Football | September 10, 2019
LOS ANGELES--Al Carmichael, USC's rushing leader in 1950 who scored the only touchdown in the Trojans' 1953 Rose Bowl victory and then went on to score the first touchdown in American Football League history and also set an NFL kickoff return record, died on Saturday (Sept. 7) in Palm Desert, Calif. He was 90.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 28 at Shadow Rock Church in La Quinta, Calif. (79390 Highway 111, La Quinta, Calif. 92253).
Carmichael, nicknamed "Hoagy," caught a 22-yard TD pass for the only points in USC's 7-0 victory over Wisconsin in the 1953 Rose Bowl, giving the Pacific Coast Conference its first victory over the Big Ten since the Rose Bowl began its exclusive agreement in 1947 pairing the champions of both leagues.
He was a 3-year (1950-51-52) letterman at halfback for USC. He led the Trojans in rushing as a 1950 sophomore with 514 yards and in kickoff returns as a 1952 senior. He caught the game-winning TD pass in the fourth quarter in a 14-12 win over UCLA in 1952. In his USC career, he ran for 1,042 yards.
Before coming to USC, he starred at Gardena High and then played for the El Toro Marines and Santa Ana Junior College, where he rushed for 1,110 yards with 19 TDs to earn Little All-American honors and was on a Junior Rose Bowl squad.
Carmichael was a first round pick (seventh overall selection) of the Green Bay Packers in the 1953 NFL Draft and played halfback, flanker and returner with the Packers for 6 years (1953-58). His 106-yard kickoff return against the Chicago Bears in 1956 stood as an NFL record until 2007. He led the NFL in kickoff return yardage in 1956 and1957.
He then joined the Denver Broncos in the newly-formed AFL, playing there in 1960 and 1961. He scored the AFL's first touchdown on a 59-yard reception against the Boston Patriots in 1960.
In his 8-year pro career, he returned 191 kickoffs for 4,798 yards (25.1 average) with 2 TDs and 122 punts for 912 yards (7.5 average), and he also caught 112 pass for 1,633 yards (14.6 average) with 8 TDs and ran for 947 yards on 222 carries (4.3 average) with 4 TDs.
He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers, Santa Ana College, National Junior College, All-Services and Orange County Sports Halls of Fame.
During his playing days, he also was a stuntman and extra actor in more than 50 movies, including "Jim Thorpe All-American," "Saturday's Hero," "Pork Chop Hill," "Spartacus," "Elmer Gantry," Birdman of Alcatraz" and "How The West Was Won," plus TV shows like "Rawhide."
After football, he worked in the pool cleaning and automobile sales businesses, then sold real estate.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughters Pam and Stacy from his late wife Jan, stepsons Darin and Bruce Durkee and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Chris.
