For many sports fans, fall weekends in the United States mean time spent with friends and family, cooler weather, and of course, football. For more than 100 years, Americans have enjoyed this pastime both as spectators and players – from small town youth leagues all the way up to the grand stage of professional football.
Several Medal of Honor Recipients have connections to this sport at the college level or higher. General Douglas MacArthur spent a few of his younger years on the gridiron. Two Recipients, Maurice Britt and Jack Lummus, played professionally in the National Football League (NFL).
Jack Lummus
Born Oct. 22, 1915, in Ennis, Texas, Jack Lummus grew up to be a star multi-sport athlete at his high school, excelling at both football and track. His prowess on the field earned him a football scholarship to Baylor University, where he played as end for three and a half years. While at Baylor, Lummus also played centerfield for the baseball team, making All-Southwest Conference twice. He was described by teammates and his coaches as being a very fast runner with great determination.
Just a few months shy of obtaining his degree, Lummus left Baylor and signed with the Wichita Falls Spudders to play baseball. After one season he joined the New York Giants to play football as an end in the fall of 1941.
He is credited as playing nine games and catching one pass for five yards. That year, the Giants finished 8-3, losing to the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship game in December 1941. Lummus’s football career would be cut short as he chose the same path as many other young men did following the attack on Pearl Harbor – he joined the military.
Lummus enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves on Jan. 30, 1942, completing his basic training in San Diego. The following year, he completed the necessary training at Quantico to become an officer. After assignments at Camp Elliott and Camp Joseph H. Pendleton in California, he was assigned to the Fifth Marine Division as a First Lieutenant on January 19, 1944. On Feb. 19, 1945, Lummus landed on Iwo Jima.
Two weeks later, on March 8, while Lummus was leading his platoon forward, they were suddenly halted by intense enemy fire. Lummus made the decision to advance ahead of his men and neutralize the threat. Although he was knocked to the ground twice by enemy grenades, he managed to destroy the enemy in three pillboxes. He continued his advance, leading his men through additional fire and past foxholes, until he stepped on a land mine. Lummus attempted to stand to continue offering support, but his legs and lower torso had unfortunately suffered irreparable damage that would later prove fatal.
Lummus was rushed to surgeons who attempted to staunch the bleeding and provide what little help they could. One of the last things he was noted to say before he succumbed to his injuries was, “Well, Doc, the New York Giants lost a mighty good end today.”
Maurice Britt
Maurice Britt was born June 29, 1919, in Carlisle, Arkansas. While participating in both high school football and track, he earned the nickname “Footsie” due to his speed.
Britt played as an end for the Detroit Lions in 1941. Although the season was a disappointing one with the Lions finishing the year 4-6-1, that year’s team stands out in part due to its roster and the game played against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 16, 1941.
On that crisp fall Sunday, the Eagles led the Lions 17-7 with just eight minutes left in the game. Byron White, top running back for the Lions and future Supreme Court Justice, broke through the Eagles defense for a 69-yard gain and a touchdown, bringing the score to 17-14. Following a quick series and punt by the Eagles, the lions got the ball back and continued their comeback. Britt scored the game winning touchdown, the pass thrown to him by none other than fullback Steve Belichick. Anyone familiar with football today will recognize that name. Steve Belichick is the father of current New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick.
Maurice Britt would never make football a long-term career. As the country was plunged into World War II, he joined the Army as a second lieutenant and had landed in North Africa by late 1942. On Nov. 10, 1943, Britt and his men were engaged in a counterattack by the Germans. Despite being wounded in the firefight by both bullets and grenades, he would successfully lead his men in repelling the attack, personally killing or wounded several of the enemy, for which he would later earn the Medal of Honor.
A few months later in January 1944, Britt was in a farmhouse on a scouting mission to observe approaching German tanks. One of these tanks would fire a shell striking the farmhouse and exploding near Britt. The blast caused multiple injuries, including amputating his right arm at the elbow. These injuries led to Britt being medically evacuated back to the United States.
On June 5, 1944, at the University of Arkansas, Maurice Britt was presented the Medal of Honor for his actions on Nov. 10, 1943. Although his days of playing football were over, Britt remained an influential figure in his home state of Arkansas, eventually being elected Lieutenant Governor for two terms from 1966-1970.
Douglas MacArthur
Football may not be what comes to mind when most people hear General Douglas MacArthur’s name today, but his early days of being a starting quarterback and then a team captain represent the beginning of several decades of valuable leadership.
He was born Jan. 26, 1880, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Arthur MacArthur, Jr., also a Medal of Honor Recipient. The son of a general, MacArthur set his sights high and rose quickly through the ranks after graduating first in his class at West Point in 1903.
MacArthur served as starting quarterback during his time at West Texas Military Academy. While at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he served as the manager of the football team in 1899, and the Black Knights went on to finish that season 4-5.
MacArthur’s military career is well known to many. Serving in both World War I and World War II, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on June 30, 1942, for his defense of the Philippines. In 1945, he accepted the official Japanese surrender.
Several other Medal of Honor Recipients spent time playing football at the collegiate level, with two serving as league commissioners.
The U.S. Naval Academy has the claim to the most football-playing Recipients with a total number of six.
About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor and its Recipients, inspiring Americans, and supporting the Recipients as they connect with communities across the country.
Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are 64 living Recipients.
The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society’s programs and operations are funded by donations.
As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.
Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s initiatives at cmohs.org.