Bobby Hoppe at Auburn
Bobby Hoppe, the subject of a new book coming out this week, enjoyed quite a football career.
He lettered three years at Auburn – from 1955 to 1957 – and had a 70-yard touchdown run against Mississippi State in 1956. He also was an important member of the 1957 national championship team, which went undefeated and beat the University of Chattanooga at Auburn in its second game.
These achievements came despite the fact that his successful Central High football coach, the late E.B. “Red” Etter, once remarked that he thought Auburn never used him properly.
Hoppe also went on to play briefly for the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers in the NFL
However, the high school stage was the one on which he shown most brilliantly
During those years – when he earned the nickname “the Rabbit” from sports writers because of the first three letters of his last name and his rabbit-like speed and shiftiness - he made football magic.
Coach Etter even called him one of the two or three best football players he ever coached.
Just as Herschel Walker was a good NFL player but a fantastic college player at Georgia, Hoppe was good in college but great in high school.
Hoppe’s senior season at Central, 1953, was apparently his best year in high school. A look through the Chattanooga Times on microfilm from that year definitely reveals some amazing stories of gridiron glory.
Central High - which was then located in a now-razed building on Dodds Avenue and practiced football on Frawley Field, where Parkridge Medical Center stands today - was always considered one of the best teams in Tennessee during the period when Coach Etter was the coach.
The 1953 season, which was actually somewhat of a rebuilding year, began on a down note. The Purple Pounders lost to the heavier and equally celebrated Memphis Central, 16-7, in front of 12,000 at Chamberlain Field on Thursday, Sept. 10.
But halfback Hoppe, who was the team captain, still shined, including on the opening drive. “In that drive, Central showed Robert ‘the Rabbit’ Hoppe on the famed Georgia Tech belly play, an 18-yarder,” wrote George Short of the Times.
Among the other Central players on the 1953 team were Max Parris and Billy Heaton at quarterback, fullback Wayne Hutcheson, fellow T formation halfbacks Bob Tate and Charles “the Indian” Cantrell, and center (and future Golden Gallon founder) Ray Moss.
Other members of the team included alternate captains Neil Barnes and Albert Mehaffey, Paul Elliott, Sherwin Anderson, James Hudson, Lamar Eaton, W.H. Green, Richard Eustace, Bobby Cope, Richard Cowart, Hal Bridges, Larry Clingan, Johnny Brown, Bob McCutcheon, John Kimbrough, James Cannon, Fred Osborne, Ray Warren, Eddie Lerch, Charles Cobb, and Bobby Baskette.
The Purple Pounders also had a 14-year-old, ninth-grade kicker named Gene Etter, the son of Red Etter. Gene Etter has gone on to enjoy a long and successful career as baseball coach at Baylor School.
After suffering the opening loss, Central went on to beat Marist College of Atlanta, 49-0, eight days later in front of 6,000 fans at Chamberlain Field.
“Robert ‘the Rabbit’ Hoppe carried the football six times and scored three touchdowns in the first quarter last night,” said George Short.
He finished the night with 141 yards in eight carries before the reserves entered the game. He also had a 37-yard touchdown called back on an offside penalty.
Gene Etter made all of his extra point attempts.
The following Friday, Sept. 25, the Purple Pounders defeated what is now Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett High School, 26-7, in Kingsport. Hoppe, who had been all state the year before, had 14 carries for 95 yards against the previously undefeated Indians. Included were two “thrilling runs,” the newspaper said.
Often when the University of Chattanooga would play its home games on Friday night, as it often did at that time, Central would play on Saturday. That was the case on Oct. 3, when the Purple Pounders beat a usually competitive Red Bank squad, 48-0, at Chamberlain Field,
On the first play of the second quarter, Hoppe, who wore No. 33, ran past several defenders and sprinted 94 yards for a touchdown.
“The red-hot Hoppe took the ball four plays later after Red Bank got nowhere and had to punt, and on the same type play streaked 40 yards for his second touchdown in two minutes,” the Times wrote of the former Northside Junior High student.
Because of the competitive nature of the Central teams during that era, they often played teams from far away. Such was the case the following Friday, when the Purple Pounders easily defeated Miami High, 27-0, in front of 9,000 at Chamberlain Field.
The game’s best run, a 95-yarder that thrilled the crowd, was made by – you guessed it – Hoppe.
“Hippety Hoppe broke through quickly and outdistanced a pooped pack of pursuers in the same manner a fox leaves a pack of hounds at sunup,” wrote George Short.
Hoppe also scored two other touchdowns against the Stingarees, who wore black uniforms.
On Thursday, Oct. 15, Central hosted another Florida team – Landon High of Jacksonville. The result was also the same, although Central won by only 20-13.
Hoppe and Wayne Hutcheson were the stars, with Hoppe making another spectacular run as well as a catch.
Now 5-1, the Purple Pounders traveled on Oct. 23 to Bradley Central, where the competitive Bears under coach Bill Smith tied them, 13-13. The 6,000 people in attendance were the most ever to see a football game in Bradley County until that time.
In 1953, Bradley Central was located where Ocoee Middle School is on Ocoee Street, near downtown Cleveland.
On Saturday, Halloween night, in front of 7,500 at Chamberlain Field, the Purple Pounders defeated defending Arkansas state champion Little Rock High, 26-7. A real scare on this trick-or-treat night came when Hoppe had to leave the game late in the first quarter with an ankle injury.
However, he returned briefly in the fourth quarter to the cheers of the relieved Central fans.
Little Rock, which added Central to its name, made national news four years later when it was integrated.
The night before the Little Rock game, the UC Mocs had easily defeated a visiting Louisville team quarterbacked by future NFL Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas.
As good as Hoppe had been so far that season, even better days were ahead.
The following Friday, Nov. 6, Central traveled to Nashville to play Isaac Litton High School and won 34-13, to halt a 16-game winning streak for the Lions.
Hoppe had a game still talked about today, as he gained an amazing 310 yards.
“It was perhaps our best offensive game,” said Coach Etter afterward, “and I expect the best game Bobby has played.”
Litton coach Bob Cummings, who was in his eighth season, said, “I guess he is the best back Litton has faced since I have been here. He was terrific.”
In what was the premier high school match-up during that era in Chattanooga, Baylor and Central met the following week in front of 10,000 fans at Chamberlain Field.
Baylor coach Humpy Heywood had devised quite a defensive game plan and held Hoppe to 66 yards on 18 carries. As a result, Hoppe did not outshine Baylor’s Don May.
But the offensive wizard Coach Etter was able to execute some pass plays, and Central won 21-7.
Hoppe still had a fantastic season. The veteran Times sports writer Wirt Gammon Sr. called him “one of the best backs ever to come out of Chattanooga.”
The Purple Pounders finished the regular season 8-1-1.
No playoffs existed in those days, but Central still played on a very impressive post-season stage – Miami’s Orange Bowl stadium.
In front of 18,479 fans in the annual Kiwanis Charity game on Dec. 11, Central defeated Miami Senior High, 21-14. This was the same team the Purple Pounders had played earlier in the year.
As was only fitting, Hoppe went out the star.
He had an 80-yard touchdown run to put Central up 14-0 early in the game. However, Miami came back and tied the game early in the fourth quarter.
Hoppe quickly went to work and scored on an 89-yarder. Central was able to tighten its defense and win the game, which was so heated at the end that fistfights almost broke out.
Afterward, Times sports writer George Short was full of praises for Hoppe.
“Robert the Rabbit, playing what is called here one of the greatest games any high school back has shown in this big bowl, turned into a whole team of Santa’s reindeers to put Central on top of a talented Miami Senior High team.
“He was Dancer, Prancer and Der Dasher all rolled into one as he capped, among other things, a brilliant four-year career and the Purple Pounders’ victory in their first big post-season game.”
Jcshearer2@comcast.net
1957 champion Auburn team