Leon Hardeman, who starred at both LaFayette High School and Baylor School before becoming a great college player at Georgia Tech, died Monday. He was 87.
He had come to Baylor in the fall of 1949 at a time when Baylor accepted post graduate students, and he stayed for one year before going off to Georgia Tech. During his time at Tech, which at the time was a perennial top 10 football program in the country under coach Bobby Dodd, the Yellow Jackets played in two Sugar Bowls and one Orange Bowl.
He was SEC player of the year in 1952, and in 1953 was MVP of the Sugar Bowl.
He was one of several Baylor players during that time who later played football at Georgia Tech.
In fact, Tech backfield teammates Billy Teas and Glenn Turner also played at Baylor. Mr. Turner had come to Baylor for one year like Mr. Hardeman, while Mr. Teas, who also became a star at Tech, was there from 1945-50 as a boarding student from Western North Carolina.
The 1949 Baylor team when they all played together finished 7-2, losing to Knoxville Young at the beginning of the season and later to fellow perennial local power Central and coach E.B. “Red” Etter, 14-7, according to former teacher James Hitt’s Baylor history book. “Humpy” Heywood was the successful Baylor coach at the time.
Mr. Hardeman had spent most of his working years around the Atlanta area but had moved back to the Rossville area in 2012.
Graveside services are Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.