Cliff Battles

Bio

Cliff Battles specialized in long runs. Grantland Rice wrote: "Battles simply ran over or around all opponents." In 1929, he broke off a 50-yard run from scrimmage against Salem. In 1930, he returned a kickoff 98 yards and a punt 90 yards against Waynesburg and ran back a punt 90 yards against Georgetown (D.C.). That same year he also had runs of 80, 73, 68, and 66 yards. His 1931 log showed runs of 86, 62, 57, 54, 44, and 22; that year he made 15 touchdowns and four extra points. Against Salem in 1931 he made seven touchdowns. The score at the half was 12-6; after Battles' charge, the final was 51-6. He had 354 yards rushing, 91 on kick returns, and 24 on pass receiving, total 469. At West Virginia Wesleyan he won 15 letters in five sports - four each football and track, three each baseball and basketball, and one in tennis. He played professionally with Boston and Washington 1932-37 and twice led the National Football League in rushing. Battles was assistant coach at Columbia 1938-43, served in the Marines in World War II, and coached the Brooklyn Dodgers of the All-America Football Conference 1946-47. He was named to the West Virginia Hall of Fame in 1950, College Football Hall of Fame in 1955, and Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.