Rainey Cawthon

Rainey Cawthon

Cawthon in 1956
Florida Gators No. 40
Position Halfback/Fullback
Class 1929
Career history
College Florida (1927–1929)
High school Leon
Personal information
Date of birth (1907-10-30)October 30, 1907
Place of birth Florida
Date of death November 11, 1991(1991-11-11) (aged 84)
Place of death Tallahassee, Florida
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg)
Career highlights and awards

Rainey Blackwell Cawthon (October 30, 1907 – April 11, 1991) was an American football player and coach for the Florida Gators of the University of Florida. Cawthon was a member of Florida's "Phantom Four" backfield with Clyde Crabtree, Carl Brumbaugh, and Royce Goodbread in 1928 which led the nation with 336 points scored.[1] He was also captain of the 1929 Florida team,[2][3][4] and selected second-team for the composite All-Southern that year.[5] He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."[6] Cawthon was also active in the affairs of Florida State University, and was elected to the FSU Hall of Fame in 1987.[7]

Early years

He attended Leon High School.[8] Later college teammates Ben Clemons and Ed Sauls were high school teammmates.

University of Florida

Cawthon on the beach.

Cawthon was a prominent running back for Tom Sebring and Charlie Bachman's Florida Gators varsity football teams from 1927 to 1929. In Cawthon's sophomore year and first on the varsity, he suffered a broken wrist. Despite this he saw regular service in the backfield by the second game, and completed a 53-yard pass against Mercer.[9] In 1928, Cawthon scored a safety against North Carolina State,[10] a touchdown against Sewanee, and a touchdown against Clemson. He also had a 40-yard run in the 26–6 win over Georgia in Savannah,[11] the first-ever victory over the Bulldogs in school history.

References

  1. ↑ "Cawthon to Coach [sic]". The Rattle of Theta Chi. 19: 37. 1930.
  2. ↑ "'Gator Squad Has Four Benedicts". Altoona Tribune. November 15, 1929. p. 20. Retrieved September 2, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Wealth of Backfield Talent Awaits Gator Grid Coach This Fall". The Evening Independent. August 20, 1929. p. 9.
  4. ↑ "Capt. Cawthon Out For While, 2 Others Down". Miami News. September 19, 1929.
  5. ↑ "Tulane, Alabama, Vandy, and Tennessee Win Two Positions On Honor Team". The Bee. December 4, 1929.
  6. ↑ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Rainey Cawthon Bio".
  8. ↑ "Leon High School football team".
  9. ↑ "Tau Banquets Sixteen Pledges". The Rattle of Theta Chi. 16 (2): 71.
  10. ↑ "Florida Defeats North Carolina By Score 14 to 7". Kingsport Times. October 28, 1928. p. 6. Retrieved August 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "'Gator Eleven Sweeps Over Bulldogs 26-0 (sic)". Anniston Star. November 11, 1928. Retrieved August 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
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