James Banks McFadden (February 7, 1917 – June 4, 2005) was an
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player and coach. McFadden is best known for his association with
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Clemson, South Carolina, United States. - The blue-shaded pattern denotes university property. This shows Clemson University is ''out ...
, where he spent 43 years as a player, coach, and administrator.
He was elected to the
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
in 1959 as a player.
Early life
Born in
Fort Lawn, South Carolina, McFadden attended Great Falls High School in
Great Falls, South Carolina, where he led the Red Devils to two state championships in football and one in
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
.
Playing career
McFadden is widely considered to be the greatest athlete in
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Clemson, South Carolina, United States. - The blue-shaded pattern denotes university property. This shows Clemson University is ''out ...
history,
lettering
Lettering or Lettering design is an act or result of artfully drawing letters, instead of writing them simply. Lettering is considered an art form, where each letter in a phrase or quote acts as an illustration. Each letter is created with attent ...
in three sports (football, basketball, and
track). In 1939, McFadden was voted the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
' "Athlete of the Year". McFadden was also a two-time
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
in basketball (1938 and 1939) and led the
Tigers basketball team to a
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. Southern Conference College football, football teams c ...
championship in 1939. McFadden also played halfback and punter on the football team and was named Clemson's first Associated Press All-American in football in 1939, which saw the Tigers play and win their 1st bowl game (1940 Cotton Bowl Classic).
Upon graduating, McFadden played football for the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
's
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
. He was the fourth overall pick in the
1940 NFL draft. In his first and only year as a professional, he played in 11 games. He had the longest rush in the NFL that year—75 yards. He was tied for second for most yards per attempt with a 4.8 yards per carry average. He was also fifth in the league for most rushing yards per game. Defensively he had two interceptions. Despite his success, McFadden preferred the small-town life and the family atmosphere of Clemson. He returned to the state of South Carolina to coach at his alma mater.
Military and coaching career
McFadden fought in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and upon returning to the United States returned to coaching. McFadden served as Clemson's head basketball coach from 1946 to 1956 in addition to stints as head track and assistant football coach. He retired from coaching in 1969 and took over the university's intramural department, which he directed for 15 years.
Legacy
On September 19, 1987, Clemson University retired
his basketball No. 23 and
football No. 66.
In October 2008, the
O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy
The O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy was created in 2008 by the Boston College Gridiron Club to commemorate the tradition at Clemson and Boston College while honoring the legacy of Charlie O'Rourke and Banks McFadden. O'Rourke and McFadden are m ...
was introduced as a reward to the winner of the annual football game between
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
and
Clemson, in honor of the historic meeting between
Charlie O'Rourke and Banks McFadden in the
1940 Cotton Bowl Classic, Clemson's first bowl appearance.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McFadden, Banks
1917 births
2005 deaths
American football halfbacks
American men's basketball players
Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players
Clemson Tigers football players
Clemson Tigers men's basketball coaches
Clemson Tigers men's basketball players
Clemson Tigers men's track and field athletes
Clemson Tigers track and field coaches
All-American college men's basketball players
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Basketball coaches from South Carolina
American military personnel of World War II
People from Chester County, South Carolina
Coaches of American football from South Carolina
Players of American football from South Carolina
Basketball players from South Carolina
Track and field athletes from South Carolina
20th-century American sportsmen