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1935 Crippled Children's Clinic All-Star Game  


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          On Dec. 14, 1935, the first All-Star football game in the state was played in Birmingham. Proceeds from the game went to the Crippled Children's Clinic in Birmingham to aid unfortunate and under privileged crippled children. The clinic opened in 1929 with the hopes of helping children with polio.

          Seventy-three players made the trip and were divided into east and west teams. The West squad worked out at Munger Bowl on the Birmingham Southern campus. The team was coached by Jack Meagher of Auburn University and Jenks Gillem of Birmingham Southern.

          The East team was led by Frank Thomas of the University of Alabama with the assistance of Ray Davis Howard and Red Drew. The East team practiced at Berry Field at Howard College.

          The teams were made up of senior football players chosen by coaches throughout the state. They were selected as the year's best crop of future college stars for the game played at Legion Field.

          The West team won the game 14-7 on two touchdowns set up by blocked punts. The East squad jumped out to a 7-0 lead following a fumble by the West team near midfield. Halfback Eager from Ramsay scored on a one-yard run for the early lead. Noojin booted the extra point and the East led 7-0 late in the first quarter.

          Fred Innes from Tuscaloosa high school broke through the line to block a East punt and Myers from Walker County recovered the football in the end zone for a touchdown. The West squad tied the game on Salter's point after.

          The game-winning touchdown came just minutes later when Carl Jones, from Murphy, found Benny Allen of Jones Valley for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Salter again converted the extra point and the West led 14-7 as the first half ended.

         Although both teams threatened to score in the second half, neither team was able to cross the opponent's goal line.

         The contest was a one-time event as an all-star game. The following season the freshmen teams of Birmingham Southern and Howard met in the charity game. In 1943, the Crippled Children's Clinic Classic was born in Birmingham. The game matched local teams against each other after the regular season.

          The game was sponsored by the Monday Morning Quarterback Club and raised money in support of the Clinic until it closed in 1969. That first game in 1943 raised over $40,000 to aid needy children.



1935 Crippled Children's Clinic All-Star Game
WEST   EAST
Grady Elmore Pickens County LE Pearson Phillips Birmingham
F.A. Salter Hueytown LT Hobson Porter Scottsboro
Key Carbon Hill LG Laney Phillips Birmingham
Murphy Courington Walker County C Ed Sellers Ramsay
Johnny Clark Tuscaloosa RG Bruce Little Piedmont
Kincaid Bessemer RT Raymond Cunningham Piedmont
Morris Applebaum Ensley RE Douglas Huntsville
Benny Allen Jones Valley QB Noojin Ramsay
Eugene Jackson Decatur LHB Eagar Ramsay
Mims Ensley RHB Reeves Andalusia
Walter Holoman Bessemer FB Proctor Scottsboro
         
Substitutes   Substitutes
Jesse James     Clayton McCarroll  
Herman Cork     Jack Giles  
Albert McCorkle Deshler   Henry Harrington  
James Byrd Deshler   Corley Odom  
B.W. Carter     Nick Wilkinson  
Clyde Boozer Marengo County   Wilmot Brown Alexander City
Hubert Rogers     Raymond Cunningham Piedmont
Marshall Reddick Ensley   Frank Mintz Alexandria
Guy Lawler Hackleburg   Fred McCain  
Carl Jones Murphy   Paul Connor  
Ray Myers Walker   Manon Smith Lineville
Hasty Holloway Marengo County   Joe Middleton  
Pete Hicks Carbon Hill   Robert Miller Collinsville
Bryant Gorday Murphy   Richard McKay Tallassee
Joe Adams     Jim Moriarty  
Bernard Day     John Patterson  
Eugene Mays     Frank Landers Piedmont
Max Cantrell     Claude Kelley Cullman
Harvey Johnson     George Bailey Alexander City
Charles Heinton     Froal Martin Alexandria
Fred Innes Tuscaloosa   John Crider  
Anderson Padgett Hackleburg   Walter Merrill Andalusia
Leigh Van Hoose     Edward Richburg Opp
Archie Smith West End Birmingham   Joe Kirby Woodlawn
Walt Hewitt     George Burt  
      Charles Cotton Alexander City

David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org



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