Bobby Grayson

Robert Harry Grayson (December 8, 1914 – September 22, 1981) was an American football player. He was a two-time consensus All-American player who led the Stanford University football team to three consecutive Rose Bowl Games from 1933 to 1935.

At Stanford, Grayson played for the varsity football team in the 1933, 1934 and 1935 seasons. He was recruited to Stanford by Coach Glenn "Pop" Warner and helped lead Stanford to a Pacific Coast Conference title in 1934 and co-championships in 1933 and 1935.

College career

Grayson's 1932 freshman team also included Bob "Horse" Reynolds, Jim "Monk" Moscrip, and Bob "Bones" Hamilton, and came to be known as the "Vow Boys". The 1932 Stanford varsity team was soundly defeated by the USC Trojans (USC). After watching the defeat, the freshmen players got together and vowed that they would never lose to the Trojans. The Stanford team proceeded to beat USC three straight years from 1933 to 1935 – making good on the vow. Stanford was the dominant team on the Pacific Coast, appearing in the New Year's Day Rose Bowl game in each of those three years. In three seasons, Grayson was part of a Stanford team that compiled a 25–4–2 record and became the first team to play in three consecutive Rose Bowls.

In the 1934 Rose Bowl, Grayson rushed for 152 yards, a Rose Bowl record. Ernie Nevers said Grayson was "the best back I've ever seen." A historical account of Grayson's accomplishments published by the LA84 Foundation notes:

Bobby Grayson had the looks of a matinee idol; and he remains as one of the most publicized players in Pacific Coast football history. A member of the legendary 'Vow Boys' of Stanford, Grayson starred from 1933–1935 in an era that is regarded as the greatest in the school's gridiron history. A workhorse ball carrier from the fullback spot, Grayson combined speed and power in piling up the school's career reusing record that stood for nearly two decades. Grayson used sprinter-class speed in sweeping the ends, and his swivel-hipped moves eluded tacklers in the open field.; while he was as adept at battering up the middle and punishing opposing defensive lines.

Military service

Grayson served as commanding officer of the minesweeper in the Pacific during World War II.

Legacy

Grayson died of a heart ailment in 1981 at age 66 in Bellevue, Washington.

In 2003, the Oakland Tribune ranked Grayson as one of Stanford's top ten players of all time, ranking him at number five behind Ernie Nevers, Jim Plunkett, Frankie Albert, and John Elway.