1935 Kentucky State Thorobreds football team

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1935 Kentucky State Thorobreds football
ConferenceMidwest Athletic Association
Record9–1 (3–1 MWAA)
Head coach
Home stadiumAlumni Field

The 1935 Kentucky State Thorobreds football team was an American football team that represented Kentucky State Industrial College (KISC), now known as Kentucky State University, as a member of the Midwest Athletic Association (MWAA) during the 1935 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Henry Kean, the Thorobreds compiled a 9–1 record, shut out seven of ten opponents (including five consecutive shutouts in November), outscored all opponents by a total of 192 to 42, and defeated Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic.[1] The team was recognized as a black college national champion for the second consecutive year.[2]

Quarterback Joe "Tarzan" Kendall was known for both his accurate passing and open-field running and was later selected to the all-time black college football team and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[3] Kendall and end William B. Reed, the latter known for his great blocking, received first-team honors on the All-America college football team selected by The Pittsburgh Courier from the nation's African-American football players.[4] Kendall, Reed, and halfback Big Bertha Edwards received first team All-Southern honors.[5]

Kean's assistant coaches were Stewart and Walker.[6] The team played its home games at Alumni Field in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 5West Kentucky Industrial*
W 21–0[7][8]
October 12at WilberforceWilberforce, OHL 7–19[9]
October 19Lane*
  • Alumni Field
  • Frankfort, KY
W 35–01,500[10]
October 26at Tuskegee*
W 19–144,000[11][12]
November 21:00 p.m.at Morris Brown*
W 15–0[13][14][6][15]
November 9West Virginia Statedagger
  • Alumni Field
  • Frankfort, KY
W 13–04,000[16][17][18][19]
November 16Lincoln (MO)Frankfort, KYW 24–0[20]
November 23at Louisville Municipal
W 33–0[21][22]
November 282:00 p.m.at Tennessee State*
W 6–02,000[23][24][25]
December 7vs. Florida A&M*
W 19–95,000[26][27][28]

[29]

Game summaries

Wilberforce

On October 12, Kentucky State lost to Wilberforce, 19–7, in Wilberforce, Ohio. The Thorobreds scored in the second quarter on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Kendall to Reed with Kendall kicking the extra point. The touchdown was not enough, as Wilberforce tallied 19 points on three touchdowns and an extra point. The Thorobreds led, 7–6, at halftime, but Wilberforce added two touchdowns in the second half. Kentucky State was held to only 11 first downs in the game.[9][30][31] It was the football program's first loss since December 16, 1933.[32]

Lane

On October 19, Kentucky State defeated Lane, 35–0, at Alumni Field in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Thorobreds opened the game with a safety after a blocked kick recovered on the goal line. They followed with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Kendall to Woods in the first quarter, a touchdown run by Woods in the second quarter, a touchdown by Hardin in the third quarter, and two touchdown runs by Flash Passmore in the fourth quarter. It was the Thorobreds' highest point total of the season.[10]

Tuskegee

On October 26, Kentucky State defeated the favored Tuskegee team, 19–14, before a homecoming crowd of 4,000 at Tuskegee, Alabama. Joe "Tarzan" Kendall scored the winning touchdown on a freak touchdown described as follows:

Collier's kick, one of the queerest in Tuskegee's sport history, landed squarely on the 50-yard line, but took a trick backward bounce toward the sidelines, landing on the Tigers' 30-yard stripe. Apparently coming from nowhere, the alert Kendall dashed into the middle of players waiting to down the ball, scooped it up like a hot grounder and shot through an opening into the clear to gallop 30 yards for Kentucky's winning touchdown.[12]

Morris Brown

On November 2, Kentucky State defeated Morris Brown, 15–0, at Ponce de Leon Park in Atlanta. The Thorobreds scored all of its points in the second half on a 30-yard touchdown run by Atwood, a one-yard touchdown run by Edwards, and a safety when Morris Brown's punter stepped out of his end zone. Kendall converted one of two extra-point kicks.[6]

West Virginia State

On November 9, Kentucky State defeated West Virginia State, 13–0, before a homecoming crowd of 4,000 at Alumni Field in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Thorobreds scored two touchdowns on passes by Joe Kendall to Woods and Harding.[19]

Tennessee State

On November 28 (Thanksgiving Day), Kentucky State concluded its regular season schedule with a 6–0 victory over Tennessee State before a homecoming crowd of 2,500 on Tennessee State's home field in Nashville, Tennessee. The only points of the game were scored in the first quarter when Tennessee punted from its own two-yard line; the punt was blocked, and a Thorobred player scooped the ball and ran for a touchdown.[24] It was the fifth consecutive game in which Kentucky State held opponents scoreless.

Florida A&M (Orange Blossom Classic)

On December 7, the Thorobreds defeated Florida A&M, 19–9, in the third annual Orange Blossom Classic before a crowd of 5,000 at Durkee Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Kentucky State scored all of its points (three touchdowns and one extra point) in the second quarter, including a 65-yard touchdown reception by Woods. Joe Kendall's passing was a feature of the game with Hardin, Woods, and Stevens as his principal targets.[27][28]

Roster

  • William "Bill" Atwood, halfback
  • Beck, tackle
  • Elmer Collins, guard
  • Big Bertha Edwards, fullback[14]
  • Robert Hardin, end
  • Jones, guard
  • Joe "Tarzan" Kendall, quarterback
  • Norman "Flash" Passmore, back
  • William B. Reed[33] (sometimes referred as Reid), end
  • Timothy Robinson, tackle
  • Grover Stevens (sometimes spelled "Stephens"), fullback
  • White, center
  • Wood (sometimes referred to as Woods), halfback

[14][17][15][34]

References

  1. "Kentucky State Yearly Results (1935-1939)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  2. "Former Kentucky State And Tennessee State Head Coach Henry Kean Selected As The 2022 AFCA Trailblazer Award Recipient". KSU Thorobreds. Retrieved May 14, 2026.(Kentucky State won black national championships in both 1934 and 1935)
  3. "Joe Kendall". National Football Foundation. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  4. Washington, Chester L. (December 28, 1935). "'Bama State, Kentucky Get 2 Places on 11". Pittsburgh Courier. pp. 2–5. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Chunn Names All-Southern Grid Team; Favors Kentucky". The Chicago Defender. December 21, 1935. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. J. C. Chunn (November 9, 1935). "Kentucky State Tops Morris Brown, 15-0: Edwards, Atwood Score Touchdowns for the Keans". The Chicago Defender. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Championship Negro Team To Open Season". The Lexington Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. October 4, 1935. p. 7. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  8. "Ky. State Whips Ky. Industrial". The Afro-American. Baltimore, Maryland. October 12, 1935. p. 20. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  9. "Kentucky Is Defeated by Wilberforce". The Call. Kansas City, Missouri. October 18, 1935. p. 7. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  10. "Kentucky State Beats Lane In Thriller, 35-0". The Chicago Defender. Chicago, Illinois. October 26, 1935. p. 14. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. Darnaby, R. S. (November 1, 1935). "Tuskegee Is Beaten, 19=14, By Kentucky". The Call. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 14. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  12. Washington, Chester L. (November 2, 1935). "Thorobreds Win In Stretch, Spoil Tiger Homecoming". Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 5, section 2. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  13. "Morris Brown Plays Kentucky". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. November 2, 1935. p. 21. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  14. Jones, "Melancholy" (November 3, 1935). "Kendall's Trusty Right Wing, Churning Legs Of Edwards, Atwood Sink Wolverines, 15-0". Atlanta Daily World. Atlanta, Georgia. p. 5. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  15. "Kentucky State Rallies to Beat Brown by 15-0". The Afro-American. November 16, 1935. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Kentucky Meets W. Virginia". The Chicago Defender. Chicago, Illinois. November 9, 1935. p. 15. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  17. "Ky. State Topples W. Virginia 11". The Chicago Defender. November 16, 1935. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Ky. 13; W.Va. 0". The Afro-American. Baltimore, Maryland. November 16, 1935. p. 10. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  19. Al Monroe (November 16, 1935). "Ky. Drubs W. Virginia, 13-0: Passes Upset Visitors in Thrilling Gridiron Fight". The Chicago Defender. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "K. S. I. C. Wins From Lincoln University". The State Journal. Frankfort, Kentucky. November 17, 1935. p. 5. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  21. "K.S.I.C. Wallops Municipal By 33 To 0". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. November 24, 1935. p. 2, section 5. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  22. "Louisville is Defeated by Kentuckians". The Call. Kansas City, Missouri. November 29, 1935. p. 6. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  23. "Kentucky Teams Beats Tennessee State, 6-0". Nashville Banner. Nashville, Tennessee. November 29, 1935. p. 11. Retrieved April 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  24. "Kentucky State Beats A. And I., 6 To 0". The Chicago Defender. Chicago, Illinois. December 7, 1935. p. 14. Retrieved April 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  25. "Largest Homecoming Expected On Thanksgiving Day". The Bulletin. XXIV (2). Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State College: 1. November 1935. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  26. "Ky. State Gets Call for Orange Blossom Classic". Journal and Guide. Norfolk, Virginia. December 7, 1935. p. 15. Retrieved April 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  27. "Rattlers Hold Ky. In Hectic 2nd Half". Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. December 14, 1935. p. 4, section 2. Retrieved April 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  28. "Ky. State Wins 19-9 In Orange Blossom Tiff". Journal and Guide. Norfolk, Virginia. December 14, 1935. pp. 14, 20. Retrieved April 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  29. Jackson, Richard A. (December 6, 1935). "1935 Football Review". St. Louis Argus. St. Louis, Missouri. p. 7. Retrieved June 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  30. "Other Ohio Games". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 13, 1935. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. "Wilberforce Avenges Defeat Of 1934: Scores 19 to 7 Victory Over Kentuckians". The Gazette. Xenia, Ohio. October 14, 1935. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. "Kentucky State Yearly Results (1930-1934)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  33. "Reed [obituary]". Lexington Herald-Leader. December 12, 1996. p. C6 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. "Kentucky Opens Drills; Coach Is Blue". The Chicago Defender. September 28, 1935. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.