Jacksonville State University Athletics

Because of the Great Depression, Tom Drake was limited to only one season at Jacksonville (1933), but he brought honor to the university as a member of the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers World Series team. Drake, a hard-throwing pitcher, helped the Dodgers win the National League title in ’41, but the Yankees managed to win the series. In addition to the Dodgers, Drake also pitched for the Cleveland Indians in the big leagues. Drake made Ripley’s Believe-It-or-Not with a punt that traveled 85 yards during the ’33 season according to JSU teammates. Drake died in 1989.