Blocking in Memphis: Sherrill Busby’s Record-Breaking Game

The list of Troy’s greatest football players often pulls names from the Trojans’ best seasons, and for good reason: performance. There’s one name in the top 10 that isn’t associated with a national title or a bowl game, but he was the first All-American from the Wiregrass.

Sherrill Busby not only deserves recognition among the Troy faithful, he deserves a place in the record books.

We’re talking DeVry-level accomplishments, too. By all accounts, no other player blocked as many kicks or punts as he did… at any level… before or since.

Here’s a look at the most current blocking records from the NCAA, pulled from all four levels (FBS, FCS, DII and DIII). Next to it, Busby’s stats, pulled from Troy Messenger articles.

Busby tied or broke all six of these records, generations before these players took the field. Regardless of context or strategy, blocking punts, field goals and points after is a difficult feat.

The NCAA started keeping stats in 1937, but Troy’s membership status is up for debate… and frankly deserves its own story. That being said, either the NCAA or the NAIA (who started keeping stats in 1952 and doesn’t track blocked punts or blocked kicks) should add a special note to their record books.

But let’s focus on that one stat in the top right corner: 4 blocked punts against one team in 1937. The team wasn’t Samford, West Alabama, or any of the common teams in Troy’s conference history. It’s one of the few FBS opponents Troy faced before the war, like FSU or Southern Miss.

Sherrill Busby set an NCAA record against the Memphis Tigers.

You’ll notice the ground in that photo is very light compared to the uniforms. The game, hosted by Memphis in early November, was played on snow.

The Troy Messenger mentioned in the next week’s game recap that Troy’s players were shivering, unprepared for the cold weather. It also mentioned the West Tennessee State Teachers were double-digit favorites over the Troy State squad.

What followed was a classic game that only lives on in the memories of Trojan fans. Forum user “Mr. Ho” tells it in a poetic way here, though he embellishes some details. That’s Hollywood for you.

Here’s what the Messenger, the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Montgomery Advertiser say happened, back in 1937:

Memphis got first possession, but Troy forced the Tigers to punt. That’s when Busby picked up his first block. Troy recovered on the 22, but turned it over on downs.

On that drive, Memphis fumbled the ball, and Troy’s Ralph Watts fell on it inside the 20. Trojan captain Marvin Little ran it in for Troy’s first score, but Watts missed the point after.

In the second quarter, Busby blocked another punt, but Memphis regained possession. Another three-and-out set up the third Busby blocked punt (misidentified as Watts in the Memphis paper), but Little scooped this one up and ran it just short of the red zone.

Little and Bubber McCallman ran sweep plays to drive Troy deeper toward the goal line. Either Little or Dorsey Melton scored for the Trojans, and this time Troy lined up for a two-point conversion. Little was stuffed at the line, but the Trojans led 12-0.

The Tigers started the fourth quarter with the ball. On fourth down, Elmer Vaughn hit John Michael for a 36-yard touchdown pass, but the two-point conversion failed. Troy won 12-6.

Blocked kicks weren’t the only important stat that night, though. Troy led Memphis in first downs (12-6), lost the ball fewer times (3-6), and recovered each of the Tigers’ fumbles.

Troy played Memphis again the next four years, but the Trojans lost each one. The 1937 game was the last of the Tigers’ season, and their last loss until 1939.

Memphis coach Allyn McKean, a 1991 inductee to the College Football Hall of Fame, led the Tigers to an undefeated season the next year. He left to coach Mississippi State, but retired in 1948 and incidentally ran the Blue-Gray Classic in Montgomery. He died there in 1978.

For the Tigers, lightning struck a second time—against Arkansas in 1992. Memphis cornerback Ken Irvin blocked four punts in a 22-6 upset. He officially holds half the record, tied in 2001 by Central Michigan’s James King.

As for Busby, the record was set, but the legacy of blocking punts—and kicks—was just beginning.

The stats from before are somewhat hazy, though it’s clear Busby never blocked that many kicks in a single game again. He got close in 1939 against Georgia Southern though, with a blocked PAT that proved to be the winning margin.

There are only a few cases where I could find records of his blocked kicks. The biggest source was the copy for the 1939 All-American announcement, which said he had nine blocked punts and two blocked kicks in his senior season.

That announcement also dropped two different numbers for his career total: 23 blocked punts in one newspaper and 28 blocked kicks in another. I take the discrepancy in words to include points after.

Here’s why: the October 26, 1938 issue of the Montgomery Advertiser noted that Sherrill Busby had 13 blocked kicks in 1937, and he was up to five blocked kicks after the Delta State game in 1938. The Messenger’s coverage of the Delta State game specified he had four blocked punts after that game.

A November 22, 1939 article from the Messenger also mentioned both a blocked punt and a blocked extra point in the Marion Institute game. For reference purposes, the article specified that blocked punts in the Middle Tennessee and Delta State game were each recovered in the end zone.

Just putting the numbers together and organizing them paints an incredible picture. The man blocked 28 punts and kicks, and we can only place half of them.

That’s 12 recorded, guaranteed blocked punts in a career, which is one shy of the official record at the top of this article. The Memphis game, the 1937 season and his 1939 All-American campaign are all verified through reporting of the day too.

What’s more, Sherrill Busby did all this in just three years. He graduated in 1939, and joined the NFL’s Brooklyn Dodgers squad as an undrafted player in 1940. Like many others, he joined the military the next year.

His last job was head coach of the Highland Home Flying Squadron, from 1955-1959. He won 15 games in five years, but eight of those came in the last two years.

Busby never got the chance to complete the rebuild. He died from a heart attack on June 7, 1960.

Unfortunately, adding stats and records before they were tracked is impossible, so this remains Busby’s only statistical recognition. Busby’s only official accolades are his spot on the 1939 Little All-American team and the Trojans’ 1939 Alabama Intercollegiate Conference title.

Troy’s first All-American deserves so much more. Until that happens, the Trojan faithful will have to keep his story alive.

Left photo courtesy Troy Messenger Archives. Middle, Right courtesy Montgomery Advertiser Archives.

Special thanks to Mr. Ho.