This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2003.
Football in Texas is almost an other-worldly experience, and no player meant more to Texas football than Doak Walker. The Cotton Bowl stands as a sign of Walker's legacy and was nicknamed "The House That Doak Built" after being expanded twice in the late 1940s to accommodate the huge crowds that came to see Doak Walker. Some of football's all-time greats have played for SMU, including legendary running backs Eric Dickerson, Kyle Rote, and Craig James, but "Mr. Football" Doak Walker was truly the greatest running back and all-around football player in SMU history. The leader of a tremendous backfield, Walker's SMU team coasted to the 1947 and 1948 Southwest Conference with a 18-1-3 record during those two seasons. The three-year All-American won the 1948 Heisman Trophy before taking his remarkable skills to the NFL, where he earned four All-Pro selections and led the Detroit Lions to consecutive NFL titles in 1952 and 1953. Walker's career culminated with elections to both the Pro and College Football Hall of Fames, but his name lives on with the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's best running back. This Walker SMU red durene jersey is from the late 1940s. On the left front tail is the manufacturer's tag with "C and S Sporting Goods Co.' and "Sand Knit Athletic Knitwear" listed. Adjacent to this is a flag tag with the size "38." The player number "37" appears on the front and back of the jersey in white tackle twill. There is an autograph on the front below the numbers. The jersey shows game use and appears to have no alterations of any kind. It has iron-clad provenance as it comes originally from the collection of Jim Laughead, a legendary photographer who spent some of his career at SMU with Walker, Kyle Rote, and the rest of that era's championship teams. As was the case with the Rote SMU jersey in our previous auction, Laughead obtained this jersey directly from the player (Walker) and it remained in his personal collection for many years before our consignor--who also consigned the Rote jersey--bought it from Laughead's estate during the mid-1980s. A detailed letter of provenance from the consignor will accompany this lot, as will the original autograph ticket from when the consignor had Walker sign the jersey. The jersey also comes with a photo of "The Doaker and Laughead on the steps of Dallas Hall...Oct 11, 1948" as well as a photo in which "The Doaker and Karo gas up Laughead's wagon as Walker Gas Station opening," an impressive photo since Laughead was so close to Walker that he was the first-ever customer of Walker's car wash. The last item included in this lot is a September 27, 1948 issue that has Doak Walker of SMU on the cover in a photo taken by Laughead. The autograph comes with a PSA/DNA letter of authenticity. This jersey is constantly being pursued by SMU and the College Football Hall of Fame, and it is worthy of being featured in even the finest of collections.