In 1972, the Buccaneers finished the season 12-0, were ranked third in the nation at the end of the year, and defeated Mesabi State College, 38-21, in the Wool Bowl. The team was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2002 and head coach Ben Boehnke and players Steve Beaird, Floyd Hogan, and Darnell Meyers have also been enshrined.
Recognized during halftime of Saturday’s homecoming football game were former players Don Bockhorn, Steve Franks, Ron Feldman, Michal Glasscock, Donnie Reddic, Raymond Washington, James Mott, Steve Meyers, Ralph Caldwell, John Ward, Charles Jankowiak, Markley Mills and Larry Moses. Meda Beaird, the wife of Steve Beaird, also was present, as was Karen (Boehnke) Thornton, the daughter of Ben Boehnke, and Janet Dreyer, daughter of longtime Blinn athletic director Leroy Dreyer. Student athletic trainer Michael Griffin, who worked alongside the 1972 team, also was on hand.
Bockhorn, a sophomore linebacker and kicker on the ’72 ballclub, remembers his time as a Buccaneer fondly.
“It was just a unique bunch of players with a lot of talent,” Bockhorn said. “We had a lot of breaks that went our way that season and it was just a magical time. Every time we were in a bind, something happened and we won the game.
“All these years later, looking back, it’s a great honor to have had the chance to play at Blinn and to have a successful season like that. Blinn was a steppingstone for a lot of players. It’s an honor to be able to come back and see everybody again.”
Franks, a sophomore defensive end and linebacker, remembered that season’s Bucs as a close-knit group that made its own luck.
“We were very close,” Franks said. “Fifty years ago, there wasn’t much to do in Brenham, but we had a great time. We had barbecues and get-togethers and really bonded. That led to the results on the field. We were all about team effort. It always takes a bit of luck to go undefeated. We were a good team, and we had some luck on our side.”
The players present Saturday were greeted by Dr. Mary Hensley, Chancellor of the Blinn College District, and Kevin Bosse, Chair of the Buccaneer Alumni Lettermen Association. The players were gifted hats featuring the vintage Blinn “B” logo used in 1972.
“It’s always neat when you have a special team like this and people want to come back and be together,” Bosse said. “Our student-athletes love Blinn and know it’s a special place, and it’s important for us to remember and honor these special teams and athletes who have graced our campus.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
