Boston College Eagles (1935-38)

In an older post, I noted that Boston College debuted the modern gold helmet-maroon jersey-gold pants template in 1939, Hall of Fame coach Frank Leahy's first season at The Heights. Previously, the Eagles wore an interesting hodgepodge of uniforms as they burned through three coaches in four seasons.

The 1935 jerseys, one of the first at BC to use numbers on the front, feature what appearsto be hand-cut digits -- a far cry from the more professional-looking style of later years (something also discussed in this post). Also note the gold is closer to a mustard yellow than the classic gold BC adopted during the Leahy years.

The 1936 Eagles wear their 1935 jerseys for the 1937 Sub Turri yearbook.
Note the quaint, hand-cut numbers.

The '36 numbers look a little more professional -- almost like Boston Red Sox digits , but without the diagonal ends. A gold (again, closer to mustard yellow) jersey debuted that season, with maroon shoulder panels and sleeve ends. Contrasting sleeve ends? The Eagles even wore a gold helmet for at least one game that year, but it didn't become a regular thing until Leahy's arrival in '39.

The 1936 BC football team goes all-gold for the team photo.

BC (check out No. 52) goes with a gold helmet in '36, albeit briefly.

In '37, the gold pants are dumped for maroon versions, which look pretty wild with the gold jerseys. (The Eagles tried this look for one game in 2012.) 

A truly bizarre 1937 Boston College team picture. Some players
are wearing the same number, and the jerseys are a patchwork of older styles.
Presumably, these were recycled as practice jerseys until they became rags.
Strange they would dress so shabbily for the team photo, though.

1938 shows an odd one-year helmet: A Michigan-Princeton style lid with wings on the front AND back. I'm sure the double-wing helmet has been done elsewhere, but this marks my first sighting. The rest of the uniform remained the same, although BC tried white pants for a game. (There's a possibility they might be a light gold, but they appear white to these eyes.)

The BC "double-wing" helmet, worn only in 1938, although
I've seen them in practice photos as late as the early '40s. 

BC goes monochrome in 1938 at Fenway Park.

The Eagles (check out Nos. 13 and 45) break out white pants in '38.
Just a great photo, BTW.

The Eagles' coach during this period was Hall of Famer "Gloomy Gil" Dobie, who went 16-6-5 at Boston College from 1936-38. He racked up a career record of 182-45-15 at North Dakota State (yes, the Bison were a powerhouse even in 1907), Cornell, Washington, Navy and BC. He also recruited several players, including quarterback "Chuckin' Charlie" O'Rourke, who became stars under Leahy, and Lou Montgomery, the Eagles' first African-American player.

Dobie also was known for his rather dour demeanor, best exemplified by this story from Reid Oslin's informative (and hilarious) Tales From the Boston College Sideline. In September 1938, a legendary hurricane tore through New England, and BC's players were wondering if practice would be cancelled. The team's equipment manager asked Dobie if the players should dress for practice. Dobie's reply? "Unless they want to practice bare-ass." 

And so the players trudged onto the field, presumably not bare-ass. According a 1956 article on Dobie in The Heights (BC's student newspaper), a small shack flew past the players as they practiced in the rain and wind, causing Dobie to remark, "Don't worry, it will blow over, it always has, hasn't it."

"Gloomy Gil" Dobie (left), presumably after telling his quarterback
he'd be practicing in a hurricane, snowstorm or quicksand.  

Craving some more BC unis? Look right here: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2007, 2000, 1995-96, 1994, 1989-90, 1984, 1982, 1978-80, 1968-77, 1958-60, 1957, 1955-56, 1950-52, 1939, Rivalry Week (w/Holy Cross).