1944 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1944 Alabama Crimson Tide football Southeastern Conference SEC 5–2–2 3–1–2 Frank Thomas 13th Joe Domnanovich Denny StadiumLegion FieldCramton Bowl Sugar Bowl L Lost 26–29 vs. Duke 1942 The 1944 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1944 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 50th overall and 11th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas, in his 13th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. They finished the season with a record of five wins, two losses and two ties (5–2–2 overall, 3–1–2 in the SEC) and with a loss in the Sugar Bowl against Duke. After a tie against LSU to open the season, Alabama then defeated both Howard and Millsaps before they dueled Tennessee to a scoreless tie in the fourth week. The Crimson Tide then defeated Kentucky before they suffered their only regular season loss against Georgia. Alabama then closed the season with wins over both Ole Miss and Mississippi State and secured a position in the Sugar Bowl where they lost to Duke. The 1944 squad marked the return of football at Alabama after a one-year hiatus for the 1943 season due to the effects of World War II. However, as the war effort was ongoing at that time, the 1944 team was composed of players who were either too young and/or physically unable to enlist in the military.Al Browning Gilmer leader for War Babies https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=by4dAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_J0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6631%2C5316622 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News April 20, 1978 15 August 26, 2012 As the squad was generally smaller than both previous Alabama squads and than many they competed against, coach Thomas called this and the 1945 team the "War Babies."Legends of Alabama Football Scott Richard 2004 Sports Publishing, LLC New York, NY 9781582612775 65–66 Schedule 1944 AP September 30 t y LSU Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA rivalry 27–27 32,000 October 7 w y Howard (AL) Legion Field Birmingham, AL 63–7 5,000 October 14 w y Millsaps Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL 55–0 October 21 t y Tennessee 17 Shields-Watkins Field Knoxville, TN Third Saturday in October 0–0 32,000 October 27 w Kentucky Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL 41–0 16,000 November 4 l 19 Georgia Legion Field Birmingham, AL rivalry 7–14 22,000 November 11 w Ole Miss Murphy High School Stadium Mobile, AL rivalry 34–6 8,000 November 18 w y Mississippi State 16 Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL rivalry 19–0 23,000 January 1, 1945 l y y Duke 11 Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA Sugar Bowl 26–29 66,822 http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-results-archive.html#1944 1944 Alabama football schedule RollTide.com University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics June 11, 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20111125000700/http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-results-archive.html November 25, 2011 Rankings 1944 college football rankings AP 1 9 NR NR NR 19т NR NR 13 16 NR Game summaries LSU 1944 LSU Tigers football team Alabama 7 14 6 0 LSU 7 7 7 6 September 30 Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA 32,000 Source:Alabama–LSU grid battle ends in 27–27 deadlock https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2-U-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6496%2C3634673 Associated Press Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News October 1, 1944 6 August 26, 2012 In what marked the return of Alabama football for the first time since the 1942 season, the Crimson Tide met LSU for the first time since 1930 and left Baton Rouge with a 27–27 tie to open the season.1944 Season Recap LSU scored first on a 76-yard, Elwyn Rowan touchdown run in the first minute of play for a 7–0 Tigers' lead. Alabama tied the game at 7–7 by the end of the quarter when Lowell Tew scored on a two-yard run to cap a drive that started from the LSU ten-yard line after a Ray Coates fumble was recovered by James Pearl. The Tigers retook a 14–7 lead early in the second quarter when Y. A. Tittle threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Dan Sandifer. However, the Crimson Tide responded with touchdown runs of 16-yards by Tew and 24-yards by Harry Gilmer for a 21–14 halftime lead. The Tigers again tied the game in the third when Felix Trapani blocked a John Wade punt and returned it 26-yards for a touchdown. On the kickoff that ensued, Gilmer returned it 95-yards for a touchdown, for a 27–21 lead after a missed extra point by Hugh Morrow. Clyde Lindsey tied the game at 27 for LSU in the fourth after he both blocked and returned an Alabama kick, but Andrew Lay missed the extra point to make the final score 27–27. Howard (AL) 1944 Howard Bulldogs football team Howard 0 0 0 7 Alabama 0 14 28 21 October 7 Legion FieldBirmingham, AL 5,000 Source:Norman Bassett Alabama reserves sparkle in 63–7 win over Howard https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4eU-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6431%2C3931109 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News October 8, 1944 6 August 26, 2012 In the first Legion Field game of the season, Alabama defeated Howard (now Samford University) 63–7 in a game that featured 49, second half points. After a scoreless first quarter, Lowell Tew scored both of the Alabama touchdowns in the second quarter on a 35-yard interception return and on a 21-yard touchdown run for a 14–0 halftime lead. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with four touchdowns in the third and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Third-quarter touchdowns were scored by Norwood Hodges and John Hite twice on runs and by Jim Rupich on a blocked punt recovery. Fourth-quarter touchdowns were scored on touchdown passes from George Albright to Lacey West (34 and 55-yards) and to Carlos Izaguirre (49-yards). Millsaps 1944 Millsaps Majors football team Millsaps 0 0 0 0 Alabama 7 6 21 21 October 14 Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL Source:Norman Bassett Tide power sweeps over Millsaps on 55–0 count https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5uU-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6465%2C4235830 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News October 15, 1944 10 August 26, 2012 In the first Denny Stadium game of the season, Alabama shutout the Millsaps Majors 55–0 in a game that featured 42, second half points. The Crimson Tide took a 13–0 halftime lead after touchdown runs of one-yard by Norwood Hodges in the first and four-yards by James "Shorty" Robertson in the second. They extended their lead to 34–0 at the end of the third with touchdowns scored on a one-yard Hal Self run, a six-yard Harry Gilmer run and on an 11-yard Hodges run. Alabama then concluded with three fourth-quarter touchdowns on a 12-yard Ed Podbielniak run, a short Self run and on a 19-yard John Hite run. Tennessee 1944 Tennessee Volunteers football team Third Saturday in October Alabama 0 0 0 0 #17 Tennessee 0 0 0 0 October 21 Shields-Watkins FieldKnoxville, TN 32,000 Source:Norman Bassett Alabama–Tennessee battle ends in scoreless tie https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6OU-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6467%2C4501942 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News October 22, 1944 6 August 26, 2012UPI Tennessee and Alabama scrap to scoreless deadlock https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yl0sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C8sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6651%2C4452107 Google News Archives Spartanburg Herold-Journal October 22, 1944 23 August 26, 2012 Against the Volunteers, Alabama settled for a 0–0 tie before 32,000 fans at Shields-Watkins Field. In a game dominated by both defenses, Tennessee stopped Alabama drives three times from within their own 30-yard line in the fourth quarter to preserve the tie score. Kentucky 1944 Kentucky Wildcats football team Kentucky 0 0 0 0 Alabama 7 20 14 0 October 27 Cramton BowlMontgomery, AL 16,000 Source:Tide offense tramples Kentucky in 41–0 win https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7eU-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6580%2C4817056 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News October 29, 1942 10 August 26, 2012 At the Cramton Bowl, the Crimson Tide shutout the Wildcats 41–0 for their first conference victory of the season. Harry Gilmer scored the first touchdown for Alabama on a 41-yard run for a 7–0 lead after the first. In the second, Gilmer scored again on a short run and threw touchdown passes to George Albright and Hugh Morrow for a 27–0 halftime lead. John Hite was then responsible for the final two touchdowns of the game with his six-yard pass to Ralph Jones and his 41-yard interception return. Georgia 1944 Georgia Bulldogs football team Georgia 0 0 7 7 #19 Alabama 0 7 0 0 November 4 Legion FieldBirmingham, AL 22,000 Source:Georgia rallies in last half to beat Tide, 14–7 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8-U-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6515%2C5142161 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News November 5, 1944 6 August 26, 2012Georgia upsets Alabama, 14–7 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q1kbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nkwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2164%2C861541 UP Google News Archives The Pittsburgh Press October 31, 1944 7 August 26, 2012 After their victory over Kentucky, Alabama entered the weekly AP Poll for the first time during the season at the No. 19 position.Army replaces Notre Dame https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7-U-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6434%2C4931079 Associated Press Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News October 31, 1944 7 August 26, 2012 Although the Crimson Tide led 7–0 at halftime, a pair of second half touchdowns gave the Bulldogs the 17–7 victory at Legion Field. Fred Grant scored the only Alabama points of the game with his five-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Down by a touchdown, Charles Smith tied the game with his three-yard run in the third and Stan Nestorak scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth with his three-yard run. Ole Miss 1944 Ole Miss Rebels football team Ole Miss 0 6 0 0 Alabama 21 0 0 13 November 11 Murphy H.S. StadiumMobile, AL 8,000 Source:Leroy Simms Alabama romps on Rebels to the tune of 34 to 6 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-eU-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6408%2C5477140 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News November 12, 1944 6 August 26, 2012 In what was the first game played against Ole Miss since the 1933 season, Alabama defeated the Rebels 34–6 tie in Mobile.Tide renews Rebel rivalry https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9-U-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5887%2C5392464 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News November 9, 1944 9 August 26, 2012 The Crimson Tide took control early with a three touchdown first quarter on a Fred Grant run, 48-yard Lowell Tew run and a short George Albright run. The Rebels' responded with their only points of the game in the second on a 29-yard Johnnie Bruce touchdown pass to Clyde Hooker to make the halftime score 21–6. After a scoreless third, a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns were scored on runs by John Hite and Grant to make the final score 34–6. Mississippi State 1944 Mississippi State Maroons football team #16 Mississippi State 0 0 0 0 Alabama 7 6 6 0 November 18 Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL 23,000 Source:Norman Bassett State knocked from undefeated ranks as Tide scores 19–0 win https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_-U-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6430%2C5774644 Google News Archives The Tuscaloosa News 6 November 19, 1944 August 26, 2012 On what was homecoming before the largest crowd to date at Denny Stadium, Alabama upset an undefeated Mississippi State Maroons squad 19–0 in Tuscaloosa. After Harry Gilmer fumbled the opening kickoff to give the Maroons excellent field position, Fred Grant returned an interception 87-yards for a 7–0 lead. The other two Alabama touchdowns were scored on runs by Lowell Tew and Grant. Duke 1944 Duke Blue Devils football team Sugar Bowl Alabama 12 7 0 7 #11 Duke 7 6 7 9 January 1 Tulane StadiumNew Orleans, LA 32,000 Source:Duke rally in final minutes beats fighting Tide in Sugar Bowl clash https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IPE-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=SE0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6358%2C32972 The Tuscaloosa News 7 January 2, 1945 August 26, 2012 On November 25, university officials announced that Alabama had accepted a bid to play in the 1945 Sugar Bowl against the Duke Blue Devils.Duke and Alabama Chosen for Sugar Bowl https://www.nytimes.com/1944/11/26/archives/duke-and-alabama-chosen-for-sugar-bowl-dallas-picks-tcu-and.html The New York Times Associated Press November 26, 1944 August 26, 2012 In the game, the Crimson Tide were defeated 29–26 before 66,822 fans at Tulane Stadium after Duke score a late, game-winning touchdown. The Blue Devils took an early 7–0 on a 14-yard George Clark run before a pair of one-yard, Norwood Hodges touchdown runs gave the Crimson Tide a 12–7 lead at the end of the first. Alabama extended their lead further to 19–7 after Harry Gilmer threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ralph Jones. Duke responded with a pair of short, Tom Davis touchdown runs to take a 10–19 lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth, Hugh Morrow had a touchdown on a 78-yard interception return; however, the Crimson Tide lost the game after Gilmer took a safety and George Clark scored the game-winning points on a 20-yard run. Personnel Varsity letter winners Player Hometown Position Francis Cassidy Neff, Ohio Tackle William Conway Birmingham, Alabama Guard Marion Edwards Attalla, Alabama Tackle William Fields Nashville, Tennessee End Bruno Filippini Powhatan Point, Ohio Guard Harry Gilmer Birmingham, Alabama Halfback Fred Grant Christiansburg, Virginia Fullback John Hite Nashville, Tennessee Halfback Norwood Hodges Hueytown, Alabama Fullback Ralph Jones Florence, Alabama End Vaughn Mancha Birmingham, Alabama Center Frank McAlpine Boligee, Alabama Fullback John McConville Wheeling, West Virginia End Hugh Morrow Birmingham, Alabama Quarterback James Pearl Connellsville, Pennsylvania End James Robertson Scottsboro, Alabama Halfback Hal Self Decatur, Alabama Quarterback Lowell Tew Waynesboro, Mississippi Fullback Wayne Walker Martha, Tennessee Tackle Tom Whitley Birmingham, Alabama Tackle John Wozniak Fairhope, Pennsylvania GuardReference:2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book 2011 All-Time Tide Football Lettermen University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office Tuscaloosa, Alabama 127–141 Coaching staff Name Position Seasons atAlabama Alma mater Frank Thomas Head coach 13 Notre Dame (1923) Lew Bostick Assistant coach 2 Alabama (1939) Ellis "Red" Houston Assistant coach 1 Alabama (1933) Malcolm Laney Assistant coach 1 Alabama (1932)Reference:2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book 2011 All-Time Assistant Coaches University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office Tuscaloosa, Alabama 142–143 NFL draft On April 8, 1945, the National Football League held its ninth draft. In the draft, Johnny August was selected as the fifth pick in the eighth round (70th overall) by the Cleveland Rams, Jack Aland was selected as the fifth pick in the 13th round (125th overall) by the Cleveland Rams, Hal Self was selected as the second pick in the 14th round (133rd overall) by the Brooklyn Tigers, Bobby Tom Jenkins was selected as the sixth pick in the 17th round (170th overall) by the Washington Redskins, Jim McWhorter was selected as the sixth pick in the 18th round (181st overall) by the Detroit Lions, Norm Mosley was selected as the ninth pick in the 23rd round (239th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles, Jack Green was selected as the sixth pick in the 25th round (258th overall) by the Chicago Bears, Charles Compton was selected as the fifth pick in the 30th round (312th overall) by the Cleveland Rams, Ken Reese was selected as the fourth pick in the 31st round (322nd overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles and John Staples was selected as the fifth pick in the 32nd round (329th overall) by the New York Giants.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/colleges/alabama/drafted.htm Alabama Drafted Players/Alumni August 26, 2012 Sports Reference, LLC Pro-Football-Reference.com See also 1943 Alabama Informals football team the team that unofficially represented the University of Alabama in 1943. References General http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/alab/graphics/docs/44-m-footbl-recaps.pdf 1944 Season Recap RollTide.com University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics June 11, 2012 PDF April 25, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140425164526/http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/alab/graphics/docs/44-m-footbl-recaps.pdf dead Specific Alabama Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons Alabama Crimson Tide football