1952 Sugar Bowl Champions Game Ball

University of Maryland

1952

Sugar Bowl Champions

In the 1952 Sugar Bowl my dad was a Senior playing for the Maryland Terrapins. They were undefeated and ranked 3rd in the nation and got to play #1 ranked Tennessee. The Terps won 28 to 13. It was my dad's last game. Wikipedia called my Dad an anchor of the defense but he did play both ways and long snapped. This was confirmed because he signed the ball twice with the offense and defensive teams.



I have the football sitting here next to the laptop as I am posting about it and Mary my 4 year old pointed out that the ball on my desk was also on my laptop and she asked if she could hold it. I told he it was her grandfather's football and showed her were he'd signed it. I traced his familiar signature with my finger Jefferson D. Keith. Her face lit up and she said his name Keith tooo! I said yea he was my father and that's why we are named Keith! That autograph of his never changed during his entire adult life.

I just drove my mom from Denver to Phoenix in her car. My brother had driven her from MO to Denver and I was to finish the last leg of her move with my sister. We got to stop in Fruita for a day and visit with the family. We went out to dinner at our favorite restaurant Enzo's and had a great Veteran's Day assembly at the girls school.

When we got to Phoenix my sister Carol asked if I wanted dad's football from the Sugar Bowl and of course I said yes! In the Phoenix airport I took those pictures and carried it loose on the plain. Several people asked about it and one guy said I need to put that in a museum or something! During the drive we talked about a lot but after a couple of hours my listening skills are fried and my mom continues to talk for fifteen straight hours. I'm still trying to short out all she shared but for know I will settle with not having been driven crazy the whole time. One thing I remember was her saying,  "Jeff, your father, tried very hard with you boys because his dad was a real SOB. His dad was mean, really mean, and a drinker. So when it came to being a father he just did what he always wanted his father to do and never did, like show affection and set a good example.

Seeing the McWilliams reunited in Phoenix was a good thing. I plan to go back to AZ with my girls after Christmas for a little family reunion with J and T and E and the McWilliams posse.