... And the Passing of a Noted Passer ...

From the town of Rotan comes the news that Slingin' Sammy Baugh, the ultimate three-way threat who revolutionized the use of the forward pass as a Hall of Fame quarterback - and perhaps the greatest football player West Texas ever saw - died Wednesday night. He was 94. Read the complete report from espn.com here

Samuel Adrian Baugh was born in Temple, Texas ... but it was in Sweetwater, in the 1930s, where he would develop the passing skills that carried him to high school, college and pro football glory - and earned him a great nickname in the process. In addition to being a great passer and punter, Baugh was also a superior defensive player as he led the NFL in interceptions in 1943.

There are no lack of citations for his storied life and career ... in addition to his Wikipedia write-up, you can also read his College Football Hall of Fame page and his Pro Football HGall of Fame page ... even his Internet Movie Database (IMDB) page.
Later in life, he would settle at his ranch in West Texas ... but he continued to remain active and supportive, lending his name and his energies to such events as a celebrity Slingin' Sammy Baugh Golf Tournament benefiting a scholarship at Sul Ross State University, and the TSTC West Texas Sammy Baugh Classic, one of a number of early-season events that brought several football games to a central site. An annual award at SRSU was named for Baugh in honor of his outstanding service.