Thomas Neil Bakke (February 27, 1926 – December 10, 1964) was an American football player, coach and military officer. He played college football for the Denver Pioneers and Navy Midshipmen, being captain of the 1950 team that defeated Army in one of college football's greatest upsets.
| Navy Midshipmen | |
|---|---|
| Position | End |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 27, 1926 Galesburg, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died: | December 10, 1964 (aged 38) Brevard County, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Denver (1946–1947) Navy (1948–1950) |
Born in Galesburg, Illinois, Bakke lived in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Oklahoma and then Colorado growing up due to his father moving repeatedly with a railroad job.[1] He was a nephew of Colorado Supreme Court justice Norris C. Bakke.[2] Bakke served in World War II in the Mariana Islands.[3] He lived in Denver, Colorado, starting in 1945 and attended the University of Denver from 1946.[1] He played football for the Denver Pioneers and helped them win the conference championship in 1946 while being an end.[4][5] Bakke remained with the Pioneers in 1947 and was named co-Big Seven Conference Lineman of the Week after a win over BYU.[6] He was named an honorable mention all-conference selection at the end of the season and was also selected to some All-America teams, according to The Capital.[7][8]
Bakke left Denver to enroll at the United States Naval Academy in 1948.[9] He played for the Navy Midshipmen football team in 1949 and after the season was selected team captain for 1950.[10] His selection as captain was noted as unusual due to it being only his junior year there, although he was ineligible for his senior season due to his playing for Denver.[10] He was injured early in the 1950 season but was able to return for the annual Army–Navy Game.[11] Army had an undefeated record, was a 21-point favorite, and had defeated Navy 38–0 the prior year, but Bakke led his team to a stunning 14–2 win in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history.[11][12] He afterwards played in the Mahi Shrine Temple Christmas College All-Star Game.[11]
Bakke served in the United States Air Force following his graduation from Navy.[1] He was a jet fighter pilot toured Alaska for several years, helping coach the football team at Ladd Air Force Base from 1954 to 1955.[13] He later served as the end coach of the Air Force Falcons.[13] He married Jean Marshall in 1953 and had four children with her; she died after giving birth to the fourth in 1960.[14][15] Bakke died in December 1964, at the age of 38, after getting into a plane crash in Florida.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c Hinrichs, Art (January 1, 1954). "Bakke 'Enjoying' Second Visit Here". The Capital Times. p. 11, 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "America's Greatest Stake Is in UN, Not Banks, Counsel for FDIC Declares". Tulsa World. December 1, 1950. p. 47 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bakke, End, to Captain 1950 Navy Gridders". Washington Evening Star. Associated Press. December 18, 1949. p. 45 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hodgson, Jimmy (September 13, 1946). "D. U. Has Designs On Another Title". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1946 Denver Pioneers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "Banard Hafen and Tom Bakke Big 7 Linemen of the Week". The Salt Lake Tribune. Associated Press. November 4, 1947. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "All-Conference Teams". The Salt Lake Tribune. November 30, 1947. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "With Navy's Gridiron Task Force". The Capital. August 24, 1949. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mooney, John (September 8, 1948). "Denver Coaches Admit 'This Is the Year'". Salt Lake Telegram. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Junior to Lead Navy Team". The Virginian Pilot. Associated Press. December 18, 1949. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Six Army, Navy Stars Accept Bids". The Miami Herald. December 10, 1950. p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hodkowski, Ryne (October 23, 2011). "The 50 Greatest Upsets in College Football History". Bleacher Report.
- ^ a b Bullock, Jimmy (December 17, 1958). "Accent On Sports". The Shreveport Journal. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miss Marshall Is Married to Lt. Bakke". Washington Evening Star. December 13, 1953. p. 101 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cramer, Chris (February 10, 1960). "Tragedy Struck Falcon Staff". The Daily Progress. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Capt. Thomas Bakke Killed in Plane Crash in Florida". Centralia Fireside Guard. December 17, 1964. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
