The Passing of Doc Blanchard

By: Jimmie McDowell
It was hard to believe that the Big Doctor had passed away, a vi ctim of pneumonia.
Colonel Felix (Doc) Blanchard died at 84 years of age. I saw him as a 16 year old star running back for St. Stanislaus High on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The opponent was Hot Moore's McComb High juggernaut.
In the early 40's you could play in Mississippi high schools until you were 21-years old. Most of those Pike County Tigers were about ready to vote. McComb won this Toy Bowl game in New Orleans, but Doc Blanchard still impressed everyone at City Park Stadium in the Crescent City.
Blanchard became a college football legend in a backfield which included fellow College Football Hall of Famer Glenn Davis. Blanchard and Davis each won the Heisman as Colonel Red Blaik's famed one-two punch as the Black Knights of the Hudson went unbeaten in three seasons, l944-46.
In l946 Army and Notre Dame played to a scoreless tie. Blanchard, despite a bad knee, broke clear and was headed for the end zone before being tackled by Irish All-American Johnny Lujack. In later years Blanchard told Lujack he scared the hell out of him. Lujack was over-joyed until Blanchard added "I thought I had killed you."
Blanchard chose a Military career over Pro Football. He distinguied himself in battle as an Air Force pilot in the Korean and Viet Nam wars. In Viet Nam he flew 64 missions, a true Fighter ace pilot. After retirement he lived with his wife and children in Texas. He seldom came back for the Heisman although invited. He was asked "Why". He said he preferred not to fly. They said": Doc you were a pilot. Why don"t you want to fly to New York.? He said he was not the pilot.
I last saw Doc at the Doak Walker dinner in Dallas a couple of years ago. His running mate Glenn Davis died in 1995. Davis, semi-engaged to Elizabeth Taylor, married the actress Terry Moore, who was offered a movie role by Howard Hughes, a notorious gal chaser. Glenn came back from a business trip to learn that his wife had gone to L.A. to see Hughes. He went to her Mother's home and found Howard and Terry there. Glenn Davis walloped Hughes unntil Terry's stout mother dovebetween the pair to save Hughes from more socks. Terry's Mother knew where the real money was. They divorced soon afterward. I think Howard remembdred Terry in his will.
Glenn later married a lovely Louisiana girl, who passed away and then married Allen Ameche's widow, Yvonne. I was in on the courtship. Army captain Joe Steffy, Glenn, and I were getting a cab outside the New York Athletic Club and Yvonne came out of the club and asked if there was room for one more. She jumped in to the cab and had to sit on Glenn's lap. Considering New York City's bumpy roads by the time we got to Mid-town Glenn was semi-in-love.
Doc Blanchard and Glenn are back together in the Great Beyond with their coach, Red Blaik. Glenn does not expect to see Howard Hughes there.
I had just written Doc a letter inviting him to join Navy Captain Leon Bramlett as a Vice President of the All-American Football Foundation. We will remember the Big Doctor at our June 2 Banquet of Champions in Dallas.
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