Who is Ken Rice?
by Jay Coulter on Mar 17, 2010 1:00 AM CDT
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Ken Rice on the set of the Ed Sullivan Show. He's on the front row, second from right.
When it was announced last week that former Auburn lineman Ken Rice had been placed on the ballot for this year's College Football Hall of Fame, many Tiger fans were undoubtedly left scratching their heads, wondering, ‘Who is this guy?' How quickly time moves on.
For older generations of Auburn fans, Rice is no stranger at all. He anchored one of the best offensive lines in America back in the late 1950's. A two time consensus All-American, Rice was voted the top offensive lineman in the SEC in both his junior and senior seasons. But he didn't stop there. He was also named the top defensive lineman in the conference during his senior season of 1960. Undoubtedly, he has to be one of the few, if not the only player in SEC history to receive both honors in the same year.
Rice was named to the SEC's All-Sophomore team as a tackle in 1958 despite playing behind All-SEC selection Cleve Webster. He went on to be a first round draft pick by both the AFL and NFL and was named All-Pro as a rookie with the Buffalo Bills.
While playing for Shug Jordan, Rice helped lead Auburn to a 24-5-1 record. Unfortunately, he never tasted the fruits of his labor. "Auburn was on probation when I joined the team but was due to come off," he recounted recently to Big Canoe News.com. "However, due to an additional violation, the team was on probation for a total of five years, including my entire time at Auburn."
The Bainbridge, Georgia native was elected to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. He was named to Auburn's All-Century Team in 1992. To today's fans, Rice is perhaps best known as the name on the award given each year to the outstanding Auburn offensive lineman.
With all the sports news online today, it's easy to gloss over a story such as Rice's. It's important that Auburn fans never forget those who laid the foundation for what the program is today. Simply put, Rice was one bad dude - and I mean that in the best of terms.
Sure all of his pictures from his playing days are in black and white, but even by today's standards, his accomplishments on the field take a back seat to no one. Let's all say a prayer and keep our fingers crossed that Rice becomes the 13th Auburn player to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Thanks Jay for this Article ...
The further time marches on the more in jeporady we are of not knowing or remembering our heritage ( Auburn or otherwise ). One thing that I always liked about David Housel was his telling of Auburn stories. Families need to do that both to to give a foundation to our youth and to honor our past, " Lest We Forget "
" This place was special long before you got here, lets keep it that way…. Everyday ! " Gene Chizik
aubtigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
A couple constants of life, autigerman, are represented by the observations that ...
… ‘Youth is wasted on the young’ and its corollary: ‘History is wasted on the old.’
It’s been said that — for many young folks nowadays — ‘history’ (in their own minds) starts on the day they were born. Coach Chizik’s quote shows that he’s trying to get his players to understand (and behave like they understand) that ‘Auburn was Auburn’ a hell of a lot longer than that.
If some of that understanding rubs off on some of the so-called ‘Auburn Family’ in cyberspace, I say, ‘better late than never.’
Hear, hear !
aubtigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
by aubtigerman on Mar 17, 2010 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Auburn was Auburn
But it still says API on your diploma, yes?
Never before in the field of CFB recruiting, has much much been accomplished by so few, in the face of so many...
by War Eagle Atlanta on Mar 17, 2010 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions
In that vein...
…..I was too young to remember Ken Rice. His senior year was the year I was born. But I did hear about him from my mother. Her favorite players ever were Ken Rice and Vince Dooley! First Auburn player I can definitively remember cheering for was quarterback Loran Carter, who’s been largely forgotten due to the success of Pat Sullivan in the years following Carter. Carter could sling the rock pretty darned well!
Loran was a great QB ! He preceeded Sullivan at Auburn and he too led the SEC in passing
aubtigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
I enjoyed reading about Ken Rice
Thanks, it was informative. I didn’t really know about his career. I will now be following (and crossing my fingers) to see if he makes it.
I knew Rice was an Auburn great
However since he was way before my time, I did not know as much about him. I don’t know how many Auburn people fit into my category of ignorance, but I am glad to learn more about him and even more glad he is up for this honor. I am pulling for him, very deserving Tiger.
Does anyone know who any of the other players in this pic are?
Is #44 Ernie Davis?
The guys in the picture are ...
Back row L- R : Bob Furgerson, Ernie Davis, Ed Sullivan, singer Anna Maria Alberghetti, Jake Gibbs, & Joe Bello.
Front row L – R: Danny La Rosa, Bob Lilly, Tom Brown, E. J. Holub, Joe Romig, Ken Rice, & Mike Ditka.
Also making All American that year but on Defense was Merlin Olson of The LA Rams who just passsed away last week.
Ken Rice made All American in 1959 as well, along with such sports noteables as Billy Cannon, Don Meridith, & Pat Dye.
aubtigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
Thanks for posting this, Jay
As you know, I am a member of the National Football Foundation (which I joined for the purpose of nominating an Auburn alumnus to the College Football Hall of Fame), so I actually have a vote on this. The background you have provided on Ken Rice makes it that much more likely that he will be among the eleven players for whom I cast a ballot. Well done.
Go 'Dawgs!
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