Famed Alabama quarterback Clell Hobson turns 92
Today, Clell “Butch” Hobson Sr. is celebrating his 92nd birthday. The Tuscaloosa native is one of the oldest living former University of Alabama quarterbacks. Tot Fikes, who quarterbacked the two-hand touch women’s football team from the 1940s, is technically the oldest living quarterback for the University of Alabama. The University of Alabama discontinued women’s football after one of the players was seriously injured. Alabama Today spoke on Sunday with his son, Clell “Butch” Hobson Jr., about his father’s career. Hobson played for Coach Harold Drew, who was head coach of the University of Alabama from 1947 to 1954. Drew succeeded legendary Coach Frank Thomas. Hobson lettered for Alabama in 1950, 1951, and 1952. Alabama finished 9-2, 5-6, and 10-2 during Hobson’s career. Freshmen were not allowed to play during that era. Hobson will be one of this year’s Grand Marshalls at the West Alabama Christmas Parade on December 5 in Tuscaloosa. The University of Alabama was 10 and 2 in Hobson’s senior year in 1952. That season was capped off with an Orange Bowl victory over Syracuse. Even though most teams in those days preferred to run the ball, Hobson threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Luna for Alabama’s first score of the game. Syracuse tightened the game to 7 to 6 in the first quarter, but Alabama blew the game open in the second quarter. Hobson’s 50-yard pass to Thomas Tharp made it a 21 to 6 game. Eventually, Hobson’s backup quarterback, Bart Starr, would come into the game. He also threw a touchdown as Alabama routed the Syracuse Orangemen 61 to 6. The game is still the largest margin of victory for a Tide team in a bowl in program history and was the largest margin of victory in any bowl game until 2008. Hobson had 107 completions for 1,299 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career at Alabama. He also rushed 164 times for 453 yards. Following his career at the University, he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians organization as well as by the Cleveland Browns. Hobson chose to make baseball his career. He spent several years in the minor league but never was called up to the majors. Once his playing career was over, he returned to the University of Alabama as a graduate assistant under legendary football Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Hobson spent many years coaching high school football in Alabama before moving into administration, where he became a vice principal. His son, Butch, followed in his father’s footsteps playing both football and baseball as his father had done. “I learned a lot from my father and Coach Bryant,” the younger Hobson, now age 71, said. The younger Hobson also played quarterback for the University of Alabama and also went on to play minor-league baseball. Butch gave up football in his senior season to focus on baseball. Butch would play in the Boston Red Sox farm system, though, unlike his father, Butch was eventually called up to the major leagues, where he played for eight seasons, six of them for the Red Sox. Butch followed his father into coaching, going on to manage numerous minor league baseball teams. From 1992 to 1994, he managed the MLB Red Sox. Now 71, he is still in baseball as the manager of the Chicago Dogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. The elder Hobson is still not a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Butch said that he has forwarded information on his father to the Hall and hopes that he will be in the next class. “I would like to get this done for my dad before he dies,” Hobson told Alabama Today. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Gary Shelton: Even in loss, Alabama is still football royalty
Now about this: They lost, which doesn’t happen often. They gave up the winning touchdown late, which is rare. Their defense gave out of gas, which was amazing to see. Still, in all, the University of Alabama is still one of the nation’s premier football teams as far as legacy. Before you chide the Tide, think of it this way: What other program would dare to be disappointed by finishing second in the nation. Ah, but Alabama is the home of national championships, houndstooth hats and lore. And know this: When the Tide lose, it’s generally because another legend has been born. The Tide had never faced a quarterback like Watson in any of their national championship seasons. Monday night, it was Deshaun Watson, who led Clemson on an incredible comeback. In two years, Watson has thrown for 825 yards and seven touchdowns. What other quarterback has ever done that on a national stage? Still, Alabama’s place in college football is likely to be unchanged. Who would you pick as next year’s national champion? ESPN says Alabama. So does Bleacher Report. How about the year after? The year after that? As long as Nick Saban is steering the machine, the Tide is expected to be elite. It has always been this way. In one poll or another, Alabama has won a version of 16 national championships. Wallace Wade. Frank Thomas. Bear Bryant. Gene Stallings. Saban. The first beat I ever had in journalism as Alabama. I covered Bryant’s last two titles at the school, and there was no other place quite like it. The Tide came opponents in waves, with their tearaway jerseys and Bryant’s leather-skin and his smoke-tinged voice. Alabama had too much defense, too much precision on offense, too many players, too much history. Bryant would win six titles, and although his team lost its bowl games in 1964 and 1973, people tend to forget 1966. That year, the Tide was a two-time defending champion and the only unbeaten and untied team in the country … and finished third after Notre Dame and Michigan State played to a tie. Eventually, Bryant has morphed into Saban who, frankly, has it harder. In his early years, Bryant could lose a bowl game and still win a national title. He lost to Southern Cal in the 1978 regular season, but earned a split. He never had to negotiate a playoff run, which can be tricky. Still, Saban has been successful with a distinct formula. The Tide plays superb defense. It usually has a great running back. And it often plays around its quarterback. This time, freshman Jalen Hurts wasn’t good enough. What both Bryant and Saban did was win most of the time. It is still unexpected to see an Alabama coach at the podium following a loss. It’s a sun-setting-in-the-south sort of feeling. Today, the Alabama Crimson Tide is no longer a champion. Just royalty. ___ Gary Shelton is one of the most recognized and honored sportswriters in the history of Florida. He has won the APSE’s national columnist of the year twice and finished in the top 10 eight times. He was named the Florida Sports Writer of the Year six times. Over his time in sports writing, Gary has covered 29 Super Bowls, 10 Olympics, Final Fours, Masters, Wimbledons and college national championships. He was there when the Bucs won a Super Bowl, when the Lightning won a Stanley Cup and when the Rays went to a World Series. He has seen Florida, FSU and Miami all win national championships, and he covered Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden and Don Shula along the way. He and his wife Janet have four children: Eric, Kevin, K.C. and Tori. To contact, visit garysheltonsports@gmail.com
