Return to Princeton

BY JIMMIE McDOWELL


PRINCETON----It was good to be back in Princeton for the salute to All-Americans Dick Kazmaier and Bill Bradley and the Harvard-Princeton football game this past weekend.
Bradley , who became a United States Senator after his Rhodes Scholarship and Old Nassau glory years, and Kazmaier, the 1951 Heisman Trophy winner, both wore jersey number 42. That number is being retired in honor of this legendary pair.
We attended the Friday night Dinner with a fine group of Princeton friends in beautiful and historic Jadwin Gym. Video presentation of both stars added to the evening. Kazmaier, a native of Maumee, Ohio, was a single wing tailback for Hall of Fame Coach Charlie Caldwell. Kaz chose to to to Harvard Business School rather than accept an offer from the Chicago Bears. Bradley, who also played Baseball one year at Princeton, was also a Mid-Westerner. He was a star for the New York Knicks after his Rhodes Scholarship days.
Bradley also ran for President of the United States as a Democrat, losing to Al Gore. What an outstanding President Bill Bradley would have been.
I am proud to be a member of the Princeton Football Association.
It was good to see All-American Fullback Cosmo Iacavazzi again. I covered Cosmo and Dick Colman's unbeaten and untied Tigers , as well as Bradley as the Executive Sports Editor-Columnist of the Trenton Times. Cosmo and teammate3 Stanislaus Malazewski, an All-American as well were prize recruits for the Tigers. How Notre Dame missed out on two lads named Iacavazzi and Malazewski I will never know. I do know that Zygmont Pierre Czarobski would have welcomed both with open arms.
Ziggy and George Connor are both in the College Football Hall of Fame. So are Kazmaier and Iacavazzi. And Stas Maliszewski belongs as does another Princetonian, Frank McPhee, a two-time All-American end. His cousin famed Pulitzer author John McPhee introduced Bradley and Kamaier at the Dinner.
The Harvard-Princeton game was much enjoyed with the Crimson coming from behind to win. I first covered Princeton football in 1962 with the Trenton Times after the Jackson State Times was bought and closed by the Hederman Family which owned the Clarion-Ledger and Jackson Daily News.
I had been invited to help launch the Houston Colt 45's baseball team in the National League expansion which also included the New York Mets. I had covered Spring Training and the World Series during my Mississippi newspaper days. Former Mississippi College star Harry (Popeye) Craft was the first Manager of the Houston team. I was involved in the Colt's first Good Will Caravan, so after covering the Cotton Bowl between Texas and Ole Miss the paper closed and I called Houston and went to work there.
After the Caravan made the rounds with spring training beginning to start I got the call from Trenton to come East and cover the Yankees and the Mets and the Phillies and the Giants and the Eagles. I did not hesitate to accept the offer and said Farewell to Houston.
Princeton has always been on of my favorite cities. I had thought about relocating the All-American Football Foundation in Princeton, who had played Rutgers in College Football's First Game. The National Football Foundation was launched in Rutgers and I worked there for eight years before the Foundation relocated in New York City.
Even when I worked in New Brunswick I lived in Princeton, which is as beautiful a City as I have ever seen. Princeton was also close to those Great Trenton Italian Restaurants: Lou Crecco's, the Homestead Inn, Johnny Boston's Tony Kall' s , DeLorenzo's, Rossi's and the like.
New Jersey is my second home. It is always a pleasure to visit. We have scheduled the AAFF Banquet of Champions in Princeton March 9.
Invitation this week received from the Heisman Trophy Director Rob Whalen to attend this year's Dinner Dec. 13-14-15, which I first attended in 1962. I have not missed any since so this will be my 46th Heisman Dinner. I continued to be the Heisman's Southern Regional Representative succeeding my good friend, the late Fred Russell of Nashville, who was also the Chairman of the NFFHF Honors Court.
Now the homestretch for this year's College Bowl Games and Champions begin. attending the Reunion of the great 1952 and 1953 Mississippi Southern Giant Killers on Friday followed by the dedication of the John Vaught statue and Ole Miss-Auburn game Saturday.
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