Two Owls on ballot for Orange Bowl’s 75th anniversary team

Two Owls on ballot for Orange Bowl’s 75th anniversary team
Humble and Keeney represent 1947 team

BY CHUCK POOL
Special to the Rice News

Weldon Humble and Huey Keeney, two members of Rice’s 1947 Orange Bowl championship squad, are on the ballot for the Orange Bowl 75th anniversary All-Time Team, which will be selected by college football fans’ votes. Voting began Oct. 22, which was 75 days from the kickoff of the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl.

Fans will help the Orange Bowl committee choose the game’s all-time team and two coaches to commemorate the committee’s 75 years in operation. Voting is taking place on the Miami Herald’s Web site, http://www.miamiherald.com/contests, and will run through Nov. 30. For additional information about the candidates’ accomplishments and statistics, visit the Orange Bowl 75th Anniversary site, http://75orangebowl.org.

Humble, who earned All-American honors as guard for Rice in 1946, is one of eight guards who are up for two spots on the team. He began his career at Rice in 1940 and won the George Martin Award as team MVP in 1942 before departing to serve in World War II. He returned to Rice after the war and was again named team MVP in 1946 while leading the Owls to the Southwest Conference championship and a berth against Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. In 1968, he was named to the 50th anniversary All-Southwest Conference team and was a member of the first Rice University Athletics of Fame class. He became the first Owl to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame when he was honored in 1961.

Keeney, who was an all-conference back as well as the Owls punter, scored the only touchdown in Rice’s 8-0 win over Tennessee, completing a 50-yard touchdown run in the first quarter after taking a lateral from Buddy Ross. He then kept the Volunteers pinned deep by averaging 44.3 yards on 13 punts during the game.

At the end of voting, the Orange Bowl’s all-time team will be posted Dec. 10 on its 75th anniversary site.

— Chuck Pool is the assistant athletic director of media relations.