• The KillerFrogs

Abe Martin

Toad Jones

Active Member
This board still has a few guys who played for Abe. I'm tellin' you folks he was a good guy and pretty dam good coach. In that era, TCU had some great football guys! And I thank Jim Swink for letting us use the parking lot in his name, to get to know our dates better.
 

Purple Cavalier

Active Member
Never played for him, but in 1965 as a HS senior I was a subject of Coach Martin’s recruiting technique. I was visiting on campus with one of my teammates and we were met by Coach. He grabbed my right hand hard in a manly shake, then grabbed me by my other shoulder with a strong grip and proceeded to squeeze my shoulder and arm, clearly to determine whether I was hard muscle or a bit flabby. I think i failed the test, but he was attentive and friendly throughout and I left impressed by him as a coach and man.
 

FrogAbroad

Full Member
He was HC when I was a freshman student trainer for the football team in '64. He was always friendly and cordial, even to the guy whose main contribution to TCU football was taping ankles. I had "met" him several months earlier at the Paschal High School football banquet, where he was guest speaker. I remember he had a penchant for making a point with the words "really and truly." He was genuinely a nice guy and I enjoyed working around him.
 
Never played for him, but in 1965 as a HS senior I was a subject of Coach Martin’s recruiting technique. I was visiting on campus with one of my teammates and we were met by Coach. He grabbed my right hand hard in a manly shake, then grabbed me by my other shoulder with a strong grip and proceeded to squeeze my shoulder and arm, clearly to determine whether I was hard muscle or a bit flabby. I think i failed the test, but he was attentive and friendly throughout and I left impressed by him as a coach and man.

Had a strength coach for a team I was being recruited by put the squeeze on me when I was on a visit one time. He didn't like it when I yanked away from him and tell him I wasn't a piece of meat. Needless to say I didn't end up getting the offer. But I did have a hades of a time partying while I was there.
 

Wog68

Active Member
Then, there was Buster Brannon. I was involved one way or the other with the basketball program during the mid-60's. Once Buster called down the bench during a game "Sloan!". Carey Sloan who was the team captain our senior year, came down to Buster. Buster said, "Not you, I want Sloan". I do believe Johnny Swaim was the coach the next year and led us to the Elite 8.
 

Toad Jones

Active Member
He was HC when I was a freshman student trainer for the football team in '64. He was always friendly and cordial, even to the guy whose main contribution to TCU football was taping ankles. I had "met" him several months earlier at the Paschal High School football banquet, where he was guest speaker. I remember he had a penchant for making a point with the words "really and truly." He was genuinely a nice guy and I enjoyed working around him.
Some of you will remember Abe used a folding chair along the sidelines. Sat on the top of the chairback and fell off. It really embarrassed him. Believe it not, that incident made it all the way to Sports Illustrated. I don't think Abe sat down again during a game. Make no mistake, he won several Southwest Conference titles. If you ever happen to see a picture of our guys sitting and laying on the locker room floor during half time, look closely b/c you'll see one or two all American's. Abe is telling his boys what he wants in the next two quarters. BTW that picture became famous and is still out there. His style was folksy but pulled no punches. 18,000 K + 22,000, was a pretty good crowd. Seems like UT had around 35-45 K. Down the line I'll again bring up an old memories and how far we've cone today.

Here's a teaser: A&M game. A TCU student (believe it was a ranch student) who sat behind the A&M bench, made some remarks about A&M recver's being a certain soft furred animal. He kept it up and before long a little scuffle broke out. It moved to the enter of the field and became a brawl. The police couldn't handle the volume of kids and the fights going on. They called for back up to restore order. That fight lasted quite some time with several in the hospital. After that game the administration ordered no one on the field after or during the game. That order still stands today.
 

Paint It Purple

Active Member
Abe and Dutch used to show up together at baseball practice and sit in the old bleachers to watch and visit. I would ease over and listen to their stories. Both were great story tellers and looking back I could tell they were genuine friends. Anyway, Dutch eventually motioned for me to come sit. Never could get my name straight, just called me podner. Later, Windegger asked me what we talked about? I said, "mostly Dutch telling Abe he didn't know what the hell he was talking about."

Fortunately for me that scene repeated 2-3 times a year for the next 4 years. Lucky.
 

PurplFrawg

Administrator
Some of you will remember Abe used a folding chair along the sidelines. Sat on the top of the chairback and fell off. It really embarrassed him. Believe it not, that incident made it all the way to Sports Illustrated. I don't think Abe sat down again during a game. Make no mistake, he won several Southwest Conference titles. If you ever happen to see a picture of our guys sitting and laying on the locker room floor during half time, look closely b/c you'll see one or two all American's. Abe is telling his boys what he wants in the next two quarters. BTW that picture became famous and is still out there. His style was folksy but pulled no punches. 18,000 K + 22,000, was a pretty good crowd. Seems like UT had around 35-45 K. Down the line I'll again bring up an old memories and how far we've cone today.

Here's a teaser: A&M game. A TCU student (believe it was a ranch student) who sat behind the A&M bench, made some remarks about A&M recver's being a certain soft furred animal. He kept it up and before long a little scuffle broke out. It moved to the enter of the field and became a brawl. The police couldn't handle the volume of kids and the fights going on. They called for back up to restore order. That fight lasted quite some time with several in the hospital. After that game the administration ordered no one on the field after or during the game. That order still stands today.
college-football-cotton-bowl-tcu-coach-othal-abe-martin-with-team-in-picture-id81376695


This iconic photo was taken before the Cotton Bowl game, not at halftime. For an incredible description of the players and their future, this description from SI is must read for all Frogs: https://www.si.com/longform/cotton-bowl/index.html#map9
 

TemCatFrog71

Active Member
college-football-cotton-bowl-tcu-coach-othal-abe-martin-with-team-in-picture-id81376695


This iconic photo was taken before the Cotton Bowl game, not at halftime. For an incredible description of the players and their future, this description from SI is must read for all Frogs: https://www.si.com/longform/cotton-bowl/index.html#map9
Thanx for posting Frawg! Though I played and graduated 10+ years after these guys, this coach and these players were my inspiration to come and play for Abe in 1966. His heart attack in '66 deprived me of the pleasure of Abe's tutelage for my 4 year at TCU. Like anyone else who knew him or played for him there are tons of Abe stories to be told. great memories and good times!!!!
 

Toad Jones

Active Member
college-football-cotton-bowl-tcu-coach-othal-abe-martin-with-team-in-picture-id81376695


This iconic photo was taken before the Cotton Bowl game, not at halftime. For an incredible description of the players and their future, this description from SI is must read for all Frogs: https://www.si.com/longform/cotton-bowl/index.html#map9
Thanks PF for posting this famous picture!! This is such a great picture and tells a graphic picture of TCU football. Just kids those guys were but what they became later in life is astonishing. He's right, a million and one stories about Abe and everyone of them had a back story. Last week at the UT game TCU handed out free ponchos. 30 feet further to your right was where this photo was taken. To get to the field, players had to walk down three long levels of stairs. going down those steps was easy, going up those stairs after four quarters of tough football, well sometimes you had to have a bit of help. ((PF how's Llano? sure miss my place down the road and Cooper's)) Speaking of Cooper's, walked in there one day and Gov Bush was sitting there eating ribs. Also, I've seen Tommy Lee Jones in there a bunch of times. Many other famous people as well.
 
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froginaustin

Active Member
He really helped me out my Senior year. He was the AD.

Simpler times. A long-time successful coach moves up to Athletic Director (although maybe down in salary) when it's time to hang 'em up. Wasn't just forced out.

Abe was a legend as a high school coach, too. Sincerely admired by Greatest Generation people who dealt with him when he was coaching in high school.
 

Paint It Purple

Active Member
Simpler times. A long-time successful coach moves up to Athletic Director (although maybe down in salary) when it's time to hang 'em up. Wasn't just forced out.

Abe was a legend as a high school coach, too. Sincerely admired by Greatest Generation people who dealt with him when he was coaching in high school.
Lufkin High School football is named Abe Martin Stadium
 
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