Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

[rabidrabbit]

Re: Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

We all (well, at least I do) have some bias when it comes to remembering the greats from 'back in the day'.



His senior year was 72-73...drafted by Houston Rockets. Also had several NFL teams take hard looks at him as a receiver. Hands were bigger than the biggest tennis racket heads. He and teammate Dave Thomas were listed as 6-6. From the Hall of Fame pages on GoJacks.com:

Some called them the best forward combination to ever play in the North Central Conference. John Egan, longtime sports editor of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader wrote: "Who's better, Dave or Lee? Who's got the best chance in pro ball? Which is the better scorer, rebounder, feeder, defensive player? The questions are academic, really, because Jim Marking had Dave AND Lee. Thomas and Colburn, that is, and they had amazingly similar senior seasons for South Dakota State's Jackrabbits.”

The duo of 6-foot-6 South Dakota natives — Colburn from Brookings and Thomas from Hitchcock — were inducted in the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame at the Festival of Champions October 2, 1999. Colburn and Thomas wrote an impressive book of statistics in their four-year careers....

IIRC, they only had three years, as frosh couldn't play back in the day. Caught them in the road race called basketball under Marking against UND in the Barn. The place was a firetrap due to all the people, but MAN what a duo.

[1bunnies]

Re: Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

IIRC, they only had three years, as frosh couldn't play back in the day. Caught them in the road race called basketball under Marking against UND in the Barn. The place was a firetrap due to all the people, but MAN what a duo.

Thomas and Colburn were elgible as Freshmen. That was the first year Freshmen were elgible. Thomas graduated from Onida HS. He was on their championship team that defeated DeSmet 93-90 in the best championship game ever.

[Nidaros]

Re: Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

Thomas and Colburn were elgible as Freshmen. That was the first year Freshmen were elgible. Thomas graduated from Onida HS. He was on their championship team that defeated DeSmet 93-90 in the best championship game ever.

Because Thomas's father was a clergyman, they moved around a great deal. I watched a March of Dimes double hitter in Sioux Falls, maybe 1965. Gene Zulk played for Spencer in that game and they were pitted against Alexandria, and the Thomas brothers. Both Zulk and Thomas looked very impressive and I doubt either were seniors. Also Edgerton played someone else but they had Schoolmeester another SDSU great. No doubt Marking or his assistant were in the crowd that night.

I believe the Thomas's went from Alexandia to Onida. Did not know that they lived Hitchcock, but that could be the susbsequent home for the Thomas family

[1bunnies]

Re: Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

Because Thomas's father was a clergyman, they moved around a great deal. I watched a March of Dimes double hitter in Sioux Falls, maybe 1965. Gene Zulk played for Spencer in that game and they were pitted against Alexandria, and the Thomas brothers. Both Zulk and Thomas looked very impressive and I doubt either were seniors. Also Edgerton played someone else but they had Schoolmeester another SDSU great. No doubt Marking or his assistant were in the crowd that night.

I believe the Thomas's went from Alexandia to Onida. Did not know that they lived Hitchcock, but that could be the susbsequent home for the Thomas family

You are correct in that they moved around. John and Mel played at Alexandria. Dave was younger.

[Roy]

Re: Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

Herb Bartling! As a kid from Watertown and a scrub on Red Clinkers Arrows I went to the 1947 Hobo Day game with my sister (she enrolled at State in 1948) and an uncle. We sat in the west end zone and I watched a T formation quarterback execute the T formation to perfection. First time I had ever seen the T. I cannot describe the options he had as he would start left or right, hand off, toss out, dive through the line or back up to pass. Awesome! Remember it as if it were yesterday Thanks for the memories! R.

[Nidaros]

Re: Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

Herb Bartling! As a kid from Watertown and a scrub on Red Clinkers Arrows I went to the 1947 Hobo Day game with my sister (she enrolled at State in 1948) and an uncle. We sat in the west end zone and I watched a T formation quarterback execute the T formation to perfection. First time I had ever seen the T. I cannot describe the options he had as he would start left or right, hand off, toss out, dive through the line or back up to pass. Awesome! Remember it as if it were yesterday Thanks for the memories! R.

The T formation seem to be what Ralph Ginn knew best and I believe he kept it into the 1960's, but offense started to change a great deal about that time. Seems like Ralph always had a powerful fullback. Bob Betz comes to mind as does Al Breske and Joe Thorne who all had good blocking and move the ball little by little, much like Stig's backs, but maybe starting the play closer to the line of scrimmage. There was nothing fancy about Ralph's t formation, but it won him 136 games and 9 NCC titles.

I believe Ralph coached Herb Bartling and a few other Jacks in high school at Brookings High School. I don't know what his record was at BHS, but apparently he was good enough to be hired by SDSU. Can you imagine Gary Maffett, current BHS coach replacing Stig? Not likely to happen in this current day and age.

[boxerboy]

Re: Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

The T formation seem to be what Ralph Ginn knew best and I believe he kept it into the 1960's, but offense started to change a great deal about that time. Seems like Ralph always had a powerful fullback. Bob Betz comes to mind as does Al Breske and Joe Thorne who all had good blocking and move the ball little by little, much like Stig's backs, but maybe starting the play closer to the line of scrimmage. There was nothing fancy about Ralph's t formation, but it won him 136 games and 9 NCC titles.

I believe Ralph coached Herb Bartling and a few other Jacks in high school at Brookings High School. I don't know what his record was at BHS, but apparently he was good enough to be hired by SDSU. Can you imagine Gary Maffett, current BHS coach replacing Stig? Not likely to happen in this current day and age.

Your post re. Ralph Ginn reminded me of my favorite pro football team and their fight song, One line goes, "we'll never forget how you thrilled the nation with your T formation." Ralph and Papa Bear even looked similar if my memory is correct.

[Nidaros]

Re: Who is your all-time favorte Jackrabbit?

Your post re. Ralph Ginn reminded me of my favorite pro football team and their fight song, One line goes, "we'll never forget how you thrilled the nation with your T formation." Ralph and Papa Bear even looked similar if my memory is correct.

I am Ralph had to get some ideas about coaching somewhere, and George Halas would have been about as good as you can get and I dont think he wrote many books so who knows where is information came from. George and the NFL have some very humble beginnings but to post here would be thread drift.