1956 Idaho Vandals football team

The 1956 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Skip Stahley and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with one home game in Boise at old Bronco Stadium at Boise Junior College.[1][2][3] Idaho compiled a 4–5 overall record but were 0–4 in the PCC. After four losses to open, the Vandals won three straight, then split the final two games.

1956 Idaho Vandals football
ConferencePacific Coast Conference
1956 record4–5 (0–4 PCC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Jay Pattee (backs)
  • Bud Goodell (ends)
  • Don Swartz (line)
  • Clem Parberry (freshmen)
Home stadiumNeale Stadium
1956 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 10 Oregon State $ 6 –1 –1  7 –3 –1
No. 18 USC 5 –2 –0  8 –2 –0
UCLA 5 –2 –0  7 –3 –0
Washington 4 –4 –0  5 –5 –0
Oregon 3 –3 –2  4 –4 –2
Stanford 3 –4 –0  4 –6 –0
Washington State 2 –5 –1  3 –6 –1
California 2 –5 –0  3 –7 –0
Idaho 0 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

After road losses to Washington and Oregon, the Vandals suffered a second straight loss in the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, falling 19–33 at home on October 6.[4][5][6] Following the game, skirmishes between student factions provoked the Moscow city police to use tear gas to control the situation.[5][6] The following week, Idaho was depleted by injuries and came out on the short end of a 41-point homecoming shutout by Arizona State.[7][8]

The most recent winning season for Idaho football was 18 years earlier in 1938, and the Vandals were a win shy in 1956. The streak was broken seven years later in 1963.

Notable players

This Vandal team had several players who went on to extended careers in professional football.[1] Jerry Kramer of Sandpoint played eleven seasons at right guard with the Green Bay Packers and won five NFL titles (and the first two Super Bowls) under head coach Vince Lombardi. He was an All-Pro five times and was the lead blocker on the famous Packers sweep. Kramer made the NFL's all-decade team for the 1960s and was the last member of the NFL's 50th anniversary team to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, at age 82 in 2018.

Wayne Walker of Boise played fifteen seasons with the Detroit Lions as an outside linebacker and was named All-Pro three times. Both were juniors in 1956 and were selected in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL Draft; Kramer was 39th overall and Walker 45th, and both were periodic placekickers as pros. (As Vandals, Kramer was the kicker and Walker was the long snapper.)

Jim Prestel of Indianapolis was a defensive tackle for eight seasons in the NFL, primarily with the expansion Minnesota Vikings. A sophomore in 1956, he missed most of the following season due to his mother's terminal illness.[9][10] Selected in the sixth round of the 1959 NFL Draft, 70th overall, he was granted another year of eligibility and played for Idaho in 1959 and began his pro career with the Cleveland Browns in 1960. Prestel was also a standout player on the Vandal basketball team.[11] He played in his final game at Idaho in the Battle of the Palouse in late October with a broken foot, then was sidelined and missed the basketball season.[12]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendance
September 222:00 pmat Washington
L 21–5325,185
September 291:30 pmat Oregon
L 14–2113,000
October 62:00 pmWashington State
L 19–3316,300
October 132:00 pmArizona State*
  • Neale Stadium
  • Moscow, ID [7][8]
L 0–41  6,500
October 271:00 pmat Utah*
W 27–2111,520
November 38:00 pmat Fresno State*
W 24–12
November 101:00 pmUtah State*
W 42–20
November 171:30 pmOregon State
L 10–14  5,000
November 221:00 pmMontana*
W 14–0  3,000
  • One game was played on Thursday (Montana at Missoula on Thanksgiving)

All-conference

No Vandals were on the All-PCC team or the second team. Honorable mention were quarterback Gary Johnson, tackle Dick Foster, guard Jerry Kramer, and center Wayne Walker.[25][26]

NFL Draft

One Vandal was selected in the 1957 NFL Draft:[27]

PlayerPositionRound  Pick  Franchise
Dick Foster        T11th129Washington Redskins

Five juniors were selected in the 1958 NFL Draft:[28]

PlayerPositionRound  Pick  Franchise
Jerry KramerG4th39Green Bay Packers
Wayne WalkerC4th45Detroit Lions
Larry AldrichE11th127Pittsburgh Steelers
Wade PattersonE16th183   Chicago Cardinals   
Alvin JohnsonT18th216Cleveland Browns

One sophomore was selected in the 1959 NFL Draft:[29]

PlayerPositionRound  Pick  Franchise
Jim Prestel ^      T6th70   Cleveland Browns   

^ Prestel was granted another year of eligibility and played for Idaho in 1959.

References
  1. "Stahley names traveling unit for Utag game". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 9, 1956. p. 13.
  2. "Idaho scores in every period to dump Utah State 42-20". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 11, 1956. p. 10.
  3. Boni, Bill (November 11, 1956). "Idaho blasts Utags in 42-20 crusher". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 2, sports.
  4. "Idaho, WSC set for tilt". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 5, 1956. p. 13.
  5. Boni, Bill (October 7, 1956). "Police by gas, WSC by 33-19". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  6. "WSC gridders beat Vandals 33-19; students battle to draw". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 7, 1956. p. 11.
  7. Boni, Bill (October 14, 1956). "Arizona Staters roll over Idaho, 41 to 0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  8. "Sophomores run wild as Arizona State swamps Idaho 41–0". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 14, 1956.
  9. "Injuries bench 5 key players on Idaho squad". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. October 10, 1957. p. 34.
  10. "Flu bug hits Vandal coach". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 22, 1957. p. 8.
  11. "Vandals tab Prestal". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 2, 1959. p. 13.
  12. "If not all-coast, Jim's all-heart". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 30, 1959. p. 12.
  13. "Idaho girds for wet weather in opening battle with Huskies". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). September 21, 1956. p. 13.
  14. "Husky split-T swamps Idaho in 53-21 game". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 23, 1956. p. 1B.
  15. Strite, Dick (September 30, 1956). "Webfoots nab 21-14 victory over Vandals". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
  16. "Idaho scares Oregon but loses, 21-14". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 30, 1956. p. 11.
  17. Boni, Bill (October 28, 1956). "Idaho romps, stomps back to overhaul Utahans, 27-21". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  18. "Vandals roar back in fourth quarter to dump Utah 27-21". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 28, 1956. p. 10.
  19. "Fresno State fears Vandal air attack". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 3, 1956. p. 8.
  20. "Last half Idaho surge dumps Fresno". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 4, 1956. p. 12.
  21. "Outplayed Beavers rally to nip dominating Vandals 14-10". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 18, 1956. p. 12.
  22. Strite, Dick (November 18, 1956). "Beavers win 14-10 chiller". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
  23. Boni, Bill (November 23, 1956). "Vandals edge Grizzlies 14-0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 22.
  24. "Vandals dump Montana 14-0 to retain Little Brown Stein". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 23, 1956. p. 8.
  25. "Steiger is named on AP All-Coast grid team". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 4, 1956. p. 21.
  26. "Bill Steiger named to All-PCC team". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 5, 1956. p. 11.
  27. "1957 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  28. "1958 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  29. "1959 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
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