History Lesson

[DoubleX 0]

Auburn had a lineman in the early Jordan years by the name of Bill Turnbeaugh. Bill was an exceptional defensive lineman and even won a spot on the 1952 All SEC team. What made him so different from any other football player? He was blind. "Blind" Bill as they called him was a force in the middle for Auburn in the early 50's. He was one of the first players to ever wear contacts. But they weren't the kind that takes 30 seconds to put in. The first contacts were big, thick, and extremely uncomfortable. These early lenses also did little to aid your vision compared to modern ones. Bill played by feeling the vibrations in the ground and listening to the direction of the play flow. When he knew a play was coming his way, he would grab and push every body he bumped into until he found the ball carrier. During the 1951 Vanderbilt game, he pounced on a loose fumble to preserve a 24-14 Tiger win. Bill pretty much won the 52' Clemson game by himself. With the score deadlocked at 0-0 late, Clemson lined up deep in Auburn territory. By feeling the way the lineman were blocking him, Turnbeaugh identified pass. "Blind" Bill backed off and drifted towards the middle of the field. That's where he was hit with the throw. Bill was able to hang on to the interception and rumbled to the Clemson 25. From that spot, Joe Davis booted the game winning field goal with 90 seconds left.

Just wanted to share a not well known story from Auburn's early days. Thought it was interesting

[Rodh73 0]

Is this true or just a "tale"?

[DoubleX 0]

Is this true or just a "tale"?

true

[AUenginerd 16]

[Quietmaninthecorner 1,949]

"The 5-5 record accrued by the young squad equaled the number of wins the team had managed from 1947 through 1950! To further excite fans who had before this, "stayed away in droves", a publicity push was made for "Blind" Bill Turnbeaugh who wore an early version of contact lenses. Presented as a "blind" tackle who "played by ground vibrations" and reacted "when he felt them coming", the gimmick was so effective in attracting fans and media attention that the often second-string player was selected for at least one 1952 pre-season All American mention."

http://www.helmethut.com/College/Auburn/ALXXAU5152.html