When greatness and fame are achieved elsewhere, sometimes it takes more than a biographical sketch to tap into the formative years.
But Baugh, a Temple native who died Dec. 17 in Rotan, was very much involved in sports at Temple High School before moving to Sweetwater, graduating and embarking on one of the most storied collegiate and professional football careers in history.
During his Temple days he wasn’t “Sammy.” Formally it was Sam. Casually it was “Buddy.”
Prior to going out for football in 1930, Buddy Baugh was primarily known for his prowess on Woodson Field’s baseball diamond, not gridiron.
He was already becoming a fixture either at shortstop or third base, where his sidearm throws across the infield later earned him the nickname “Slingin’ Sammy.” Baugh figured he would be a pro baseball player and he did play briefly in the St. Louis Cardinals chain. He was also one of Temple’s better basketball players.
Baugh decided to put football back in his sporting repertoire when the call went out for players in September of 1930. And Temple needed help. Expectations weren’t high after the Wildcats lost several players from the ’29 team that had a “disappointing” 6-3-1 campaign.
It was such that Temple coach Bill Henderson announced he was completely revamping the offense. The Wildcats would move from the staid tackle-to-tackle, run-oriented scheme to a wide-open style with shift formations, spinners and the precarious forward pass.
“I’m going to change the usual style of our offense,” Henderson said. “It’s going to be hard to do. We likely will look sick in our first game or two until we get things worked out. But it will be worth it.”
Henderson felt he had the right people for the transformation. Jack “Jelly” Morris, Roy “Blue Blaze” Caffey, Elbert Attaway were speedsters in the backfield and Garland “Warhorse” Pickett was a sure-handed left end. Baugh, who wore No. 14, managed to earn a starting spot at right end for the opener against Taylor, with veteran Morris getting the nod at quarterback.
After the Wildcats’ 19-0 victory over the Ducks, the Telegram reported that Baugh showed an “indication of being a real linesman.” Baugh caught a 39-yard touchdown pass in a 47-6 win over Cameron the following week.
Baugh played quarterback for the first time three weeks later, subbing in for Morris in a 13-0 victory over Hillsboro. The Telegram report stated that Baugh “directed the team well and did some fair plunging himself.”
A few weeks later, Baugh started at quarterback for the first time in the annual rivalry game against Belton. Morris and a few others were hampered by injuries, but Baugh played admirably in a 25-0 Temple victory.
It was the last triumph for the Wildcats.
Corsicana trounced Temple 50-0 the following week and Waco routed the Wildcats 60-0 on Thanksgiving Day to close Temple’s season at 5-4. Baugh drew the start at quarterback for the finale. The Wildcats completed six of 25 passes for 136 yards, with two interceptions. The follow-up report claimed: “Baugh’s passing stood out as the only Temple threat. He threw many right in the receivers’ hands, but they dropped them.”
The 60-0 defeat still stands as the most lopsided loss in Temple history. Ten years later Baugh played for a Washington Redskins team that lost 73-0 to the Chicago Bears in the NFL championship game, which remains the biggest spread in league history. Baugh told Dallas sportswriter Frank Luksa many years later that the 1930 Wildcats were “about the sorriest team Temple ever had.”
Only Pickett was named first-team all-district for Temple. Sam Turner, Ebb White and Nath Cawthon were second-teamers. The man later considered by many to be the greatest all-around football player in history didn’t even get an honorable mention.
Baugh was thought of well enough by season’s end to be named team captain for the Wildcats’ 1931 squad. The Temple yearbook wrote, “Buddie will be a great leader for the Wildcats next year. This was his first year and he played like a veteran.” He also punted on occasion and played defense, a three-way threat he maintained throughout his career.
Baugh also had a fine 1930-31 season with the basketball team, immediately after which he was selected captain for the following season. He was a stellar third baseman and wielded a dangerous bat for the Wildcat baseball team. He occasionally pitched and threw a two-hitter and struck out 10 in beating Rogers 24-1.
The yearbook stated that Baugh was “one of the best that the Wildcats have had in recent years and shows promise of being one of the best baseball players in the history of Temple High School.” Baugh was also named class favorite.
However, neither Baugh nor Henderson returned in the fall of 1931.
In a controversial decision that April, the Temple school board declined to renew the popular Henderson’s contract and elevated Reagan Junior High School coach Red Forehand to take over. Henderson, who joined Rusty Russell in 1924 and took over in ’27, went 27-12-1 in four seasons.
Baugh was at the forefront of a charge by the players to save Henderson’s job. It almost worked. But Henderson was axed on a 3-2 decision a few weeks later, declining a compromise by Forehand to be Henderson’s assistant.
Soon after, Baugh moved with his family to Sweetwater, where he finished high school before going on to football immortality under the tutelage of legendary Texas Christian coach Dutch Meyer and then 16 years in a Hall of Fame career with the Redskins.
A younger neighbor of his, Ki Aldrich, added a dimension to Baugh’s Temple roots as his teammate at TCU and for several seasons in Washington.
Obviously, Baugh was gifted and Meyer deserves most of the credit for bringing out his talent. But the convergence of Baugh with Henderson might have planted the seed that eventually blossomed into football’s greatest quarterbacking pioneer.
twaits@temple-telegram.com
