Davies, Thomas J.
Football
b. 1901
d. Feb. 29, 1972
Old-time University of Pittsburgh fans think Davies was the best runner the school ever had, at least until Tony Dorsett came along. A single-wing tailback, the 150-pound Davies was not the classic triple-threat, but he was an explosive runner and a pretty good passer, too.
As a freshman in 1918, he returned punts for 60 and 50 yards for touchdowns, ran from scrimmage for 50 yards, and threw two touchdown passes in a 32-0 victory over Georgia Tech. He was named to Walter Camp's All-American team that year.
He was never again a first-team All-American, though he made Camp's second team in 1920 and 1921. It's hard to figure out why he wasn't on the first team at least one of those years. In 1920, he beat the University of Pennsylvania almost single-handed, returning a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, running 60 yards with an interception for another score, running 80 yards from scrimmage for a third and passing for a fourth in a 27-21 victory.
During his four-year career, Pittsburgh won 21, lost 6, and tied 4. Davies gained 4,625 yards rushing, an average of 149.2 yards per game. After graduating, he spent the 1922 season in the NFL with the Hammond, Indiana, Pros.