1959 Texas A&I Javelinas football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1959
| team = Texas A&I Javelinas
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Lone Star Conference
| short_conf = LSC
| record = 12–1
| conf_record = 6–1
| head_coach = Gil Steinke
| hc_year = 6th
| captain = Kenneth Kachtik
| captain2 = Gerald Lambert
| stadium = Javelina Stadium
| champion = NAIA national champion
LSC co-champion
| bowl = Holiday Bowl
| bowl_result = W 20–6 vs. {{cfb link|year=1959|team=Lenoir Rhyne Bears|title=Lenoir Rhyne}}
}}
{{1959 Lone Star Conference football standings}}
The 1959 Texas A&I Javelinas football team was an American football team that represented the Texas College of Arts and Industries (now known as Texas A&M University–Kingsville) as a member of the Lone Star Conference during the 1959 NAIA football season. The team compiled a 12–1 record, defeated {{cfb link|year=1959|team=Lenoir Rhyne Bears|title=Lenoir Rhyne}} in the Holiday Bowl, and won the NAIA Football National Championship. It was the first of seven NAIA Football National Championships won by the school (1959, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1979).{{cite web|title=65th Annual NAIA Football National Championship Media Guide|publisher=NAIA|year=2021|pages=53, 56–57|url=https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/z/1/hmekbq05exka1t/2020_FB_Media_Guide.pdf}}
Season overview
In its sixth year under head coach Gil Steinke, the team compiled a 12–1 record (6–1 against conference opponents), tied for the Lone Star Conference championship, and defeated {{cfb link|year=1959|team=Lenoir Rhyne Bears|title=Lenoir Rhyne}} in the Holiday Bowl to win the NAIA national championship.{{cite web|title=Texas A&M University-Kingsville Javelina Football 2015 Media Guide|publisher=Texas A&M University-Kingsville|year=2015|accessdate=November 20, 2019|url=https://issuu.com/kelvinqueliz2/docs/2015_fb_media_guide}}{{cite web|title=Football Team 1959|publisher=Javelina Athletics|accessdate=November 5, 2021|url=https://javelinaathletics.com/honors/javelina-hall-of-fame/football-team-1959/144}}
The team's only official setback was a loss to {{cfb link|year=1959|team=Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks|title=Stephen F. Austin}}. The Javelinas also lost on the field to {{cfb link|year=1959|team=Howard Payne Yellow Jackets|title=Howard Payne}} by a 20–0 score and were outgained by 227 yards to minus 54 yards. However, Howard Payne forfeited the game two weeks later due to its use of an academically ineligible sophomore guard.
In the NAIA's Western playoff, the Javelinas defeated the {{cfb link|year=1959|team=Hillsdale Dales|title=Hillsdale}} by a 20–0 score. The shutout snapped Hillsdale's streak of 56 games (dating to November 7, 1953) without being held scoreless. The game was watched by an estimated 15 million viewers on CBS Television. Texas A&I faced undefeated Lenoir Rhyne and prevailed by a 20–6 score as sophomore quarterback Jerrell Hayes threw touchdown passes covering 32, 74 and 57 yards. Two of the touchdown passes were caught by halfback Butch Pressley and the other by track star Dick Watson. Pressley totaled 101 rushing yards and 89 receiving yards in the game.{{cite web|title=Javelina Stadium|publisher=Javelina Athletics|accessdate=November 13, 2021|url=https://javelinaathletics.com/sports/2013/10/22/FB_1022135906.aspx|via=Newspapers.com}}
The team played its home games at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas.{{cite news|title=Football Playoffs|newspaper=Corpus Christi Times|date=December 1, 1959|page=6B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88856520/javelina-stadium/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Honors and awards
Six Texas A&I players received first- or second-team honors on the All-Lone Star Conference team selected the conference coaches: guard Gerald Lambert (first); center James Franz (first); halfbacks Barry Copenhaver (second) and Harold Hees (second); fullback Butch Pressley (second); and end Lupe Jaimes (second).{{cite news|title=McCord Repeats Again on All-Lone Star Team|newspaper=Tyler Morning Telegraph|date=December 5, 1959|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88402851/mccord-repeats-again-on-all-lone-star/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 12||{{cfb link|year=1959|team=Corpus Christi Tarpons|title=Corpus Christi}}
|September 19||{{cfb link|year=1959|team=Trinity Tigers|title=Trinity (TX)}}
|September 26||{{cfb link|year=1959|team=Texas Lutheran Bulldogs|title=Texas Lutheran}}
|October 3|at|{{cfb link|year=1959|team=Howard Payne Yellow Jackets|title=Howard Payne}}||Brownwood, TX|W 6-0 (forfeit)||{{cite news|title=Howard Payne Defeats Javs|newspaper=The Corpus Christi Times|date=October 4, 1959|page=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88403372/howard-payne/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=A&I Wins 20-0 Loss to Howard Payne on Forfeit|newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|date=October 17, 1959|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88411755/ai-wins-20-0-loss-to-howard-payne-on/|via=Newspapers.com}}(Howard Payne's on-field 20-0 victory forfeited due to use of a player who had been ruled academically ineligible)
|October 10||{{cfb link|year=1959|team=East Texas State Lions|title=East Texas State}}|Javelina Stadium|Kingsville, TX|W 7-0||{{cite news|title=Texas A&I Upsets East Texas, 7-0|newspaper=The Corpus Christi Caller-Times|date=October 11, 1959|page=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88396469/texas-ai-upsets-east-texas-7-0/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 17||Arlington State
|October 24|at|Sam Houston State||Huntsville, TX|W 23-10||{{cite news|title=Javs Win 7th Contest|newspaper=Express and News|date=October 25, 1959|page=1D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88397671/javs-win-7th-contest/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 31|at|{{cfb link|year=1959|team=Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks|title=Stephen F. Austin}}||Nacogdoches, TX|L 7-24||{{cite news|title=Austin Drops Texas A&I 24-7 In LSC Battle|newspaper=The Bryan Daily Eagle|date=November 1, 1959|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88397889/austin-drops-texas-ai-24-7-in-lsc/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 7||Lamar Tech|Javelina Stadium|Kingsville, TX|W 14-6||{{cite news|title=Texas A&I Tops Lamar Tech 14-6|newspaper=Valley Evening Monitor|date=November 8, 1959|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88398354/texas-ai-tops-lamar-tech-14-6/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 14|at|{{cfb link|year=1959|team=Sul Ross Lobos|title=Sul Ross}}||Alpine, TX|W 14-8||{{cite news|title=A&I Edged By Sul Ross|newspaper=The Brownsville Herald|date=November 15, 1959|page=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88398686/ai-edged-by-sul-ross/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 21||Southwest Texas State|Javelina Stadium|Kingsville, TX|W 20-0||{{cite news|title=Texas A&I Clinches Tie For Title in Lone Star|newspaper=The Corpus Christi Caller-Times|date=November 22, 1959|page=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88400709/texas-ai-clinches-tie-for-title-in/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|December 5||{{cfb link|year=1959|team=Hillsdale Dales|title=Hillsdale}}
|December 12|vs|{{cfb link|year=1959|team=Lenoir Rhyne Bears|title=Lenoir Rhyne}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football navbox}}
{{NAIA football national champion navbox}}
{{Lone Star Conference football champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1959 Texas AandI Javelinas football team}}
Category:Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football seasons
Category:NAIA football national champions