I noticed today on Alan Shelby’s fantastic Rice University Baseball Players Association website that an alumni baseball game is planned for February. Sounds like a lot of fun and probably no one will get hurt. It reminded me of something else, of course. Not too long ago I stumbled upon some unlabeled pictures of what seems to be an alumni football game.
I’m not going to say that this looks like a serious lapse of judgement. After all, what could possibly go wrong?? 
I’m guessing it was the 1980s, but I have no confidence in that. Any help with identification would be greatly appreciated!
Dad needs to sit down.
Bonus: I realized this morning that yesterday was the one-year anniversary of this blog. I’m not sure if I should be happy or horrified, but I may finally be beginning to get the hang of it.
I can tell you that #1 in the 2nd picture is Bobby Williams, Class of ’59. He played on the team that lost in the Cotton Bowl to Navy in January, 1958. That could be Ray Alborn (sp?) with the cross on his jersey.
Oops – Bobby Williams was in the Class of ’58.
Happy anniversary! We’re certainly happy that you decided to do this blog!
Indeed, I am most pleased with your blog. Too bad I only found out about it so recently following the picture of our “nefarious criminal activity in the Founder’s Room!
With all the blogging about the original faculty, I have one curious question that’s never been addressed. It is pretty well established lore that the figures carved into the original buildings (chem and Lovett in particular) are of real people–like the faculty. I have not seen any real ID of them, though
When I was there one of the Archi faculty was supposed to know but I am not sure
No. 1 is the late Bobby Williams and that’s Ray Alborn with the cross on his jersey. He is now the mayor of Ruidoso, NM, and was in town for homecoming (our 50th reunion). I think this was in the early 80s when Ray was the head coach and Bobby was one of his assistants. I believe that’s Earl Cooper is the baseball cap, just over the shoulder of the guy with the cup.
It was a RED cross on Coach’s jersey.
I was there for this one, either taking pictures or playing trumpet.
There were two spring training games that I played at – one in which three of us did the most simplistic MOB halftime show ever, and another time just sitting in the stands playing the “Fight Song”, “Bonnet” and “Dixie Rice”.
They let him score on one play, doing a fine job of falling down away from him so he wouldn’t trip.
@Matt Noall: regarding the faces on Rice buildings such as Lovett Hall, check out the digital copy of James Morehead Jr.’s “A Walking Tour of Rice University.”
http://scholarship.rice.edu/bitstream/handle/1911/35959/walkingtourofric00more.pdf?sequence=1
If the information on this site is accurate, the helmet design indicates it is around 1982.
I talked with a classmate who played football. We think that may be Wright Moody (’72) in the last photo, but we’re not absolutely sure.
I played in this game – 1982 sounds about right. This would mark the cutoff point where the lawyers took over and fun events like this were never allowed to take place again.
Jim Cuskey is the guy with the spit cup and short-shorts. Joey Bevill is just over #7’s right shoulder. And that is definitely not Earl Cooper, as he was still property of the 49ers at the time (although he could have been there and not played – but that’s not him).
I miss those shorts!
Earl Cooper did come back for one of these alumni games.
He didn’t play, but we got to see The Ring.
Thanks for all your help everyone! It’s so much fun to get answers to these questions.