Houston Sports - Dicky Maegle

Dicky Maegle

Born: September 14, 1934

Sport: Football (All-American, Pro Bowl, All-Pro, College Football Hall of Fame) 

Most sports fans align themselves with certain teams, while others pick particular players to cheer.  Personally, I've always been a homer, rooting for my local teams no matter what the sport happens to be.  There have been a few players that have caught my eye over the years, however, that have drawn my interest and caused my to cheer their successes, as long as it didn't interfere with anyone from Houston.  But one thing nearly every sports fan has in common is the excitement over the remarkable play.  The thrill of watching incredible athletes perform at the highest level sometimes results in a moment of amazement, disbelief, or awe that embeds itself in our collective memories, causing us to think (or say), "I've never seen that before!"  This week I wanted to give a nod to one of Houston's universities that has a distinctive sports past, although it is now more rarely associated with athletics, by remembering a great player that was the subject of one of his game's most unique and memorable plays.  So let's dive into the story behind Rice University's Dicky Maegle. 

Rice University's football stadium in the early '50s

Born in the town of Taylor, just northeast of Austin, TX, Richard Maegle was the son of parents Otto and Margaret and brother to Robert, who would himself become the winningest high school baseball coach in Texas history.  The family's original last name was spelled "Moegle" and that was how Richard spelled it throughout his playing career (although he would change it later in life to better reflect the correct pronunciation of his German surname).  Richard would soon be known by the nickname "Dicky" as he became an accomplished football player at Taylor High School and accepted a scholarship offer to play at Houston's Rice University after his graduation in 1951.  In an era when freshmen were not allowed to play on varsity teams, he attended classes and played for the freshman football and basketball teams as he waited for his turn to take the field on the largest stage.  As a sophomore, however, he didn't have the opportunity to perform as he suffered a significant cut on his hand while trying to open a jammed classroom window and was lost for the season.  It wasn't until 1953, Dicky's junior year, that he finally made his presence known and played both offense and defense for head coach Jess Neely.  As a running back, Maegle piled up 833 rushing yards at an astonishing 7.3 yards per carry, which was the best in the nation that year.  Rice ended the season with a 9-2 record, and their 5-1 conference record was good enough to be co-champions with the University of Texas.  They were selected to play in the 1954 Cotton Bowl Classic against the University of Alabama on New Year's Day, and it would end up being a game that would go down in college football history.

Dicky Maegle's Rice Owls came into the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX, on a 4-game winning streak and faced a Crimson Tide team that had only mustered six wins all season, but Alabama scored the only points of the 1st quarter on a drive led by future NFL star Bart Starr.  Maegle responded with a stunning 79 yard touchdown run of his own on the first play of the second quarter, and the extra point kick gave Rice the 7-6 lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the day.  Later in the 2nd quarter, however, the play that would define the matchup took place.  Despite the Owls starting deep in their own territory, Maegle broke free on a run down the right sideline, and his blockers seemed to have cleared the path for him to scamper for a score, but inexplicably someone came off the Alabama sideline to interrupt the play.  Crimson Tide RB Tommy Lewis came off the bench and took out Maegle from the side, assuming he could prevent the score despite an obvious penalty.  The officiating crew, however, decided that Maegle would have scored the TD if not for the interference and, despite the ball carrier lying on his back 42 yards from the end zone, awarded him the score.  The record books will forever record the play as a 95-yard touchdown run for Maegle, the longest play in Cotton Bowl history.  The play was immediately famous nationwide, and both Maegle and Lewis were called upon by news and late night shows to discuss their participation in a play that became known as The Bench Tackle.  Although shaken up on the play, Maegle would continue his dominance to score yet another TD and Rice would emerge victorious with a 28-6 victory behind his 265 yards on just 11 carries, a school record for yards in a game.  His 24.1 yards per carry is still a national record for bowl game rushing, and his total yards in the Cotton Bowl would not be eclipsed until 2008.  Somewhat ironically, 2008 was also the season that the Rice Owls would win their next bowl game, at the Texas Bowl.

As a senior, Dicky Maegle would rack up an addition 905 rushing yards and left his mark on the team as a two-way player by leading the team in touchdowns while also leading the entire conference in interceptions.  His accomplishments led Maegle to be drafted as the 10th overall pick in the 1955 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.  At the age of 20 he was older than most rookies, and he was moved back and forth between offense and defense.  He was selected to his only career Pro Bowl as a rookie, chosen for his defensive prowess at the safety position.  During the 1956 season he began playing predominantly on defense, recording his only career defensive TD alongside 6 interceptions just as he had during his rookie campaign but only 18 rushing yards compared to 235 in 1955.  Maegle's third season with San Francisco saw him record 8 interceptions as a safety and one offensive TD while being selected as a second-team All Pro.  Injuries and reduced usage led to him being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1960, and then to the Dallas Cowboys (then in just their second year of existence) after the season was over.  Maegle played his final professional game at the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 1961 season, in the same stadium where his national fame had really begun eight years beforehand.  After the season was over Maegle had surgery on an injured right foot, was subsequently cut by the Cowboys, and retired from the NFL.  He legally changed his name at that point, and returned to Houston to pursue a business and real estate career.  Maegle ran two successful hotels near Rice University, known as the Tidelands and Tides II, while also acting as a time as a color commentator for the Houston Oilers.  With his wife, Carol, Maegle had two sons and a daughter.  He has been inducted into four Hall of Fame classes - Rice University Athletic Hall of Fame (1970), College Football Hall of Fame (1979), Texas Sports Hall of Fame (1980), and Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame (1998).  After a fight with Alzheimer's disease, Maegle passed away at his home in Houston on July 4, 2021, at the age of 86.

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