10 Years Ago Today in Rutgers Football History, July 14, 2012

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Frank Robert Burns (March 16, 1928 - July 14, 2012), the winningest coach in Rutgers Football history, passed away at the age of 84.

Coach Frank Burns recorded the 75th of his career 78 Rutgers victories and surpassed Harvey Harman’s 74 (1938-41, 46-55) for most Rutgers coaching victories with a 20-14 win at Richmond on October 30, 1982. He is also tops with a .643 winning percentage. Current coach Greg Schiano has 76 Rutgers coaching victories.

- in the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame (2003)
- coached the first Bowl Game in Rutgers history in 1978
- coached the 1976 undefeated team
- 1976 recipient of the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Coach of the Year Award (Greg Schiano won in 2006)
- one of seven Rutgers head coaches to have also been a former Rutgers player (and the last as of 2022)
- youngest head coach in America when he took over the John Hopkins program at age 23 and 1/2 in 1951 and 1952
- 1949 MVP with the Eastern College All-Stars who defeated the NFL champion New York Giants 28-13 at the Polo Grounds
- drafted in 1949 by the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns of the All-American Football Conference (AAFC); took Rutgers freshman coaching job instead and played for minor league Jersey City Giants

Rutgers quarterback Frank Burns in action during the 1946 Rutgers-Princeton game. Start at 2:48 of the following video:

 

[e5fdny]

Memo from Central Casting:

We need someone who “looks” like a college football coach…

 

[JDNB]

You want to feel old , as a kid I saw Frank Burns play. In 47, and 48 they beat Princeton. I recall one of those games being on tv. I also remember my father who was custodian of Old Queens, going down, and ringing the bell after one of the wins.

 

[Source]

You want to feel old , as a kid I saw Frank Burns play. In 47, and 48 they beat Princeton. I recall one of those games being on tv. I also remember my father who was custodian of Old Queens, going down, and ringing the bell after one of the wins.

So what was it like hearing that Rutgers was playing football on this new futuristic thing called TV? Did you attend the actual game or watch from home?

October 16, 1948
Rutgers 22 Princeton 6
Princeton, NJ
Palmer Stadium 41,000

Game televised on WABD-TV, New York (Channel 5) with Bill Slater (play-by-play) and Dan Peterson (color).

 

[JDNB]

So what was it like hearing that Rutgers was playing football on this new futuristic thing called TV? Did you attend the actual game or watch from home?

October 16, 1948
Rutgers 22 Princeton 6
Princeton, NJ
Palmer Stadium 41,000

Game televised on WABD-TV, New York (Channel 5) with Bill Slater (play-by-play) and Dan Peterson (color).

Although as I got older, I would go to Princeton to attend the games, the few games I saw in person were at RU back then. In my youth as I got older I would attend more games as I was able to go on my own. As for FB games I recall a NYU game, as well as Fordham, plus Lehigh, or Lafayette. I did watch the game on tv, it was at a neighbors home.

 

[Source]

Although as I got older, I would go to Princeton to attend the games, the few games I saw in person were at RU back then. In my youth as I got older I would attend more games as I was able to go on my own. As for FB games I recall a NYU game, as well as Fordham, plus Lehigh, or Lafayette. I did watch the game on tv, it was at a neighbors home.

You would be a good person to ask the following question.

Did you (a.k.a. Rutgers fans) have tailgating back during the post WWII years into the early 50s or was that much later in time?

 

[JDNB]

Mind you I was young in the 40’s, they probably had tailgating, but I don’t recall. I do remember the male cheerleaders doing push ups on the goal line after each RU score. Back then we as kids we were just concerned on how to get into the game without paying. As we got older in the late 50’s into the 60’s I do remember tailgating. We would wear jacket, and tie to the RU Princeton game and were able to walk in with six packs.

 

[Source]

Mind you I was young in the 40’s, they probably had tailgating, but I don’t recall. I do remember the male cheerleaders doing push ups on the goal line after each RU score. Back then we as kids we were just concerned on how to get into the game without paying. As we got older in the late 50’s into the 60’s I do remember tailgating. We would wear jacket, and tie to the RU Princeton game and were able to walk in with six packs.

The cheerleaders were still doing push-ups on the goal line in the late 1970s. I didn't know that tradition goes back to post-WWII. Don't know when it ended though.

 

[NorthernKnight]

Mind you I was young in the 40’s, they probably had tailgating, but I don’t recall. I do remember the male cheerleaders doing push ups on the goal line after each RU score. Back then we as kids we were just concerned on how to get into the game without paying. As we got older in the late 50’s into the 60’s I do remember tailgating. We would wear jacket, and tie to the RU Princeton game and were able to walk in with six packs.

JD - Bingo loved the part about sneaking into the stadium…