Baylor Bears football (1970–1979)
Encyclopedia
| : | 1970 - 1971 - 1972 - 1973 - 1974 - 1975 - 1976 - 1977 - 1978 - 1979 |
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1970
The 1970 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1970 NCAA college football season. The Bears offense scored 133 points, while the Bears defense allowed 259 points. In the Battle of the Brazos
Battle of the Brazos
The Battle of the Brazos is the official collegiate sports rivalry between the Baylor Bears and Texas A&M Aggies. The rivalry is named for the Brazos River that flows by the two schools, which are only 90 miles apart...
, the Bears beat Texas A&M by a score of 29-24.
Schedule
Team Players drafted into the NFL
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
| Dave Jones | Linebacker | 11 | 286 | Baltimore Colts |
1971
The 1971 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1971 NCAA college football season.
The Bears offense scored 74 points, while the Bears defense allowed 236 points. In the Battle of the Brazos
Battle of the Brazos
The Battle of the Brazos is the official collegiate sports rivalry between the Baylor Bears and Texas A&M Aggies. The rivalry is named for the Brazos River that flows by the two schools, which are only 90 miles apart...
, Texas A&M beat the Bears by a score of 10-9.
Schedule
1972
The 1972 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1972 NCAA college football season. Grant Teaff was hired to resurrect the moribund football team at Baylor University. Baylor originally hired Rudy Feldman
Rudy Feldman
-External links:...
from New Mexico
New Mexico Lobos
The New Mexico Lobos are the athletic teams representing the University of New Mexico. The university's athletic program fields teams in 19 varsity sports. The Lobos participate in the NCAA Division I and is a charter member of the Mountain West Conference...
, but Feldman quit after one day, leaving the job to Teaff. Baylor had been 7-43-1 in the five seasons preceding Teaff's arrival. The Bears offense scored 180 points, while the Bears defense allowed 156 points. In the Battle of the Brazos
Battle of the Brazos
The Battle of the Brazos is the official collegiate sports rivalry between the Baylor Bears and Texas A&M Aggies. The rivalry is named for the Brazos River that flows by the two schools, which are only 90 miles apart...
, the Bears beat Texas A&M by a score of 15-13.
Schedule
1973
The 1973 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1973 NCAA college football season. The Bears finished in eighth place in the Southwestern Conference.
Schedule
1974
The 1974 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1974 NCAA college football season. Baylor won eight games and captured the Southwest Conference Championship (SWC) for the first time since 1924, and in the process defeated the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
34-24 (rallying from a 24-7 halftime deficit). It was Baylor's first victory over the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
in 17 years. The 1974 season and the win over Texas are commonly referred to as the “Miracle on the Brazos” (after the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
, which runs near the Baylor campus) and it remains part of Baylor lore.
Schedule
1975
The 1975 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1975 NCAA college football season. The Bears finished the season fifth in the Southwest Conference.
Schedule
1976
The 1976 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1976 NCAA college football season. The Bears finished the season fourth in the Southwest Conference. In the Battle of the Brazos
Battle of the Brazos
The Battle of the Brazos is the official collegiate sports rivalry between the Baylor Bears and Texas A&M Aggies. The rivalry is named for the Brazos River that flows by the two schools, which are only 90 miles apart...
, Texas A&M kicker Tony Franklin kicked two 60-plus yard field goals against Baylor.
Schedule
1977
The 1977 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1977 NCAA college football season. The Bears finished the season sixth in the Southwest Conference.
Schedule=
1978
The 1978 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1978 NCAA college football season. The Bears finished the season sixth in the Southwest Conference. Sophomore Mike Singletary established a team record with 232 tackles in 1978
1978 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first season of Division I-A football; Division I-A was created in 1978 from the splitting of Division I for football only. The season came down to a rare #1 vs. #2 post-season meeting as #1 Penn State and #2 Alabama met in the New Year's Day Sugar...
, including 34 in a game against the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
.
Schedule
Team Players drafted into the NFL
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
| Greg Hawthorne Greg Hawthorne Greg Hawthorne is a former American football player with the National Football League. Drafted out of Baylor University, Hawthorne played 9 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as a rookie, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV, the New England Patriots, played in Super... |
Running Back | 1 | 28 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Ronnie Lee Ronnie Lee (American football) Ronnie Lee is a former American football offensive tackle who played 14 seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the Miami Dolphins. He started his career as a tight end.... |
Tackle | 3 | 65 | Miami Dolphins |
| Steve Howell | Fullback | 4 | 107 | Miami Dolphins |
| Luke Prestridge Luke Prestridge Luke Prestridge was a punter with a 6-year career in the National Football League. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1982 season as a member of the Denver Broncos. In high school, he was the quarterback and punter for the Sharpstown Apollos in Houston, Texas .... |
Punter | 7 | 188 | Denver Nuggets |
1979
The 1979 Baylor Bears footballBaylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
team represented the Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in the 1979 NCAA college football season. The Bears finished the regular season fourth in the Southwest Conference. A win over Clemson in the Peach Bowl capped the season.
Schedule
Team Players drafted into the NFL
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
| William Glass | Guard | 4 | 86 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Arland Thompson Arland Thompson Arland Baron Thompson is a former American football offensive guard in the National Football League who played for the Denver Broncos, the Green Bay Packers, the Baltimore Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs. Thompson played collegiately for Baylor University before being drafted in the 4th round... |
Guard | 4 | 103 | Chicago Bears |
| Keith Bishop | Guard | 6 | 157 | Denver Broncos |
| Andrew Melontree | Linebacker | 6 | 159 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Gary Don Johnson | Defensive Tackle | 7 | 168 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Kirk Collins | Defensive Back | 7 | 176 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Thomas Brown | Defensive End | 11 | 302 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Frank Pollard Frank Pollard Frank Pollard is a former professional American football player who played running back for nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers.... |
Running Back | 11 | 305 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Howard Fields Howard Fields Howard Fields is a former Gridiron football player in the Canadian Football League for nine years. Fields played cornerback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Calgary Stampeders from 1981-1989. He was a CFL All-Star in 1985 and 1988, and also won the Grey Cup with the Tiger-Cats in 1986. He... |
Defensive Back | 12 | 329 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Bo Taylor || Running Back || || || Tampa Bay
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Awards and honors
- Mike Singletary, (All-America1979 College Football All-America TeamThe 1979 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
) honors - Mike Singletary, Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding player in the Southwest Conference.
- Mike Singletary was the only college junior to be selected to the All-Southwest Conference Team of the 1970s.