Air superiority: 48 years of Falcon football

  • Published
  • By Wayne Amann
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  Jim Bowman and Falcon football have been attached at the hip pad for 48 of the program’s 50 years. When Air Force kicks off Sept. 3 against the Washington Huskies, it will be the 534th Falcon game played during Mr. Bowman’s tenure.

The former freshman and junior varsity coach turned associate athletic director for recruiting support speaks with father-like pride, when recalling the players, coaches, teams and games that make up nearly a half century of memories. Ironically, it is not the on-field exploits that matter most to him.

“The best thing about this school is what these athletes do after they leave here, how they turn out as people,” the 72-year-old Michigan native said. “We’ve had major command leaders, wing commanders, astronauts, war heroes and more. That’s more important than how many touchdowns they score.”

The academy ranks second in the National Collegiate Athletic Association with 25 players earning postgraduate scholarships.

“Before we joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1981 our players didn’t get recognized for being all-conference or all-academic all-conference,” he said. “A lot of teams in the early 1960s and 1970s (that had) great student-athletes didn’t get credit for anything.”

The three-pronged mission of Air Force football is to beat Army and Navy, win the conference title and play in a bowl game.

The interservice rivalry among the academies intensified in 1972 when former academy athletic director George Simler originated the idea of the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, given each season to the academy that wins the round-robin series among the three schools. Air Force has brought the trophy home 16 times, Navy seven and Army six. There have been four ties when each school goes 1-1 and the trophy stays with its previous winner.

The first Air Force and Army game, a 13-13 tie, was played on Halloween 1959 in New York’s Yankee Stadium. The first Air Force and Navy clash kicked off the next year in Baltimore. The Midshipmen won 35-3 behind Heismam Trophy winner Joe Bellino.

“We were a heavy underdog to Army,” Mr. Bowman said. “Our goal back then was to be competitive, play big schools and get the name Air Force across the country. Our overall record shows we’ve been pretty successful.”

Entering the 2005 campaign the Falcons sport a 45-21-0 (.681) interservice series record compared to Navy’s 29-36-1 (.447) and Army’s 24-41-1 (.371)

“Our first win over another service academy was the 1965 Army game, 14-3, in Chicago’s Soldier Field,” Mr. Bowman said. “Our quarterback was Paul Stein, who later became superintendent here. … The first win over Navy was in 1966, 15-7, here.”

The one game recognized by those familiar with Falcon history as putting the football program on the national map, was the 13-13 tie against Big Ten Champion Iowa on Oct. 4, 1958, in the Hawkeyes backyard. Iowa was such a huge favorite no points were quoted on the game. The Falcons spotted Iowa 21 pounds per man in the line.

“It was my first year here, and (the academy) hadn’t graduated a class yet, they had 1,100 students,” he said. “Some buildings weren’t finished. We played our home games in Denver because we had no stadium, but we did have a great class, some great sophomores. For them to go undefeated against the schedule we played, then tie (Texas Christian University), 0-0, in the Cotton Bowl was very special. People said who are those guys? How could they beat powerhouse teams? That carried over.”

That team went 9-0-2 under coach Ben Martin, his rookie season at the academy. Air Force is 290-239-13 (.548) all time. One of the most dramatic victories was over the 15th ranked Washington Huskies here in 1963.

“Quarterback Terry Isaacson led a great comeback on national TV to beat them, 10-7,” Mr. Bowman said. “From 1962 to 2004 we played against 21 teams ranked in the Top 25 at the end of the season and we won four times.”

Mr. Bowman’s nostalgic look at academy football, and athletics in general here, goes well beyond wins and loss.

“We’ve had 17 bowl games in 49 seasons. I’ve been to all of them,” he said. “TV has spread the Air Force name nationwide. People know there is an Air Force Academy. It helps stimulate cadet candidates, attracting outstanding leaders for this country.

“One of the last strongholds for discipline in this country for young people is sports,” he added. “Three strikes, you’re out. Five fouls, you’re out. You’re penalized for offside. You can’t mouth off to somebody -- it’s great. Those things help America follow rules. It’s terrific to work under the Cadet Honor Code here.”

He said the most significant change is that athletes today are bigger, stronger and faster. Physical limitations at the academy are not as stringent as in the early days. Today’s body fat measurements have changed the medical standards concerning weight.

“We get some kids who are 280 pounds, but they’ve got to be able to pass the Air Force medical exam to graduate, and they always do,” he said. “We have never compromised our integrity at this institution. We can’t do that.” Mr. Bowman also cannot stop coordinating mission support for all 27 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports.

“It’s a privilege to have this great job here where all our grads become outstanding officers and pillars in the community,” he said. “The fun part is when the players I coached come back as colonels or generals or successful business people. They remember me, and I remember them.”