1959 Texas A&I Javelinas football team

The 1959 Texas A&I Javelinas football team was an American football team that represented the Texas College of Arts and Industries (now known as Texas A&M University–Kingsville) as a member of the Lone Star Conference during the 1959 NAIA football season. The team compiled a 12–1 record, defeated Lenoir Rhyne in the Holiday Bowl, and won the NAIA Football National Championship. It was the first of seven NAIA Football National Championships won by the school (1959, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1979).[1]

1959 Texas A&I Javelinas football
NAIA national champion
LSC co-champion
ConferenceLone Star Conference
Record12–1 (6–1 LSC)
Head coach
Home stadiumJavelina Stadium
1959 Lone Star Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Texas A&I +^ 6 –1 –012 –1 –0
No. 4 East Texas State + 6 –1 –09 –1 –0
Lamar Tech 4 –3 –08 –3 –0
Stephen F. Austin 4 –3 –04 –6 –1
Sam Houston State 3 –4 –05 –5 –0
Howard Payne 3 –4 –03 –7 –0
Southwest Texas State 2 –5 –04 –6 –0
Sul Ross 0 –7 –00 –9 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll

Season overview

In its sixth year under head coach Gil Steinke, the team compiled a 12–1 record (6–1 against conference opponents), tied for the Lone Star Conference championship, and defeated Lenoir Rhyne in the Holiday Bowl to win the NAIA national championship.[2][3]

The team's only official setback was a loss to Stephen F. Austin. The Javelinas also lost on the field to Howard Payne by a 20–0 score and were outgained by 227 yards to minus 54 yards. However, Howard Payne forfeited the game two weeks later due to its use of an academically ineligible sophomore guard.[4][5]

In the NAIA's Western playoff, the Javelinas defeated the Hillsdale by a 20–0 score. The shutout snapped Hillsdale's streak of 56 games (dating to November 7, 1953) without being held scoreless. The game was watched by an estimated 15 million viewers on CBS Television. Texas A&I faced undefeated Lenoir Rhyne and prevailed by a 20–6 score as sophomore quarterback Jerrell Hayes threw touchdown passes covering 32, 74 and 57 yards. Two of the touchdown passes were caught by halfback Butch Pressley and the other by track star Dick Watson. Pressley totaled 101 rushing yards and 89 receiving yards in the game.[6][7][8]

The team played its home games at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas.[9]

Honors and awards

Six Texas A&I players received first- or second-team honors on the All-Lone Star Conference team selected the conference coaches: guard Gerald Lambert (first); center James Franz (first); halfbacks Barry Copenhaver (second) and Harold Hees (second); fullback Butch Pressley (second); and end Lupe Jaimes (second).[10]

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 12Corpus Christi*
W 14–33,000[11]
September 19Trinity (TX)*
W 30–124,000[12]
September 26Texas Lutheran*
  • Javelina Stadium
  • Kingsville, TX
W 33–6
October 3at Howard PayneBrownwood, TXW 6–0 (forfeit)[2][4][5]
October 10East Texas State
  • Javelina Stadium
  • Kingsville, TX
W 7–0[13]
October 17Arlington State*
  • Javelina Stadium
  • Kingsville, TX
W 29–18[14]
October 24at Sam Houston StateHuntsville, TXW 23–10[15]
October 31at Stephen F. AustinNacogdoches, TXL 7–24[16]
November 7Lamar Tech
  • Javelina Stadium
  • Kingsville, TX
W 14–6[17]
November 14at Sul RossAlpine, TXW 14–8[18]
November 21Southwest Texas State
  • Javelina Stadium
  • Kingsville, TX
W 20–0[7]
December 5Hillsdale*
  • Javelina Stadium
  • Kingsville, TX (NAIA Western playoff)
W 20–07,000[19]
December 12vs. Lenoir Rhyne*
W 20–69,500[6]
  • *Non-conference game

References
  1. "65th Annual NAIA Football National Championship Media Guide" (PDF). NAIA. 2021. pp. 53, 56–57.
  2. "Texas A&M University-Kingsville Javelina Football 2015 Media Guide". Texas A&M University-Kingsville. 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  3. "Football Team 1959". Javelina Athletics. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  4. "Howard Payne Defeats Javs". The Corpus Christi Times. October 4, 1959 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "A&I Wins 20-0 Loss to Howard Payne on Forfeit". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 17, 1959. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.(Howard Payne's on-field 20-0 victory forfeited due to use of a player who had been ruled academically ineligible)
  6. Bill Beck (December 20, 1959). "Javelinas Kill 'Em A Bear With Passes". Tampa Bay Times. p. 1C – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Texas A&I Clinches Tie For Title in Lone Star". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. November 22, 1959 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Javelina Stadium". Javelina Athletics. Retrieved November 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Football Playoffs". Corpus Christi Times. December 1, 1959. p. 6B – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "McCord Repeats Again on All-Lone Star Team". Tyler Morning Telegraph. December 5, 1959. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Texas A&I Wins Over Tarpons, 14-3". Corpus Christi Times. September 13, 1959. p. E1 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Javelinas Chalk Up 30-12 Win". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. September 20, 1959. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Texas A&I Upsets East Texas, 7-0". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. October 11, 1959 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "A&I Spanks Rebs, 29-18". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 18, 1959. p. II-3 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Javs Win 7th Contest". Express and News. October 25, 1959. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Austin Drops Texas A&I 24-7 In LSC Battle". The Bryan Daily Eagle. November 1, 1959. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Texas A&I Tops Lamar Tech 14-6". Valley Evening Monitor. November 8, 1959. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "A&I Edged By Sul Ross". The Brownsville Herald. November 15, 1959 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Lenoir Rhyne, Texas In Holiday Bowl: A&I Lassoes Dales' Potent Offense 20-0". Tampa Bay Times. Associated Press. December 6, 1959 – via Newspapers.com.
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