TCU Football: The best of the best -- Defensive tackle

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I remember Norman Hamilton well and my best memory is of a famous line that Blackie Sherrod (tabloid Fort Worth Press) penned in describing Hamilton after the Frog-Aggie game at stormy Kyle Field in 1956. "He stood raging and rock like in face of storm and foe". Bear Bryant's Junction Boys took the Frogs 7-6 in a controversial victory in the midst of violent second half tornado-like storm.
The Aggies ended up on probation and the Frogs met Syracuse and Jim Brown in the Cotton Bowl. He had played a year earlier vs. Ole Miss in the Cotton. Hamilton was built like a fire plug and was all over offenses. Meanwhile, in those one-platoon days he played offensive guard. Believe he later played a bit of Canadian ball and was a small town boy from Vanderbilt (Industrial) near Victoria. Truly a great Frog player of the 1950's one platoon era.

Yes, Hamilton was great in a whole era of football.....but I want to put in the name of Allie White and not just because he was a great guy.......I'll tell this since I knew them both and both are deceased.....Hale got the big notoriety and was outstanding, but Allie always said he (at about 195 pounds to Hale's 230-240) had the job of destroying the blocking in order to free Hale to make tackles....he did it so well that for a couple of years (back when that was a normal NFL career because of WWII and low pay) Allie played DT for the Eagles.

 

[full house frog]

My father swears Hamilton was the most underrated player in TCU history. Fred was a very good player and it was a tragedy. Charlie Davis was a very good player who played several years with the Steelers.

 

[count_biffula]

I love the passion some of you have for Fred Washington.

(And that he was a classmate of yours, steelfrog.)

But the fact is, the first seven guys on that list were All-Americans. Washington was never even All-SWC, although the defensive tackle next to him -- Mitch Benson -- was. I'm not going to put Washington down, I saw him play as much as you did. He was a super player. The fact that you guys love him is the whole point of this.

Please, enjoy.

Benson was waaay overrated.

 

[Limp Lizard]

The thing that kept Washington out was an injury in the aggie game his Senior year, I would guess. That year we play the ags early, and early in the game, Washington beat his block and was drawing a bead on the backfield when an aggi lineman dove at Fred's feet from behind, hitting him just above the heels and seriously injuring him. But the pros still saw his potential when they drafted him. Then came the tragic auto accident. Just a shame.

At a Frog Club Meeting Washington was a speaker, and what I remember is how solid he was. He was wearing a polo/golf style shirt, and just looking at him he looked about 240lbs instead of his actual 280lbs! He looked more like a LB than a DT. About as densely packed as I have ever seen a human being.

 

[the dutchman]

Fred Washington was one bad dude. If he plays for Patterson, he easily is an AllAmerican soph, jr and sr years. I rank Fred next to none except for Lily. He was one of the best Tackles TCU has ever seen. Way too young to have already gone. Rest in Peace Fred.

 

[fanforlife]

Bob Lilly was a reserve on the 1958 team. The starter was the late Joe Robb, who was a defensive lineman in the NFL for about 15 years.

Lilly was generally regarded as the MVP of the 1959 champions, although several of the older players were named to the All-American teams. Lilly was arguably the greatest defensive tackle in football history.

 

[Frognosticator]

Kessler and Fitch need to be honorably mentioned.

 

[fanforlife]

The nickname "The Animal" was derived from a disreputable character in the movie Stalag 17. The nickname never really took hold because Normal Hamilton was a true gentleman. Norman played offensive left tackle and defensive right tackle throughout his brilliant career at TCU. He never played offensive guard.

 

[steelfrog]

Fred W. needs to be added to the OP's original list or this post will be scrubbed.