1961 Missouri Tigers football team

}} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} ==Awards==

Senior tackle Ed Blaine was selected as a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America for Look magazine. Blaine was also chosen as a second-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP). Five Missouri players were recognized on the 1961 All-Big Eight Conference football team: Blaine (AP-1, UPI-1); end Conrad Hitchler (AP-1, UPI-1); tackle Bill "Bucky" Wegener (AP-2, UPI-2); guard Paul Garvis (AP-2); and guard Paul Henley (UPI-2). Team awards were presented to tackles Bucky Wegener and Ed Blaine as the outstanding linemen, and to quarterback Ron Taylor and halfback Normal Beal as the outstanding senior backs. ==Statistics==

Missouri averaged 177.6 rushing yards, 67.7 passing yards, and 12.4 points per game. On defense, they gave up an average of 107.8 rushing yards, 69.2 passing yards, and 5.7 points per game. The team's rushing leaders were Andy Russell (412 yards, 100 carries), Norman Beal (287 yards, 57 carries), Bill Tobin (236 yards, 87 carries), and Paul Underhill (177 yards, 42 carries). The team's passing leaders were Ron Taylor (31 of 62, 428 yards, zero touchdowns, six interceptions) and Mike Hunter (9 of 20, 162 yards, four touchdowns, one interception). The team's receiving leaders were Conrad Hitchler (8 receptions, 124 yards) and Andy Russell (7 receptions, 100 yards). The scoring leaders were Ron Taylor (24 points) and Bill Tobin (18 points). ==Players==

At the end of the 1961 season, the following 31 players received varsity letters for their participation on the football team. • Norm Beal, halfback, 5-11, 171 pounds, senior • Ed Blaine, tackle, 6-2, 217 pounds, senior • Carl Crawford, halfback, 5-11, 186 pounds, junior • Paul Garvis, guard, 5-9, 201 pounds, senior • Mack Gilchrist, fullback, 5-11, 198 pounds, sophomore • Paul Henley, guard, 6-0, 215 pounds, senior • Thomas Hertz, guard, 5-10, 216 pounds, junior • Conrad Hitchler, end, 6-3, 206 pounds, junior • Mike Hunter, halfback, 6-1, 194 pounds, junior • Jim Johnson, quarterback, 6-3, 213 pounds, junior • Daryl Krugman, halfback, 5-9, 190 pounds, sophomore • Bill McCartney, center, 6-1, 206 pounds, senior • Larry Nichols, end, 6-2, 200 pounds, junior • Gene Oliver, guard, 6-0, 191 pounds, sophomore • Jackie Palmer, end, 6-0, 194 pounds, junior • Roger Phillips, center, 5-11, 193 pounds, junior • Andy Russell, fullback, 6-2, 201 pounds, junior • Fred Schueler, guard, 6-0, 205 pounds, senior • George Seals, tackle, 6-2, 235 pounds, sophomore • John Sevcik, end, 6-1, 214 pounds, sophomore • Bill Siekierski, tackle, 6-2, 223 pounds, junior • Thomas Smith, guard, 5-11, 202 pounds, senior • Gerald Stevenson, halfback, 6-3, 192 pounds, sophomore • Ron Taylor, quarterback, 5-8, 174 pounds, senior • Bill Tobin, fullback, 5-11, 193 pounds, junior • Vince Turner, halfback, 5-10, 177 pounds, sophomore • Paul Underhill, halfback, 6-0, 202 pounds, sophomore • James Vermillion, center, 5-10, 184 pounds, junior • Don Wainwright, end, 6-2, 200 pounds, junior • Jerome Wallach, tackle, 6-2, 205 pounds, junior • William "Bucky" Wegener, tackle, 5-10, 225 pounds, senior Twenty other players were named provisional letter winners, "pending their performance in spring football drills." ==References==