FOOTBALL

USC Legend C.R. Roberts Dies

C.R. Roberts, the USC fullback who gained 251 yards against Texas after the Trojans were kicked out of their segregated hotel, died Wednesday of natural causes. He was 87.

Roberts is best remembered for the 1956 game vs. Texas when USC went to face Texas and was told its African-American players could not stay at its Austin hotel.

USC coach Jess Hill refused to stay there and tried three different hotels before finding one that would accept the entire team. Roberts gained 251 yards in 12 carries with 3 TDs in USC’s 44-20 victory over an all-white Texas team. Roberts scored on runs of 73, 50 and 74 yards.

Roberts was pulled from the game early because of fears the Texas crowd would riot if he continued to dominate the Longhorns.

“I was upset that they didn’t want me down there,” Roberts said in a 2015 USC article for Black History Month. “Damn right, I had something to prove to them.”

I met Roberts five years ago at the Coliseum and you could tell he was just a genuinely nice guy.

Here is Roberts (42) running in USC’s 28-20 victory over Notre on Dec. 1, 1956. It was Hill’s final game as the Trojans’ coach.

Roberts follows the blocking of Don Hoffman (34), Laird Willott (68) and Bob Voiles (83) against the Irish. 

26 thoughts on “USC Legend C.R. Roberts Dies”

  1. Since football is ahead of God in the South it is puzzling how
    it took another 14 years with Sam Bam and an Alabama-pasting
    for the Southerners to finally see the light, and it was not all white

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    1. Why suh’ you all know them dyed in the wool segregationists southern politicians were in no need to move as had occurred at Little Rock in 1954 best to fight a rear guard as Fulbright, Ervin, Faubus, Sparkman, McClellan, Russell, Eastland, Kefauver, Gore, Frear all had in common….demoncrats….were intent on doing and did.

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      1. It’s true what you say about segregationists being democrats in the ’50s and early ’60s but why are white supremecists and klan members today all conservatives and Trump supporters?

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      2. Gabby aka The Guy who posts as So Cal's Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young's avatar Gabby aka The Guy who posts as So Cal's Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young says:

        Question: Why are all you racists Democrats?

        Answer: 200 years of tradition.

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    2. NOTHING IN TEXAS LJ EXCEPT STEERS AND QUEERS
      AND WHITE NATIONALISTS

      FUCK THE CHEATING LONGHORNS AND ABBOTT TOO

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      2. Gabby aka The Guy who posts as So Cal's Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young's avatar Gabby aka The Guy who posts as So Cal's Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young says:

        You mean LBJ?

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  2. So, um, Roberts’ number was 42. Didn’t someone who played football at UCLA, but is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, as a Dodger, have the same uniform number (42) (when he was a Dodger). Now no one in baseball has that jersey number.

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      1. Indeed sir – Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven & Hell
        Fr. Martin von Cochem ISBN:9780895553218

        Trust me – you won’t regret reading it a mere 180 pgs.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I think Lawyer John would prefer The Idea of Christ in The Gospels by the great philosopher George Santayana, Alv. It’s so up his theological alley….and it’s beautifully written.

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  4. SAD TO HEAR ABOUT OLD CRASH AND ROLL

    CR STOOD FOR CRASH AND ROLL

    HE PLAYED VERY WELL IN THE 1955 TROJAN WIN OVER NOTRE DAME 42-20

    CR WAS FROM OCEANSIDE

    RIP CR

    YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!!!!!

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      1. Yes, that would be nice….but….I kinda like Woody Allen’s preference: Live forever, John.

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  9. type of article wolf should stick with…this game was on the radio,I think maybe Chick Hearn announced SC football back then,I listened to the entire game; and to beat texas at home vs their great coach Darryl Royal ,a texas legend, was quite an accomplishment for the team and its head coach Jess Hill. CR Roberts,fullback, and Jon Arnett were the running backs that year,they beat ucla,ND and wisconsin ,but did not win the PCC title,so no RoseBowl,even though they beat Ore St during regular season,and were 8-2 a better record than Ore st.

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    1. Gabby aka The Guy who posts as So Cal's Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young's avatar Gabby aka The Guy who posts as So Cal's Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young says:

      Oregon s State went 6-1-1 in conference and SC tied UCLA for second at 5-2. In inexplicable 27-19 loss to lowly Stanford kept SC out of the Rose Bowl.

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      1. yea…Brodie was stanfords q/b(49er great too) he tore SC up,also SC had PCC punishments and some starters could only play 1/2 of season;some of them were hired by SC alums successful in Hollywood movies to do something with the studios…Ore St was stomped in Rose Bowl

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