1943-44 Cotton Bowl
Charm presented by Cotton Bowl to team players
Some of the content is compliments of Larry Bob Moore. His father played for Randolph Field in the 1944 Cotton Bowl game against Texas #56.
The war effort depleted the talent pool of college football teams, so the decision-makers chose to remedy this problem to bolster both civilian and military morale. Former college players in campus-based military training programs such as the Navy’s V-12 were allowed to play for host colleges. Meanwhile, other former college players and even coaches were involved in what was called “service teams.” Randolph Field was one of those teams.
Fifteen thousand fans saw the #14 Texas Longhorns struggle to a 7-7 tie with Randolph Field.
The photos below are the Randolph Field team, the watch, and charm presented to the participants in the Cotton Bowl game. Look closely at the clock engraving at the top and bottom of the watch.
Bennett Harrison remembers the game.
The game was played in two inches of mud and constant cold rain. Thirty thousand tickets were purchased, but the weather forced half of the crowd to stay at home. The Randolph Field team name was the Ramblers; Glen Dobbs from Tulsa U. quarterbacked the team. He later became their Head Coach. Dobbs was also the nation’s leading punter. Dobbs threw a touchdown pass to his pet receiver Tex Aulds, a Corpus Christi native who had not played any college football. Texas completed only one pass, but it was a 35-yard touchdown throw from halfback Ralph Ellsworth to end George McCall.
Dobbs was named outstanding back for the game, and Rambler tackle Martin Ruby, who had played in two previous Cotton Bowls (1941 and 1942) for Texas A&M, won the top lineman voting.
