1961 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1961
| team = Western Illinois Leathernecks
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
| short_conf = IIAC
| record = 5–3
| conf_record = 4–2
| head_coach = Art Dufelmeier
| hc_year = 2nd
| captain =
| stadium = Hanson Field
| champion =
}}
{{1961 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
The 1961 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team was an American football team that represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1961 college football season. In their second year under head coach Art Dufelmeier, the Leathernecks compiled a 5–3 record (4–2 in conference games) and tied for second place in the IIAC.Official Collegiate Football Record Book 1962, p. 141.
Halfback Leroy Jackson led the team with 560 rushing yards and 56 points scored. He also finished third in the NCAA in the 100-yard dash, received first-team honors on the 1961 Little All-America college football team, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round (11th overall pick) of the 1962 NFL draft.{{cite news|title=Annual Little All-Americans -- Small College Stars Selected|newspaper=The Shreveport Journal|author=Harold Claassen|date=December 6, 1961|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88758261/annual-little-all-americans-small/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1961
| rankdivision = small college
| poll = AP
| rank = y
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 30||Eastern Michigan||Hanson Field|Macomb, IL|W 43-0|4,000|{{cite news|title=Western Whips Eastern Michigan|newspaper=The Pantagraph|date=October 1, 1961|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-western-whips-eastern-mic/152426370/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 7|at|Central Michigan||Alumni Field|Mount Pleasant, MI|W 12-7|5,000–5,100|{{cite news|title=Chips Fall, 12-7|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=October 8, 1961|page=48|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16712402/chips_fall_127/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Central Michigan) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/129/stats/12865 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 14, 2022 }}
|October 14||No. 5 Southern Illinois||Hansn Field|Macomb, IL|W 22-13|9,900|{{cite news|title=Western Stops SIU, 22-13|newspaper=The Southern Illinoisan|date=October 15, 1961|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/southern-illinoisan-western-stops-siu-2/154727124/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 21|at|Northern Illinois||Glidden Field|De Kalb, IL|L 22-23|12,000–14,000|{{cite news|title=Homecomings Are Wonderful: Ask Anyone at Northern . . . |newspaper=The De Kalb Daily Chronicle|date=October 23, 1961|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-chronicle-homecomings-are-wond/152426717/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Northern Illinois) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/503/stats/12865 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 12, 2022 }}
|October 28|at|Evansville
|November 4|at|Eastern Illinois||Lincoln Field|Charleston, IL|L 0-14|997–4,000|{{cite news |title=EIU Upsets Western Ill. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103605432/journal-gazette/ |access-date=June 11, 2022 |work=Mattoon Journal Gazette |date=November 6, 1961 |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Eastern Illinois) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/201/stats/12865 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 12, 2022 }}
|November 11||Illinois State Normal||Hanson Field|Macomb, IL|W 12-7|4,000|{{cite news|title=Western Rallies To Upset State|newspaper=Jacksonville Journal Courier|date=November 12, 1961|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/jacksonville-journal-courier-western-ral/154813463/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 18||Bradley
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary of Cumulative Football Statistics (Western Illinois)|url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/771/stats/12865 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=July 31, 2024 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Western Illinois Leathernecks football navbox}}