1962 marked the debut of two of Auburn's finest athletes, soph QB Jimmy
Sidle and HB-DB Tucker Frederickson. Both were big, muscular, and fast and
could have played any position on the field. Sidle at 6'2" 215 pounds and
Tucker at 6'2" and 220 were a handful. 240-pound tackle George Gross was
nicknamed "Mr. Muscles" at Auburn and with the Chargers due to his
power-packed physique. The Tigers started quickly but lost the last
three-out-of-four to finish 6-3-1 with a stinging defeat by Alabama of 38-0
but Shug saw the potential of using the running abilities of his backs in a
way that would set records in '63. A quarterback as the leading NCAA rusher
for '63? Big Jimmy Sidle, a threat to pass or run, utilized the roll-out
option almost exclusively, convoyed by Larry Rawson and Tucker Frederickson
who still spent time going both ways as an effective defensive back, and
rushed for a QB record 1006 yards which at the end of the season, ranked him
number two overall in NCAA rushing statistics. The Birmingham Banks H.S.
product directed Jordan's "Avalanche Attack" behind his big backs,
Frederickson winning the first of two Jacobs Blocking Trophies, signifying
the best blocker in the SEC. Off-setting Tucker, this was the debut of the
first true I-Formation in the SEC and most of the other staffs could not
stop it. Shug wasn't surprised as Sidle had been a 9.9/100 yard dash
standout in high school track and also held the state record in the high
hurdles. Frederickson remained on defense because of his hitting
ability. Only a 13-10 loss to Mississippi State in the final 28
seconds ruined what would have been an unbeaten season as the Tigers went
9-1 and defeated up-to-then undefeated Joe Namath and Alabama 10-8 on
great play from backup QB Mailon Kent. Alabama went to the Sugar Bowl,
Auburn to the Orange Bowl where they were beaten by Big 8 champion Nebraska
13-7 but the loss did little to dampen enthusiasm for 1964.
The September 21, 1964 edition of Sports Illustrated magazine is a
special issue. On the cover it states, SPECIAL ISSUE: COLLEGE FOOTBALL.
Featured on that cover is a painting with a title stating, THE YEAR OF THE
RUNNING BACK and the featured back is JIMMY SIDLE OF AUBURN. The magazine
goes on to state that "College Football 1964" is "A RUNNERS' YEAR...AND
AUBURN RUNS THE MOST." Quoting pro scouts, they note that "our reports show
there are more than 50 first-rate runners in the country this year. And of
that list there must be 20 who would star on any team at any time." The very
best was considered to be quarterback Jimmy Sidle and why not? He was second
in the nation in rushing with Jordan's "Avalanche" roll out option offense
where he ran more frequently than he passed but it was the threat of his
strong and accurate passing that made the run work, especially with the
blocking of HB Tucker Frederickson and FB Larry Rawson. Primed for a repeat
of the great '63 offensive showing and 9-1 regular season record, disaster
struck in the opening game against Houston as Sidle was dragged down by his
throwing arm, tearing his rotator cuff. Obviously limited and with the
threat of the pass gone, the Avalanche lost its punch. Point productions of
3, 0, and 3 points against their first three SEC foes forced a switch of
Sidle from QB to HB and HB Tom Bryan moved to the signal-calling post. The
6-4 record could have been predicted after Sidle's injury though
Frederickson continued to do everything, including the acquisition of
another Jacobs Blocking Trophy. He was joined on the All SEC team by LB Bill
Cody and tackle Jack Thornton. Frederickson was the first draft choice of
the Giants but injuries cost him his entire second year and parts of others
and he retired after seven seasons. Sidle signed with the Cowboys and did
well through camp but suffered another injury to his shoulder that required
surgery. Missing the entire '65 season, he was traded to the Falcons for the
'66 season and finished his pro career as a TE with the BC Lions of the
CFL. Though end Dave Edwards did not make the SEC honor roll, he was signed
as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys and proceeded to become one of their
greatest defensive stars ever, manning a linebacking position continuously
from 1963 through 1975.
1965 became a 5-4-1 season that actually won the Tigers a bowl berth. Tom
Bryan began the year as a running QB but was team MVP and All SEC as the
fullback he was switched to as Joe Campbell got more playing time at the
helm. With the re-introduction of full time platoon football, Jordan had to
split the squad and was short on depth. LB "Wild Bill" Cody was All
Conference and then took his 230 pounds to the NFL for six seasons. Jack
Thornton's steady play earned him All SEC notice too but this transitional
year was a tough one. Still, the Liberty Bowl, after trying Philadelphia and
Atlantic City, N.J. with limited success, moved to Memphis and wanted a
southern team to attract fans. They instead chose two southern teams as the
Tigers lost to Ole Miss and dropped the record to an even worse 5-5-1!
