Army Players in the NFL

Original title: “Army/Navy Players in the NFL (1/2): Army”

Subreddit: /r/nfl

Post date: December 8, 2017

It’s that time of year once again: the Army–Navy Game is upon us! One of college football’s legendary rivalries, the two service academies have seen their share of cadets and midshipmen make it into the NFL. While such a task has become much more difficult in recent times due to various rulings by the Department of Defense, it’s still not impossible to see a Black Knight or Midshipman on an NFL roster. To celebrate the game, I have written a two-part series on Army/Navy graduates and former students who would eventually play in the NFL (and AFL). Today’s edition will focus on the Black Knights of West Point, while tomorrow’s will be about Navy (thanks, Reddit character limit).

Both writeups will not only discuss players who made an active roster, but also those who have exclusively spent their careers on the practice squad and those were drafted but never played a regular season game.

West Point players were present as early as the NFL’s inaugural season in 1920 (when it was known as the American Professional Football Association). The first Cadet to play in the league was wingback Elmer Oliphant, who attended the United States Military Academy after playing football at Purdue. In addition to playing football at West Point, Oliphant was also a track coach, a position assigned to him by Superintendent Douglas MacArthur. In 1920 and 1921, Oliphant played wingback for the Rochester Jeffersons and the Buffalo All-Americans before retiring. During Oliphant’s final season, an Army fullback named Gene Vidal played one game for the Washington Senators. Vidal was a versatile player at West Point and an outstanding athlete, participating in track and field at the 1920 Summer Olympics and coaching at the 1924 games. After World War I and U.S. Army Engineer School, he played for the Senators while stationed at Carlstrom Field in Florida for pilot training. He would become a well-known aviation entrepreneur and the father of author Gore Vidal.

In 1920 and 1921, Walter French was a successful running back for West Point, but did not graduate. He went on to play baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics, becoming the first Army alumnus to play in MLB (and the only one until Chris Rowley in 2017), though he also played a game for the 1922 Rochester Jeffersons and nine games for the 1925 Pottsville Maroons. With the Maroons, French scored five touchdowns in nine games and led the team to the (disputed) championship that year. He later returned to West Point as its baseball coach and would serve in both the Army and the Air Force. French was not the only Cadet on the 1925 Maroons; end Eddie Doyle played for the Frankfurt Yellow Jackets in 1924 before joining Pottsville a year later. 17 years later, Captain Doyle was killed in action during Allied landings in Morocco, becoming the first American casualty of the North Africa campaign and one of 23 NFL alumni killed in World War II.

While at West Point, end Louis Merillat was First-Team All-American in 1913 and 1914, playing alongside future American generals Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley. After graduating, he fought in World War I and was wounded in a battle at Avocourt, prompting the Captain to return home. Seven years after the war, he played in six games for the Canton Bulldogs. He would later work with the French Foreign Legion during World War II.

Tackle John Dibb and quarterback/halfback Chris Cagle were the first Cadets to play in the NFL during the 1930s. Dibb played in three games for the Newark Tornadoes in 1930. Cagle, playing a skill position, had a decorated background: nicknamed the “Red Thunderbolt of West Point”, he was a three-time All-American, the team captain in 1929, and appeared on the cover of TIME that year. However, he left West Point after it was revealed he had been in a secret marriage. He played for the Giants from 1930 to 1932 before he bought the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933, playing for the team until 1934. Other players in the 1930s included fullback Hal McPhail, who played two seasons with the Boston Redskins and scoring one career touchdown, and quarterback/defensive back Bob Dunlap, who played for Army and Oklahoma before joining the Bears in 1935 and the Giants in 1936.

In 1940, end Hampton Pool became Army’s first player to be taken in the NFL Draft when he was selected in the ninth round by the Bears, though he had last been playing for Stanford. In four years with the Bears, Pool became a two-time All-Star and appeared in Championship Games all four years, winning three. His career ended after the 1943 season and he later joined the Navy, coaching at the Fort Pierce Naval Amphibious Base and serving as an underwater demolition officer. He eventually became a coach, serving as the head coach of the Rams and Toronto Argonauts in the 1950s. Five years after Pool was drafted, similarly-named defensive end Barney Poole became the first West Point graduate to be drafted as he was selected by the Giants in the sixth round. However, Poole did not play for the team due to his his five-year service commitment, especially as his request for a four-month furlough to play was denied. Upon returning, he instead played for the other New York team in the Yanks, doing so for three years. He eventually ended his career the same way that it began, playing his final season (1954) with the Giants. Poole was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

During the 1940s, Army established itself as a football power, winning three national championships under head coach Earl “Red” Blaik and the running game of Heisman Trophy winners Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis. For more info on Army’s success during the decade, I wrote a post at /r/CFB about the two service academies and other service teams during World War II, which can be found here. Blanchard was drafted third overall in the 1946 Draft by the Steelers, but like Poole, had his application for a four-month leave from service turned down by the Department of War, which felt the players had been seeking “special privileges.” He eventually went into the Air Force and became a fighter pilot. Meanwhile, Davis was drafted by the Lions with the second-overall pick; like his fellow running back, Davis’ attempts to receive a furlough fell apart, and he was later traded to the Rams, for whom he would start playing for in 1950. He spent two years in the league, making the 1951 Pro Bowl roster, but struggled with knee injuries.

In 1947, six members of the 1940s dynasty – including Davis – were drafted, though only lineman Tex Coulterand end Hank Foldberg played in the NFL. Coulter was taken five picks after Davis by the Cardinals, though oddly enough, he had started playing for the Giants in 1946, and played for the team through 1952 and ending his career in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes; with their fifth rounder, the Redskins selected Foldberg, who decided to stay in school instead of continuing to play, though he eventually left the Academy due to family financial problems and would play two years in the NFL with the Dodgers and Chicago Hornets. In the tenth round, the Bears drafted All-American quarterback and 1945 Heisman finalist Arnold Tucker, but he went into the Air Force; the Giants drafted back Herschel “Ug” Fuson in the 14th round, but he served in the Armored Cavalry and eventually fought in the Korean War, in which he was injured by shrapnel from mortar fire, and was at home on leave in June 1951 when he died of coronary occlusion; end Dick Pitzer was the final Cadet taken in the Draft, picked by the Steelers in the 29th round. However, Pitzer declined the Steelers’ contract offer and commissioned at Fort Benning, where he led the team to the National Service Championship. He would later coach alongside Vince Lombardi at West Point, work at the Army Ground School and Atomic Bomb Project, and assist in operating the Westinghouse Nuclear Power Division.

1945 Heisman finalist and 5’11” defensive back Thomas “Shorty” McWilliams was drafted by the Bears in 1948 as well as the Los Angeles Dons in the All-America Football Conference Draft. McWilliams opted to join the latter for the 1949 season before signing with the Steelers in 1950. His career ended upon joining the Korean War. Two other teammates of McWilliams’, halfback Dean Sensanbaugher and linebacker Bob Summerhays, later transferred to Ohio State and Utah, respectively. When Sensanbaugher left OSU before his senior year to play for the Browns in 1948, the organization drew the ire of Buckeye fans who claimed Brown was stealing their star, to which Brown explained Sensanbaugher had wanted to play for the team. After winning the 1948 AAFC championship, he played for the New York Bulldogs in 1949 and the Toronto Argonauts in 1952. Summerhays was drafted in the fourth round of the 1949 draft by the Packers, playing three seasons in Green Bay.

The 1951 Draft saw two Cadets get selected in the late rounds, though only one played in the league. In the 21st round, the Yanks drafted running back Al Pollard, a 1950 All-American who was kicked off the team after being caught in a 90-student cheating scandal in 1951, one that was later covered in the ESPN film Code Breakers. In the NFL, Pollard was released by the Yanks midway through his rookie year and signed with the Eagles, playing for Philadelphia until 1953 and scoring one career touchdown. As his playing time continued to decrease entering the 1953 season, he abruptly retired before playing for the British Columbia Lions and Calgary Stampeders in Canada. In the same Draft, Hank Foldberg’s younger brother Dan was drafted by the Lions, though he never played in the NFL. 1952 Steelers draft pick Vic Pollock also never played for the team, but had an interesting background of his own, joining the Air Corps at the age of 17 and serving 75 missions before attending West Point.

The Korean War delayed the NFL debut of 1949 All-American and Army starting quarterback Arnold Galiffa, who was drafted in the 18th round of the 1950 Draft by the Packers. In Korea, Galiffa served in the 3rd Infantry Division, receiving a Bronze Star and media coverage after throwing a grenade 75 yards. Following the war’s conclusion in 1953, Galiffa was contacted by Lombardi, now a backfield coach for the Giants, and signed with the team. He later played for the 49ers, BC Lions, and Argonauts.

Guard/tight end Bob Mischak was the final Cadet to be drafted and play an NFL game for the next 16 years. Taken in the 1954 Draft by Cleveland, he instead played for the Giants in 1958 before joining the American Football League’s Titans, with whom he was named to three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He played three seasons with the Raiders before retiring.

Other Cadets to play in the NFL during the 1950s included running back Herb Johnson, who transferred to Washington from West Point and scored a touchdown in 11 games with the Giants in 1954, defensive tackle J.D. Kimmel, who later attended Houston and became the school’s first All-American before playing for the Redskins and Packers, and running back Gene Filipski, who was expelled following the 1951 cheating scandal and later spent two seasons with the Giants as a kick returner.

Ten Cadets were drafted during the late 1950s and 1960s but never played a down in the NFL, primarily due to military commitments during the Vietnam War: quarterback Pete Vann set nine passing records at Armyand was drafted by the 49ers in the 22nd round of the 1955 Draft, but never played; 1954 All-American running back Tommy Bell was picked in the same draft by the Eagles; 1956 saw Army end Don Holleder (8th round), team captain and quarterback Pat Uebel (14th), and tackle Ron Melnik (15th) get drafted by the Giants and Redskins, though none played for their teams, and Major Holleder was killed in Vietnam in 1967; tackle and Ron’s younger brother Bill Melnik was drafted by Chicago (14th) in 1958, but went into the Air Force and worked for the Strategic Air Command; guard Bob Novogratz was selected by Baltimore (24th) in the 1959 Draft, but went on to serve in the Army for 30 years and become a Colonel, also working as Assistant to the Secretary of the Army; the Colts tried again a year later by picking tackle Bob Hall in the ninth round and 1982 College Football Hall of Fame end Bill Carpenter in the 19th round, though Carpenter would become a distinguished Lieutenant General while in Vietnam as he received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star, earning the former after calling an airstrike upon his position to allow his company to escape an overwhelming attack; in 1969, the Lions drafted tight end Gary Steele (17th), the first African-American player in West Point history and star for the Cadets, but instead became a Colonel and served for 23 years before becoming a human resources director for the Kansas City school system and Pfizer.

Although a number of Cadets never played in the NFL during the Vietnam War, this did not mean there were no Vietnam-era NFL players from West Pont. In 1963, 1957 All-American running back Bob Anderson joined his 1960 draft team Giants after serving in the 101st Airborne Division for three years. However, injuries hampered his performance and he played only one NFL game, recording one carry for negative-two yards.

In the 1969 AFL/NFL Draft, the Chargers selected Army running back Charlie Jarvis, a successful RB and punter for the Cadets, with their 15th-round pick. Jarvis’ Class of 1969 went 23–7 in three years, the best record for an Army class since the days of Blanchard and Davis. He never played in either league, instead serving in the 8th Infantry Division in Germany before returning to West Point to assist in recruiting.

During the final year of the American Football League and its 1970 merger with the NFL, Army kicker Karl Kremsermade the transition with his Dolphins. The son of a German soldier during World War II, the family immigrated to the United States when he was young. He later played on the soccer and football teams for West Point, and was drafted by the Dolphins in fifth round the 1969 AFL Draft. He played two seasons in Miami before he was replaced by Garo Yepremian and retired following an injury.

With their second-round selection, the 1978 Buccaneers drafted Army/Nebraska guard Brett Moritz, but he played just six games during his rookie year before he was placed on injured reserve and was released.

The 1980s saw a lack of West Point players in the NFL, though the following decade featured the first Cadet to be drafted in 28 years when the Packers selected quarterback Ron McAda with the final pick in the 1997 Draft, earning him the title of Mr. Irrelevant. One of three quarterbacks on the reigning Super Bowl champions (alongside Brett Favre and Doug Pederson), McAda expected to at least remain on the practice squad, but was required to serve two years in the Army beforehand, where he was stationed at Forts Sill and Hood. He transferred to the National Guard to allow him to play pro football, which he did in Europe for the Frankfurt Galaxy and Berlin Thunder; during his NFL Europe career, he was joined by two Army teammates and former team captains: defensive back Jim Cantelupe and tight end Ron Leshinski. In 1999, McAda returned to the Packers and played in the preseason game against the Dolphins, but was subsequently released. At the turn of the millennium, he suffered a torn rotator cuff but was signed by the Broncos to a one-year contract in 2001, though his NFL career came to an end following a shoulder injury.

“My one preseason game was the highlight of my NFL career,” McAda joked. “The game was at Lambeau Field, and me and Brett Favre ran out together and the crowd went nuts. I looked up at the jumbotron and they had a picture of he and I out on the field. I remember thinking, ‘Man, that’s pretty sweet.'”

When remembering his career, McAda expressed the need for reforms to the rules requiring a cadet to serve before pursuing a pro career. While he doesn’t believe cadets should be free to do whatever they want if they were to sign with an NFL team, he supported using such players as recruitment tools for the academies.

“You have to understand it’s a pretty sensitive subject,” Leshinski commented regarding the matter. Leshinski served two years in the Army after attending West Point followed by three years in the National Guard. Besides spending time in NFL Europe with McAda, Leshinski attended Training Camp with the Saints from 1997 to 1999 and also appeared in a 1999 regular season game with the Eagles.

“Would I have had a better chance to play longer in the NFL if I didn’t have to serve my commitment immediately? Probably, but that doesn’t mean any of the outcomes would be different. I think they can be creative with the commitment to where people can do both.”

In 2005, West Point created an Alternative Service Option program in which cadets would “owe two years of active service in the Army, during which time they will be allowed to play their sport in the player-development systems of their respective organizations and be assigned to recruiting stations. If they remain in professional sports following those two years, they will be provided the option of buying out the remaining three years of their active-duty commitment in exchange for six years of reserve time.” The program had already given new professional opportunities for Army athletes in hockey and baseball; center Pete Bier also received the same program support in 2007, but was released by the Packers following Training Camp.

McAda was the last West Point graduate to be drafted until 2008, when defensive back Caleb Campbell was selected in the seventh round by the Lions. At the Scouting Combine earlier in the year, Campbell and punter Owen Tolson were the first service academy members to attend the Combine since 2000 (Air Force’s Matt Farmer). Fellow Black Knight and fullback Mike Viti was signed by the Bills following the Draft. However, the Army revised the ASO before Campbell could formally sign with the Lions, forcing him into service until 2010 and the Lions had to forfeit the rights to him as an unsigned free agent.

“Nobody knew this was coming. Nobody at West Point knew this was coming,” Campbell said at the time. “It has all kind of been a slap in the face.”

In a 2016 blog post, Campbell admitted he was relieved at the news. During the 2008 offseason, he had received extensive coverage from the media, which provided too much pressure on him to succeed.

“Everything in me wanted to tell [ESPN’s Rachel Nichols] that I knew, based on my off-season performance, that I was only days away from being cut and this unfortunate circumstance saved me from the humiliation of being exposed as a person that didn’t have what it takes to make it in the NFL when so many people were counting on and rooting for me,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Viti was released in early July and eventually also served. Campbell returned to the Lions in 2010, playing in three games, before being on the Colts’ and Chiefs’ practice squads over the next two years.

“The funny thing is, I only wanted to be on the practice squad and nothing more,” Campbell added. “I wanted the comfort of showing up to practice with the sole of job of reading a diagram on a card and doing exactly as I was told—nothing more, nothing less. I wanted the perks of being on the team and going out on a Friday night without the risk of being exposed with a poor performance on Sunday. I wanted the acceptance and validation that came with telling strangers what I did for a living.”

“The way that I saw it, to play on Sunday, or to be part of the active roster jeopardized the very way that I found life. One poor performance on a Sunday meant there’s a good chance you’ll be on the streets looking for acceptance in a new way. The uncertainty of it all paralyzed me.”

He later became a public speaker. “[I]f there’s one thing that I’ve come to conclude over the last few years it’s that excuses will destroy more dreams than the lack of talent, finances, or skill sets ever will. And until something changed inside of me, there was a limit to my life even while serving my limitless God.”

“For this very reason, I’m thankful that things played out the way that they did. Not only did it lead me to a transformed life, but it opened up my eyes to a purpose that’s bigger than me.”

In 2012, First Lieutenant and fullback Collin Mooney signed with the Titans following a two-year stint in the Army. Mooney, who set the school record for the most rushing yards in a season during his senior year in 2008, attended West Point after 9/11 and inspiration from his grandfather.

“Every little kid in the back of their mind says they want to play for the NFL, but going into West Point, the NFL was never my intention,” said Mooney. “I had actually applied to West Point prior to being recruited for football. Being an officer and being in the Army is what I wanted to do coming out of high school. It just so happened the way things worked out with football, I worked hard and I got a chance my senior year to do something and start so things just kind of fell into place.”

After attending an Oklahoma Sooners Pro Day in 2011, Mooney received interest from the Jaguars, Titans, and both New York teams, but the lockout ended any prospects of being drafted. He eventually served in an artillery battalion until his discharge, and would play for the Titans and Falcons from 2012 to 2014 and 2015, respectively.

During his career at West Point, linebacker Josh McNary became the school’s all-time sack leader in addition to leading other defensive statistical categories. McNary comes from a family with a military lineage dating as far back as World War II, with his grandfathers and father all serving, and outside of Division II scholarships, had little intention of making it to the NFL. He later served as a graduate assistant for the Black Knights before attending officer’s school and being stationed at Fort Hood. Upon completion of his two-year commitment in 2013, he attended a regional combine in Texas, where he caught the eye of Colts scouts and was signed. He played for the Colts until 2016, and spent the 2017 offseason with the Titans before he was released following the preseason.

Quarterback Trent Steelman, besides having one of the cooler last names in football, is the only player in West Point history to throw and rush for 2,000 yards each in his career. The first Army quarterback in modern history (dating back to 1944) to start as a freshman, he set multiple records with the Black Knights. In 2013, Steelman participated in Ravens rookie minicamp and attracted interest, though he was required to serve his two-year term first. After his discharge, he switched to receiver and helped lead Team USA to the 2015 International Federation of American Football World Championship, winning MVP honors. He signed with the Ravens later in the year, but was unable to make the final roster. Steelman eventually joined the Hudson Valley Fort of the Fall Experimental Football League, a team that played in close proximity to West Point in nearby Fishkill, New York.

Army Ranger and offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva is probably known among NFL fans for his decision to stand during the Steelers/Bears game earlier this year, though he was also a very versatile player while at West Point; in addition to offensive lineman, he played tight end and defensive lineman. During his senior year, the 6’10”, 290-lb receiver also played receiver, the tallest receiver in the nation. He later served in Afghanistan as an infantryman, though he had tryouts with the Bengals and Bears in 2010.

“We saw a fair amount of combat,” he commented. “The brigade took heavy losses. We were in the most kinetic district of Afghanistan, so we saw quite a bit of bullets out there. In some ways, it shifts your mentality to where you’re like 95 years old and you’ve seen everything. It makes you appreciate things a lot more.”

Following a tour of duty, Villanueva spent the offseason and preseason with the Eagles in 2014 before joining the Steelers. He is currently the Steelers’ starting left tackle.

Pro-Football-Reference’s “Army Players/Alumni” page states there are 32 total Cadets/Black Knights who played in the NFL and 28 who were drafted.

References

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