Homer Maurice Doke (November 18, 1938 – June 5, 2018) was an American football player and Texas state legislator.
| No. 81 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Guard, Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 18, 1938 Texas, U.S. |
| Died: | June 5, 2018 (aged 79) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Wichita Falls (TX) |
| College: | Texas |
| AFL draft: | 1960 / round: 2 Pick: First Selections (by the Denver Broncos) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
He was an outstanding football player at Wichita Falls Senior High School.
Doke attended the University of Texas and played college football at the guard and linebacker positions for the Texas Longhorns from 1957 to 1959.[1] He started all 31 games of his varsity career from 1957-1959. As a sophomore he was selected to the (1957 All-Southwest Conference 2nd team) and helped the team to the 1958 Sugar Bowl. He was selected by the Football Writers Association of America as a first-team player on its 1959 College Football All-America Team,[2] and he received second-team honors from the Associated Press as he helped the Longhorns win a share of the conference championship and go to the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic where he was named co-MVP despite the Longhorns losing.[3] He was also a finalist for the 1959 Swede Nelson Sportsmanship Award and was a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete.[4] His teammates gave him the George “Hook” McCullough MVP trophy, and the Houston Post named him the Southwest Conference Lineman of the Year and named him the conference MVP.[5]
While attending the University of Texas, Doke also received Academic All-America honors, served as editor-in-chief of the UT Chemical Engineering Society Magazine, and was a Rhodes Scholar candidate.[1]
He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 1960 AFL draft, but never played professionally. His last game was the 1960 Hula Bowl.
He later served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 1963 to 1967.[6] Doke died on June 5, 2024, at the age of 79.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b "Maurice Doke". National Football Foundation. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ Ted Gangi (ed.). "FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team" (PDF). Retrieved February 8, 2015.
- ^ "Cannon Is Named All America For Second Time". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. December 4, 1959. p. 10.
- ^ "Colby Back Given Award For Aiding Hurt Teammate". The Baltimore Sun. December 23, 1959.
- ^ "Texas Football History and Honors" (PDF). Retrieved January 2, 2025.
- ^ "Maurice Doke". State of Texas. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Maurice Doke Obituary (2018) - Houston, TX - Times Record News". Legacy.com. Retrieved December 31, 2024.