Re: Hill Watch...148 days!!!

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148 - Green Bay Packer Select Billy Hair with Pick 148 of 1952 NFL Draft

Apr 5, 2024, 12:02 AM

RB Billy Hair played for Clemson during the Post-WW2 Happy Days of the early 1950s. Something tells me the Fonz and Hair might well have been friends! Many Clemson fans today might not know the name Billy Hair, but he actually played an important role in Clemson’s history.

While at Clemson:

ClemsonTigers.com described Hair’s Clemson career as follows:

Hair started at the key tailback position in Coach Frank Howard’s single wing offense from mid-season 1950 through the final quarter of the sixth game in 1952. His play led the way to Clemson’s first ever Associated Press “top ten” final ranking in 1950 and a “top twenty” follow-up in 1951.

The undefeated 1950 Tigers edged the University of Miami,15-14 in the 17th annual Orange Bowl played Jan. 1, 1951, with Hair earning game MVP honors. Clemson’s return match against Miami a year later in the seventh annual Gator Bowl resulted in a 14-0 Tiger loss, though again Hair was his team’s MVP on offense.

https://clemsontigers.com/former-clemson-star-passes/

ESPN provides additional insights on Billy Hair:

“Hair threw for 178 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown, and ran for 48 yards as the Tigers defeated Miami 15-14 on New Year's Day 1951.

Hair became a starter in coach Frank Howard's single-wing offense in 1950 and remained prominent until a shoulder injury cut short his senior season in 1952.

Before Hair's final season, the school printed brochures sent nationwide that touted him as a Heisman Trophy hopeful. However, Hair hurt his shoulder in the first game of the season against Presbyterian. He played despite the injury, but his career came to end later that year when he sustained a knee injury against Boston College.

Hair is a member of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame.”

https://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/id/1603638

Boston Globe Newspaper highlights of Clemson’s win over BC in November 1951:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-hair-provides-clemsons/137589337/

Of note:
Hair shared a backfield with Fred Cone, Ray Matthews, and Jackie Calvert. Such a loaded backfield explains why ClemsonTigers.com describes the 1950 as follows:

“But, the 1950s would be different. Clemson would have one of the top 15 winning percentages in college football in that decade, and the 1950 season certainly got Clemson off on the right foot.”
…
“Statistical Leaders of 1950
Scoring: 92 points by Fred Cone
Rushing: 184-845 yards by Fred Cone
Passing: 29-71 for 644 yards by Billy Hair
Receiving: 22-498 by Glenn Smith
Kickoff Returns: 6-89 by Jackie Calvert
Interceptions: 6-68 by Knobby Knoebel
Punting: 18-610 by Billy Hair
Punt Returns: 14-225 by Jackie Calvert”

https://clemsontigers.com/the-1950-team/

After Clemson:

The Green Bay Packers selected Billy Hair with Pick 148 (Round 13) of the 1952 NFL Draft. Perhaps Hair’s injuries during the 1951 season continued to linger, but it does not appear that he spent much time in the NFL.

Thanks to Scott Rymer and the Tiger Pregame Show for the profile on Clemson’s Billy Hair:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvPtrNB7UhA

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Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

North Carolina Highway 148, known as C.F. Harvey Parkway, is a 13.2 mile state highway that connects US 70 on the west end to NC 11 on the east end around Kinston in Lenoir County in the coastal plains of eastern North Carolina.

I posted a pic of the Peach on Wednesday. Most or all of us have probably seen it. It is officially known as the Peachoid, but also known as the Peach, the Gaffney Peach, the Moon over Gaffney, and a couple of other things. It was built to honor peach production in Cherokee County which was more than the entire state of Georgia at the time. It is actually a 135 foot tall water tower that holds one million gallons of water and sits just off I-85 between exits 90 and 92. It was built in 1981 by the now defunct Chicago Bridge and Iron Company and took 5 months to design and mold and 50 gallons of paint in 20 colors. The added leaf is 60 feet long and weighs 7 tons. The Peach was a major part of the plot for an episode in the first season of the Netflix series House of Cards. I think the Fatz Cafe next to the Peach closed recently.

Hill Watch...148 days!!!