Weldon Humble Early life and college career Did Weldon have a college career? Humble left Rice in 1943 for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then called Southwestern Louisiana Institute, Did he play a certain position? lineman Anything about his early life, perhaps did he play football as a kid? Humble began play on Rice's freshman team as an end in 1940. Did he do well in college as far as academics and sports? Humble enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was sent to fight in the Pacific War. He rose to the rank of first lieutenant Did he win any college games? After finishing with an 8-2 record, Rice beat Tennessee in the Orange Bowl game in early 1947. Are there any other interesting aspects about this article? was named a sophomore all-star by the Associated Press after the Rice Owls finished 1941 with a 6-3-1 win-loss-tie record. What happened next? The following year, Humble earned All-Southwestern Conference honors and won the George Martin Award, given to Rice's most valuable player, as Rice put up a 7-2-1 record.
What was the best record of all his teams and seasons combined?
What was the best record of all Weldon Humble's teams and seasons combined?
Humble was born in Nixon, Texas, a suburb of San Antonio, in 1921. His athletic career began at San Antonio's Brackenridge High School. Humble played as an end for two seasons and a fullback for a third season on the football team. He also played on the basketball, track and swimming teams before graduating and enrolling at Rice University in Houston, Texas in 1940.  Humble began play on Rice's freshman team as an end in 1940. He advanced to the varsity team the next year. While he started as an end, coach Jess Neely switched him to guard before the first game of the season. He thrived in the new position, and was named a sophomore all-star by the Associated Press after the Rice Owls finished 1941 with a 6-3-1 win-loss-tie record. The following year, Humble earned All-Southwestern Conference honors and won the George Martin Award, given to Rice's most valuable player, as Rice put up a 7-2-1 record.  Humble left Rice in 1943 for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then called Southwestern Louisiana Institute, to prepare for service in World War II in a V-12 U.S. Navy training program. As he trained, he played alongside enlistees from Tulane University, the University of Tulsa and Louisiana State University on a military team that won six straight games and was selected to play in the first Oil Bowl in Houston. Captained by Humble, Southwestern beat a service team from Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio.  After the season, Humble enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was sent to fight in the Pacific War. He rose to the rank of first lieutenant and won a Bronze Star Medal. Upon his discharge in 1946, Humble returned to Rice. He lettered in football and track and field and was voted a consensus first-team All-American guard while captain of Rice's Southwestern Conference co-champion team. He was also named lineman of the week by the Associated Press in November for his strong tackling in a game against the Texas A&M Aggies. After finishing with an 8-2 record, Rice beat Tennessee in the Orange Bowl game in early 1947. Rice was ranked the 10th-best college team in the nation in the AP Poll. CANNOTANSWER
7-2-1 record.
Weldon Gaston "Hum" Humble (April 24, 1921 – April 14, 1998) was an American football guard who played five seasons in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Texans in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Humble grew up in Texas and was a multi-sport athlete at Brackenridge High School in San Antonio. He enrolled at Rice University in Houston, Texas in 1940 and played three seasons on the school's football team. Humble then spent three years in the U.S. Marines during World War II, serving in the Pacific War and earning a Bronze Star Medal before returning to complete his college studies in 1946. Sportswriters named him a first-team All-American after the Rice Owls finished with an 8–2 win–loss record and beat Tennessee 8–0 in the 1947 Orange Bowl.

The AAFC's Baltimore Colts signed Humble in 1947, but the Browns acquired him in a trade before the season. Humble became an anchor on Cleveland's offensive line, helping the team win three straight AAFC titles in the late 1940s. When the AAFC dissolved in 1949, Cleveland moved to the NFL and won another championship in 1950. Humble, who remained in the Marine Reserves, was called into service in the Korean War after the season. He was expected to return to Cleveland the following year, but head coach Paul Brown traded him to the Texans before the 1952 season began. He retired after one year in Dallas.

After his playing career, Humble worked as a bank executive and at an office supply company. He was also the chairman of the selection committee for the Bluebonnet Bowl. Humble was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1961, and was named to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the South Texas Football Hall of Fame in 1969. He is also a member of the Rice University Athletics Hall of Fame. He died in 1998 in Houston following a long illness.

Early life and college career

Humble was born in Nixon, Texas, a suburb of San Antonio, in 1921. His athletic career began at San Antonio's Brackenridge High School. Humble played as an end for two seasons and a fullback for a third season on the football team. He also played on the basketball, track and swimming teams before graduating and enrolling at Rice University in Houston, Texas in 1940.

Humble began play on Rice's freshman team as an end in 1940. He advanced to the varsity team the next year. While he started as an end, coach Jess Neely switched him to guard before the first game of the season. He thrived in the new position, and was named a sophomore all-star by the Associated Press after the Rice Owls finished 1941 with a 6–3–1 win–loss–tie record. The following year, Humble earned All-Southwest Conference honors and won the George Martin Award, given to Rice's most valuable player, as Rice put up a 7–2–1 record.

Humble left Rice in 1943 for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then called Southwestern Louisiana Institute, to prepare for service in World War II in a V-12 U.S. Navy training program. As he trained, he played alongside enlistees from Tulane University, the University of Tulsa and Louisiana State University on a military team that won six straight games and was selected to play in the first Oil Bowl in Houston. Captained by Humble, Southwestern beat a service team from Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. Halfback Alvin Dark loved playing behind Humble, recalling years later that "I'd never seen such blocking."

After the season, Humble enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was sent to fight in the Pacific War. He rose to the rank of first lieutenant and won a Bronze Star Medal. Upon his discharge in 1946, Humble returned to Rice. He lettered in football and track and field and was voted a consensus first-team All-American guard while captain of Rice's Southwest Conference co-champion team. He was also named lineman of the week by the Associated Press in November for his strong tackling in a game against the Texas A&M Aggies. After finishing with an 8–2 record, Rice beat Tennessee in the Orange Bowl game in early 1947. Rice was ranked the 10th-best college team in the nation in the AP Poll.

Professional football career

Paul Brown, the coach of the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), met Humble while vacationing in Florida in 1946. Brown came to watch the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day, and was staying in the same hotel as the Rice team. He saw Humble and his wife Lorraine, whom Humble had met while in training at Southwestern, on a dance floor at the hotel. "He appeared to be the sort of fellow we like to have on our team," Brown said later in 1947. "Then I watched him in that Tennessee game and after that made up my mind he'd be with my club if I ever had the chance to make a deal for him." The AAFC's Baltimore Colts selected Humble in the league's draft, but Brown got his chance in August. He engineered a trade that sent four players including quarterback Steve Nemeth and guard George Cheroke to the Colts, plus two players to be named later.

Before joining the Browns, Humble played in the College All-Star Game, a now-defunct annual matchup between the National Football League (NFL) champion and a selection of the best college players from around the country. The college all-stars won the game, defeating the Chicago Bears 16–0. In Cleveland, Humble was part of an offensive line that included Lin Houston, Ed Ulinski and Bob Gaudio. Their job was to protect quarterback Otto Graham from opposing defenders and open up running room for fullback Marion Motley. They chanted "nobody touches Graham" when they broke the huddle.

Helped by strong line play, Graham, Motley and Cleveland ends Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie led a potent offense that dominated the AAFC for three years. The Browns won the AAFC championship in 1947, 1948 and 1949 before the league disbanded and Cleveland was absorbed by the more established NFL. Humble was a consensus second-team All-Pro selection in 1948, when Cleveland won all of its games. Cleveland's success continued in the NFL in 1950, when Humble was used on occasion as a linebacker on defense. The Browns finished the season with a 10–2 record and beat the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL championship game. Humble was selected to play in the first-ever Pro Bowl, the NFL's all-star game.

Humble continued as a member of the Marine Reserves as his professional career continued, and in 1951 he was in danger of being called up for service in the Korean War. He re-enlisted in the summer and played for a military team at Marine Corps Base Quantico later in the year. After the season, he was named the best service player in the country by the Washington Touchdown Club.

Humble was expected to return to the Browns after his discharge from the military in 1952. In a surprise move, however, Brown traded him before the season to the Dallas Texans for fullback Sherman Howard. The trade was unexpected because Cleveland's other guards, including Gaudio and Alex Agase, were getting older and nearing retirement. "I'm sure we'll be all right at the guard position," Brown said at the time. "But we do have a definite fullback problem." Humble played one season for the Texans before retiring. Dallas had a 1–11 record in 1952.

Later life and death

After his football career, Humble worked for 20 years at First City National Bank in Houston. He later became vice-president of an office supply firm called Stationers, Inc. He maintained an affiliation with his Texas alma mater, serving as president and later director of the R Association, an alumni group for former Rice student-athletes. In the late 1960s, he became the president of the Greater Houston Bowl Association, which organized the Bluebonnet Bowl. By the mid-1970s, he was chairman of the Bowl's selection committee.

Humble won numerous honors after his career. He became the first Rice player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1961. He was included on a 50th anniversary All-Southwest Conference team in 1968, and in 1970 was one of the first people inducted into the Rice University Athletics Hall of Fame. Humble was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the South Texas Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

Later in life, Humble worked for the Harris County Appraisal Review Board and was a salesman for an office furniture supply company. He died in 1998 in Houston after a long illness. Humble and his wife Lorraine had three children.

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1921 births
1998 deaths
All-American college football players
American football offensive guards
Cleveland Browns (AAFC) players
Cleveland Browns players
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Dallas Texans (NFL) players
Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football players
Players of American football from San Antonio
Rice Owls football players
University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumni
Brackenridge High School alumni
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
United States Marine Corps officers
United States Marine Corps reservists
The Nashville Vols Minor League Baseball team played 62 seasons in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963; they were inactive in 1962 due to declining attendance and the Southern Association (SA) ceasing operations after 1961. Over 9,015 regular season games, the Vols compiled a win–loss record of 4,569–4,446 (.507). They qualified for postseason playoffs on 16 occasions and had a postseason record of 108–74 (.593). Nashville won eight SA pennants, nine SA playoff championships, and four Dixie Series titles. Combining all 9,197 regular season and postseason games, the Vols had an all-time record of 4,677–4,520 (.509).

The Nashville Baseball Club was formed as a charter member of the newly organized Southern Association in 1901. The team did not receive its official moniker, the Nashville Volunteers, until 1908. However, the team was, and is, commonly referred to as the Vols. Their last season in the Southern Association was 1961. After sitting out the 1962 season, Nashville returned for a final campaign as a part of the South Atlantic League in 1963.

The Vols competed at four class levels: Class B (1901), Class A (1902–1935), Class A1 (1936–1945), and Double-A (1946–1961, 1963). Today, all Minor League Baseball teams are affiliated with a Major League Baseball team to develop players for the major league club. However, it was not until the 1930s that Nashville entered into such major league affiliations on a consistent basis. The Vols were affiliated with eight teams across 29 seasons and were unaffiliated in the other 33 seasons. Their longest affiliation was with the Chicago Cubs for nine seasons (1943–1951), followed by the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs (8 seasons; 1936–1937, 1955–1960), New York Giants (5 seasons; 1934–1935, 1952–1954), Brooklyn Dodgers (3 seasons; 1938–1940), and one season each with the Cleveland Naps (1908), Minnesota Twins (1961), Chicago White Sox (1920), and Los Angeles Angels (1963).

The team's best season record occurred in 1940 when they finished 101–47 (.682). The 1940 team was ranked as the 47th best minor league of all time in a 2001 ranking by baseball historians. Their lowest season record was 45–92 (.328) in 1906. Of the eight major league affiliations in Nashville's history, the team recorded its best record from 1938 to 1940 as a Brooklyn Dodgers affiliate. The team had a regular season record of 270–181 (.599) during that time. They reached the postseason in all three seasons, winning two playoff championships and one Dixie Series title. Their postseason record was 25–16 (.610). Conversely, the team's lowest record was as a Los Angeles Angels affiliate in 1963. The Vols compiled a 53–86 (.381) record and failed to reach the postseason in their lone year with the Angles and their final year of competition.

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Seasons Raymond Albert Nolting (November 8, 1913 – July 5, 1995) was an American football halfback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), as well as a college football head coach. He played college football at the University of Cincinnati, before spending six seasons with the Bears. He rushed for over 2,000 yards, and had over 500 receiving yards before retiring in 1943. He was a member of Chicago Bears NFL Championship teams in 1940, 1941 and 1943 and selected to the Pro Bowl twice. In the 1940 Bears' 73–0 rout of the Washington Redskins, Nolting rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown and intercepted a Sammy Baugh pass. From 1945 to 1948, he coached at Cincinnati, where he compiled a 23–15–1 record.

College career 
While at the University of Cincinnati, the football team compiled a record of 20-6-1 and won two Buckeye Conference titles in 1934 and 1935. While individual statistics are virtually nonexistent, reports credit Nolting with fifteen 200-plus yards rushing games during his three-year varsity career. Ray was named All Buckeye Conference in 1934 and 1935. After the 1935 season, Ray was named All Ohio (team captain) and was an All American honorable mention.

Nolting was the first UC football player to make the All American team and to go on to play professional football. He had the reputation of being a hard-nosed runner, fierce competitor, an explosive runner and a true triple threat. Run. Pass. Kick.

In addition to playing football for the Bearcats, Ray playing basketball his senior year and was on the track and field team in 1933–1935.

NFL career 
One story had it Ray joined the Bears so he could play with Bronko Nagurski and not against him. The wisdom of this move was confirmed in the first Bear scrimmage, when he found himself on the opposite team from the Bronk. While Nolting was a virtual unknown in Chicago, early in his rookie year he proved his value. Nolting got his first chance to start in the second Packer/Bear game In '36. Beattie Feathers hurt his ankle and Ray was sent into the game. The Bears ran an of-tackle play and Bronk (Bronko Nagurski) made about 15 yards. Nolting blocked and knocked down the Packer's Hall of Fam linebacker Clarke Hinkle to lead the play. Bronk came back to the huddle and said "anyone who could knock that Hinkle on his ass can play on my first team." "Halas always listened to Bronk. Anything Bronko wanted... Bronko got. From that time on, I was a first string player." recalled Nolting in a 1985 interview.

While Nolting was used primarily for his blocking skills to lead the way for the likes of Bronko Nagurski, Sid Luckman, Bill Osmanski and George McAfee, Ray was a vital member of three World Championship teams (1940, 1941, and 1943) and five divisional championship teams. Playing in a galaxy of all-time NFL greats, Nolting was elected MVP three times. In 1937, Ray was an honorable mention on the All-Pro team and was named the league's “fastest starting back” and “best quick kicker”.

In 1940, the year the Bears beat the Washington Redskins 73–0 in the World Championship game, Nolting lead the Bears in total yards, yards per carry, and had intercepted four passes. Nolting was also a big member of the 1942 team which was undefeated during the regular season (11-0) only to be upset by the Washington Redskins 14–6 in the championship game.

During Nolting's eight-year career, the Chicago Bears amasses a record of 73 wins, 19 losses and two ties – a 77.6% winning percentage. The Bears were the only team to win two more World Championships over the next 20 seasons.

In all, Ray was named team MVP three times. Nolting was All-Pro leading his teams to an overall record of 69-17-2 with an 89% winning percentage. Nolting's teams won 5 Western Division Championships and were World Champions In 1940, 1941 and 1943.

College coaching career 
Nolting was hired to revive the University of Cincinnati football program after the conclusion of World War II. Manned with many veterans of the armed services, he quickly put the program back together. In four seasons, they compiled a 23-15-1 record.

Nolting had his own style; fairly fundamental with strong offensive play combined with a hard-nosed defense like the Bears.

Of Nolting, the team captain of the 1946 Bearcats, Elbie Nickel, said, "He was a tough couch and insisted on long practices and repetitive drills, but he wasn't above getting into the action with his team. He wasn't much older than we were... so he could show us what to do. He was a young couch and he did a great job for us. Of course, he had a little temper and he's get a bit excited on the sidelines."

The 1946 team has been ranked as one of the university's best ever with victories over Big Ten Champion Indiana (15-7) and Michigan State while compiling an 8–2 record.

The 1946 Bearcats were league champions and appeared in UC's first bowl game. At that time, there were only five bowl games. UC played in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, defeating Virginia Tech 18–6.

Head coaching record

References

External links
 
 raynolting.com

1913 births
1995 deaths
American football halfbacks
Cincinnati Bearcats football coaches
Cincinnati Bearcats football players
Chicago Bears players
Coaches of American football from Ohio
Players of American football from Cincinnati