines were packed with Cadets and Officers at each day's practice.

They shook that old stadium almost non-stop in the sunshine and shadows of that Indian summer afternoon.

The Coaching Staff

Coach Earl Blaik who later labeled the resurgence of the Army team "a football miracle" saw his 1953 first assistant & backfield coach, Vince Lombardi, mold a dazzling backfield that became Vince's springboard to professional football glory. Jim Lee Howell, the New York Giant's head coach who hired Lombardi after the 1953 season, said, "If Lombardi can do that kind of job in three years at West Point - he could do a helluva job in the pros where he could have an experienced base to work with."

Leroy Lunn

Norm Stephen

Bob Mischak

Lowell Sisson

Jerry Lodge

Dick Ziegler

Fred Attaya

Jack Krause

Jerry Lodge, played fullback on offense and guard on defense when Army was in a six-man line, and moved into linebacker when Army went to a five-man line. On defense, he played alongside the few linemen who were in the Duke Game nearly the entire 60 minutes and was in Army's dramatic goal line stand following Bob Mischak's game-saving tackle. With first and goal on Army's 7-yard line, the Cadets held Duke on a fourth down quarterback sneak from the two, with 40 seconds to play. Throughout the final two minutes of play, especially during Duke's four thrusts at the Army goal, it was almost impossible to hear or think because of the roar from the crowd. Cadets had come down out of the stands, were pressing around the Army bench and close to the sidelines, imploring their defense to hold. Army's always thorough scouting reports helped exploit Duke's weaknesses and patterns. Jerry remembered what Blaik had told the team. When the Blue Devils get inside an opponents' 10-yard line, they run the ball between their own tackles on 95% of plays. And when they get close to the goal line, they run quarterback sneaks. Prior to the fourth down play, a Duke assistant threw a kicking tee onto the field, indicating a field goal attempt. Lutz picked up the tee and threw it back, disdaining the field goal.

Lodge had seen his teammate, left guard Dick Ziegler '54, playing magnificently all afternoon, often absorbing the energy of three Duke blockers because of his hard charges in the middle of their line. As Duke huddled for Lutz to call the fourth down play, "Jerry said to Dick, "Remember, he's going to try to sneak." Lutz did, but he was met by a wall of white jerseys. Army took over on downs, inches from the goal line, while the Corps of Cadets shouted their frenzied approval. But the game wasn't yet over. On first down, Freddie Attaya, on orders from Blaik, punted from deep in his end zone. Duke had 30 more seconds and four more plays from the Army 37-yard line - all passes - all knocked away. Peter Vann, Army's quarterback, batted away the last pass in the end zone, a pass thrown by Gerry Barger, Duke's quarterback, to starting quarterback Worth Lutz.

The Army B Squad

Ben Schemmer '54 with Goat and Al Rupp '55 borrowed Billy XII for a couple of days. Al, a cheerleader, is walking behind and left of Ben Schemmer. Ben, AL and Scotty Wetzel '54 were the three cadets who went to Annapolis to steal the goat and bring it to West Point. Ben and Al went in a convertible, driven by an enlisted member of the Band, because they thought the goat's horns would be too large for a sedan. Unknown to them Scotty Wetzel went alone and met Joseph U Weaver a University of Maryland student, and the two groups accidentally met one another after midnight near the goat pen.

Rox Shain, did not make the trip with the Team but was yanked off the Cadet Train when it arrived early in the morning, kicked off to start the Game. Navy immediately fumbled when Norm Stephen (51)slams the Navy receiver to the ground. The photo (taken by a photographer for the Philadelphia Inquirer) incorrectly identified the Army player recovering the ball, as Howard Glock, when in fact it was Lowell Sisson (83) who is on his feet facing the camera lens as the ball squirts past his thighs. Glock (71), Bell (46), Mischak (87), Farris (55) and Uebel (34) are identifiable. (Photo courtesy of Urban Archives, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.)

Army's Tommy Bell takes a handoff from Peter Vann. Sisson #83, and probably Uebel #34 bottom center, while it is probably Mischak #87 is on the end of the line (Photo courtesy of Urban Archives, Temple University, Phildelphia, PA.)

Tommy Bell prepares to take a pass thrown by Peter Vann. From left to right, Lowell Sisson (83), Jerry Lodge on the ground (32), Pat Uebel (34), Howard Glock (71), Leroy Lunn (60), and Norm Stephen (51). (Photo Temple Univ, PA.)

Pat Uebel races for the end zone, running back a Navy punt for one of 3 touchdowns. There are some errors in identification of the Army players. In the upper left, Odom is in fact Norm Stepen (51), Burda is in fact Lowell Sisson (83), and the numbers of the player identified as Sisson keeps him unidentified. (Photo courtesy of Urban Archives, Temple University, PA.)

The Team's marvelous success was marked with the most unusual Lambert Trophy presentation in the award's history. First offered in 1936, and sponsored by New York City's brothers, Victor A. and Henry L. Lambert, the trophy was symbolic of Eastern football supremacy, and had been won by Army in 1944, '45, '46, '48 and '49. For the first time, on a Sunday evening, 20 December 1953, in Washington Hall, the Lambert Trophy was presented outside of New York City to a football team and its student body.

Team Captain Lunn accepting the Trophy

In 1953, Army may not have won a national championship or produced a Heisman Trophy candidate but the seven victories, including Navy and Duke; a ranking of 14 in the nation in the season's final pool; winning the Lambert Trophy; and earning Colonel Blaik The Washington, D. C. Touchdown Club Coach of the Year honors; signaled the Academy's "return to glory".

To place the accomplishments of the 1953 Army Football Team prominently and in full view of the United States Corps of Cadets and the Long Gray Line, we, the members of the Classes of 1954, 1955; Ralph Chesnauskas, Bob Farris, and Pat Uebel, Class of 1956; and the Classes of 1957 and 1962, Nominate the 1953 West Point Football Team for induction into the Army Sports Hall of Fame.

Col Blaik

"I never coached a team that gave me more than you did. I never have coached a team that has given me as much satisfaction. Considering all the conditions since 1951, you have done more for football at West Point than any other team in the history of the Academy."

The Nomination Letters and Bob Mischak's Letter are at

http://forwhattheygaveonsaturdayafternoon.com/wp-letters/bob-class