Remembering Doc Blanchard

Here are a few memories of Doc Blanchard I gathered from my reporting Monday:

 Pete Dawkins, 1958 Heisman Trophy winner

“I went over to England for my Rhodes scholar work. Doc was commanding a unit of F-100 fighter planes in England. He arranged a flight that was unforgettable. We were in a two-seat F-100 fighter (with Blanchard as the pilot). We flew over the lower level of the beaches of Normandy. It had a permanent impact on me.”

Joe Steffy, 1947 Army Outland Trophy winner

“He was a great player. He was fast and powerful. His favorite play was right up the middle. I don’t remember tearing him loose at practice. He was too valuable to get hurt.”

“I went to Tennessee and played on an undefeated Rose Bowl-winning team before I went to West Point. I played with some great players. But none of them could match Blanchard.”

Bobby Jack Stuart, 1948 Army all-American running back

“He was the opposite (of Glenn “Mr. Outside” Davis). Glenn was very personable. Doc liked to shut up and let his game do the talking. You are talking about as good of a football as you could ever run into.”

“The only time I saw one guy tackle him by himself was when we played Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium. Instead of trying to run over Johnny Lujack (1947 Heisman Trophy winner), he tried to side-step him. Lujack grabbed a leg and brought him down. That was the 0-0 game (in 1946).”

“He was an excellent blocker. I loved to run around the end because we would send him in motion. He’d come back and block the outside man. He would knock the hell out of them.”

Army athletic director Kevin Anderson

“We mourn the passing of the great
Doc Blanchard. He was truly one of the legends in Army Football history and will
always hold a special place in the landscape of college football. Earlier this
month, we announced our plans to officially retire his uniform number with a
special day in his honor when our football team hosts Vanderbilt on October 10.
Today, we have lost a great patriot and a strong tie to the golden era of Army
Football. Our condolences go out to his family at this difficult time.”