Harold Griffin (American football)

Harold Griffin
Florida Gators
Position Halfback
Career history
College Florida (1946–1949)
High school Hillsborough (Tampa, FL)
Personal information
Date of birth c. 1929
Weight 165 lb (75 kg)
Career highlights and awards

Harold Griffin (born c. 1929) is a former American football player. He played college football as a back for the Florida Gators football team. He led the NCAA major college players in 1946 with an average of 20.1 yards per punt return and set an unofficial national collegiate record with an average of 26.7 yards per return in 1947.

Early years

Griffin grew up in Tampa, Florida, and attended Hillsborough High School where he was selected as an All-Southern high school player in 1945.[1][2][3]

University of Florida

Griffin enrolled at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, after first enrolling at Auburn University.[4] He shared the Gators' backfield with Chuck Hunsinger from 1946 to 1949.[5][6] As a freshman in 1946, he led all NCAA major college players with an average of 20.1 yards per punt return.[7] On October 19, 1946, he returned a punt 98 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown in Florida's homecoming game against Miami.[8][9] He returned another punt 87 yards during the 1946 season,[10] and on November 23, 1946, he ran 73 yards for Florida's only touchdown against NC State.[11]

As a sophomore in 1947, Griffin reportedly set a new national record with an average of 26.7 yards per punt return, including returns of 67 and 90 yards.[12] On November 14, 1947, he also returned a punt 46 yards with two minutes remaining in the game to set up the Gators' tying touchdown against Tulane.[13] On October 1, 1949, he returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown in a victory over Tulsa.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "All-Southern Prep". Kingsport (Tenn.) Times-News. December 23, 1946. p. 6.
  2. ↑ "Two Tampa Football Players Awarded Berths On All-Southern Prep Squad". The Palm Beach Post. December 23, 1945.
  3. ↑ "All Big-Ten". The Evening Independent. December 15, 1945.
  4. ↑ "Hillsborouh Grid Star Changes Mind". The Palm Beach Post. April 20, 1946.
  5. ↑ "Gators Entrain For Tilt With Tulane". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. October 4, 1946.
  6. ↑ "Gators To Start Secret Practices". The Evening Independent. September 1947.
  7. ↑ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. 2015. p. 72.
  8. ↑ "Miami Comes From Behind To Defeat Florida, 20-13". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. October 20, 1946. p. 11.
  9. ↑ "State '11' Held Lead At Half". The Palm Beach Post. October 20, 1946.
  10. ↑ "Dangerous Anywhere". The Monroe News-Star. September 26, 1947. p. 13.
  11. ↑ "Florida Gators Lose To Wolfpack". Cumberland Sunday Times. November 24, 1946. p. 30.
  12. ↑ "Net Returns". Council Bluffs (Iowa) Nonpareil. October 10, 1948. p. 37.(Note: The NCAA does not recognize Griffin's 26.7 yard average in 1947, presumably because he did not have enough returns. The NCAA record book recognizes Gene Derricotte as the 1947 with an average of 24.8 yard per punt return in 1947.)
  13. ↑ "Tulane, Florida Scrap To Tie In Action-Packed Game". Monroe Morning World. November 16, 1947. p. 10.
  14. ↑ "Florida Dumps Tulsans, 40-7". Miami (Okla.) Daily News-Record. October 2, 1949. p. 5.
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