Bob Davenport (gridiron football)
Davenport from 1954 Southern Campus | |
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Fullback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 30, 1933 Oakley, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 2024 (aged 91) Upland, Indiana, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | UCLA |
| NFL draft | 1956: 25th round, 301st overall pick |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| |
Coaching | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Bob Davenport (April 30, 1933 – July 3, 2024) was an American football player and coach.
Biography
Davenport was raised in Long Beach, California, and played college football at the fullback position for the UCLA Bruins football team.[1] He was selected by the Football Writers Association of America as a first-team player on its 1954 College Football All-America Team.[2]
Davenport declined an offer from the Cleveland Browns as they held Sunday sporting events that contradicted his Christian commitment to observing the Lord's Day.[3] He instead played professionally with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Western Interprovincial Football Union—a forerunner of the Canadian Football League (CFL)—in 1956 and 1957.
Davenport served as the head football coach at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana from 1958 to 1968. He led the Taylor Trojans to four consecutive Hoosier Conference titles, from 1961 to 1964. In 1969, he was appointed to the new-created position of director of university-church leadership training at Taylor.[4]
Davenport later became a competitive cycler.[5] He died in Upland, Indiana on July 3, 2024, at the age of 91.[6]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Trojans (Hoosier Conference) (1957–1968) | |||||||||
| 1958 | Taylor | 3–6 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1959 | Taylor | 6–3 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1960 | Taylor | 2–7 | 0–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1961 | Taylor | 8–1 | 4–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1962 | Taylor | 6–3 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1963 | Taylor | 5–2–1 | 4–0–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1964 | Taylor | 5–4 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1965 | Taylor | 3–5–1 | 3–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1966 | Taylor | 5–3 | 3–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1967 | Taylor | 7–2 | 5–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1968 | Taylor | 3–5–1 | 2–4 | 5th | |||||
| Taylor: | 53–41–3 | 36–19–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 53–41–3 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- ^ "Bob Davenport Is Key Performer In UCLA Style". The Gettysburg Times (AP story). September 19, 1955. p. 5.
- ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1236. ISBN 1401337031.
- ^ Glausser, Wayne (2020). "How the NFL Domesticated Christianity". Americana: An Institute for American Studies and Creative Writing. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "Taylor Coach In New Post". Muncie Evening Press. Muncie, Indiana. United Press International. March 8, 1969. p. 9. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Dan D'Ambrosio. "Bob Davenport and Wandering Wheels" (PDF). Adventure Cycling.
- ^ "Coach Bob Davenport". Armes-Hunt Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Retrieved October 12, 2024.