Rice Institute Owls football player Lou Hassell

Abstract

Black and white photograph with accompanying description of Rice Institute Owls football player Lou Hassell. He is shown facing the camera, from the chest up and is wearing a light-colored jersey with the number 7 on it. The text above the photograph reads: Rice Athletic Hall of Fame. The caption below the photograph reads: Lou Hassell (1933). Below the caption is an explanation for Hassell's inclusion in the Hall of Fame.Caption reads: In the 1931 Campanile appears these prophetic words: “Somewhere in the Hall of Fame for Rice athletes is a niche for a tall, black-haired boy . . . His black eyes have a soft glow in them . . . but on Oct. 25 (1930) those eyes were grim, determined and blazing with fire. Rice 6, Texas 0. Ten, 20, 50 years from now, Rice men will still sing the praises of Lou Hassell . . . The whole team played like demons . . .” After his standout sophomore season in which Rice for the first time in one year beat both Texas and A & M, LOU HASSELL (1933) was consensus SWC All-Conference tackle in 1931, also winning Rice’s MVP George Martin Award by vote of his teammates, and was heading for higher honors in 1932. Then an arm tackle on Texas’ big Ernie Koy resulted in a ruptured bicep, ending Hassell’s playing career. “Lazy Lou” came to Rice from Edinburg Junior College. A member of the National Foundation Football Hall of Fame, last year he was presented the “Distinguished R Man” Award for his long, great service to Rice athletics—especially in recruiting “the horses”—and to football generally, while winning success in his insurance business and in politics.Rice Athletic Hall of Fam