SOUTH BEND, IND, Aug. 14 -- Murry Bowden '70 was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, along with 22 other players and coaches.
Bowden, known as the "Reckless Rover", was known for his tough play at linebacker. While only 5"11, 185 pounds, his penchant for creaming larger opposing players required Bowden to wear a brace to keep his shoulder in place. Led by Bowden, the dominant Dartmouth defense recorded six shutouts and allowed only 42 points his entire senior season. The 1970 season schedule shows Dartmouth beating UMass 27-0, Holy Cross 50-14, Princeton 38-0, Brown 42-14, Harvard 37-10, Yale 10-0, clobbering Columbia 55-0, Cornell 24-0, and Penn 28-0 to finish with a 9-0 record.
These statistics led Dartmouth to be rated second in the nation in total defense, first in scoring defense, and in the top ten nationwide in five other defensive categories. With this stifling defense, the Big Green won the Lambert Trophy, given to the number one team in the East along with their second of five consecutive Ivy League titles. In addition to being Dartmouth team captain and first team All-America, Bowden was selected to first team All-ECAC, All-East, and All-Ivy League. At the end of 1970, Dartmouth was ranked 13th and 14th in the nation's Division 1-A polls, ahead of schools such as USC, Penn State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Colorado. That finish marked the last time an Ivy League school has ever been ranked in the nation's top twenty-five.
Bowden, a psychology major and member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, graduated cum laude in 1971. After Dartmouth, Bowden moved back to Texas where he became a partner at The Hanover Company in Houston, Tex. Bowden has also kept active in Dartmouth life, as he has been co-chairman of the Dartmouth Alumni Council, and his son Brandt was a member of the Class of 2000.
To be considered for induction to the College Football Hall of Fame, a player must meet three criteria. Most importantly, the player must have been selected to the first-team All-America. Secondly, a player must be ten years removed from the college game, less than fifty years, and retired from professional football. Lastly, the football player must have proven "himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community."
Other notable inductees included Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State, Joe Theismann of Notre Dame, Darrell Green of Texas A & I, and Coach Hayden Fry of Iowa.
The Enshrinement weekend kicked off the morning of Aug. 13 with the Mayor's Breakfast followed by an afternoon of golf. On Friday night, the College Football Hall of Fame held their version of a cocktail party, which offered little besides beer. Visitors took in the College Football Hall of Fame exhibits which had interactive trivia games, passing games, and assorted memorabilia. With respect to the Ivy League, there was an abundance of Harvard/Yale highlights and little of other teams.
On Saturday, the 22 inductees held a press conference with local and national media. Afterwards, the inductees held a youth football clinic and then played in their own flag football game. The highlight of the weekend was the Enshrinement Reception and Banquet. The audience was littered with athletic directors and coaches from many football powerhouses. It was also announced that Bowden had been tapped to serve on the National Football Foundation Board of Directors.
One of the inductees, Dan Ross of Northeastern had this to say about being inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame, "I've played in Pro Bowls. I've played in the Super Bowl. I hold the record for passes caught in the Super Bowl, and I thought I reached the top of the football ladder. But nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to this."
Bowden becomes the 11th Dartmouth player or coach to be inducted joining Bob Blackman, Frank Cavanaugh, and Andy Oberlander to name a few. It had been 27 years since Dartmouth's last football player, Bob McCleod, was inducted in 1977. Because Dartmouth has moved down from Division 1-A to Division I-AA, Bowden in all likelihood will be the last Dartmouth football player inducted into Division 1-A College Football Hall of Fame.
