Courtney Driscoll (2016) - Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame

Courtney Driscoll

Induction:
2016
Class:
1941

Even though he only played one season as a member of the Marshall varsity, Courtney “Red” Driscoll left an indelible impression on the Thundering Herd. In an era when freshmen were ineligible for varsity competition, the Richmond, Va., native spent the 1940 season as a member of the freshman team and on the scout squad, and the varsity team that had to chase the fleet-footed halfback in practices found that the running backs they faced on game days were usually easier to tackle as the team logged an 8-2 record.

Finally eligible to suit up for the varsity as a sophomore in 1941, Driscoll teamed with College Football Hall of Famer Jackie Hunt to give Coach Cam Henderson one of the greatest one-two backfield combinations in all of college football, leading the team to a 7-1 record that included a 16-6 upset win over southern power Wake Forest University at Fairfield Stadium.

Driscoll led the 1941 Thundering Herd with 12 touchdowns, including three of them in his college debut in a season-opening win over the University of Omaha. The following week he turned in one of the more amazing performances in Marshall history during a 51-7 win over Illinois Wesleyan when he not only scored two rushing touchdowns, of 15 and 30 yards, he also returned punts 68 and 85 yards for scores. Driscoll also returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown agaisnt Western Kentucky and was dragged down at the six yard line after a 74-yard punt return against Toledo. He was also a standout as a defensive back, intercepting three passes in a 13-0 win at Scranton University.

World War II brought Driscoll’s Marshall career to an early end. After two years in the military, he signed a professional contract with the Washington Redskins in 1943. He later played for the NFL’s Brooklyn Dodgers and after a knee injury cut his pro career short, Driscoll played semi-pro football with Richmond-area teams for many years. He was also a very accomplished baseball player, seeing action in the Piedmont League for the Richmond Colts (1943-47), then playing a final season with the Petersburg, Va., Generals in 1948. For his baseball career, he hit .242, with 33 doubles, two triples and one home run in 203 games in the minors. He recorded 152 hits in 627 at-bats and also saw action as a pitcher. He passed away in Richmond in December of 1998 at the age of 79. Driscoll was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.