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Sears Named To All-AF Football TeamJim Sears, player-coach for the 1956 Sheppard Senator footballtions. Hq received UCLA Most Inspirational Player Award, Pop Warner Award. Times Award arid Voit Award. During the season Sears tied the Pacific Coast Con-squad was selected last week by Air Force Times as All-Air Force fullback for the year.Sears was one of the leading scorers and ground gainers for the Senators this season. He was rated by opposing coaches as one of the “best fullbacks In service foot ball.”He began his career at Fngle-vood High School in California, lbs freshman and sophomore years were taken up on the “B squad before moving up to the varsity team in his junior and senior years. In his senior year at Fnglewood, Sears was voted the most valuable player and selected on the All-League team.Sears entered El Camino Jun-ioi College in Lawndale, Calif., where he played his freshman yeat and was chosen for the second team All-Metropolitan Conference.[h transierred t() tin* University ot Southern California to play the right half slot. As a sophomore his most outstanding play was against Notre Dame when he took the first kickoft for a 04 \ a i d run hack and the touchdown.In his junior year. Sears played a ^ understudy to the UCLA mas-te of the single wing formation. I* i a i i k (i i ft a i ll.1'he Senior year was the nig **ai for Sears at the University of Southern California as he played both the offensive and the defensive positions in the two platoon system.Among his senior honors were ‘Look.” NEA, and United Press All-American and seven out of the ten All-American nomina-ferenco record for punt returning, compiling over 400 yards.Sears stayed at UCLA to coach the freshman team in 10*53 and in 1954, he played with the Chicago Cardinals before entering the Air Force.After entering the Air Force in1955* Sears was assigned to Sheppard AFB where he played the left half-back position during his first season. He also was an assistant coach.During the 1956 season, he held down the right half-back slot for the Senators and was head coach for the Sheppard team.Two other Sheppard players placed on the honorable mention; they were Don Hopkins, guard and Ted Kukowski, center.
Newspaper Details
Sheppard Afb Senator
Sheppard Afb, Texas, US
Thu, Dec 20, 1956
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Mark N.
USA 03 Aug 2023
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