Clair Branch

Clair Maurice Branch (b. March 30, 1937 - d. June 18, 2022) was an American football player who played fullback and linebacker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League from 1960 to 1963 and was a running back for the Texas Longhorns at the college level.

Early life

He was born in Kenedy, Texas. He played high school football at Gaston High School in Joinerville, TX. He had two older brothers, Coe and Phil, who played football as well, with Phil being an All-SWC player at Texas.

College career Branch played college football at the University of Texas in 1956-59, where he rushed for a total of 565 yards and a 4.2 yards per rush average over his career.

He played on the 1956 Longhorn team that went 1-9, the most loses and fewest wins of any Longhorn team in program history. He saw most of his playing time later in the season, with his best game against Texas A&M, and finished with 4.4 yards per carry with 201 yards on 46 carries.

He was on the roster for the 1957 season, but was held out due to injuries. He missed the start of spring training after breaking his foot in a skiing accident and during spring training he injured his ankle and it lingered all season. At the end of the preseason he suffered a back injury. of the

In 1958, he was a reserve running back who played in 8 games, carrying the ball 30 times for 83 yards and had 1 reception for 24 yards. He also played defense where he had 14 tackles and a 90 yard interception return for a TD against Rice in 1958 that is still tied for the 5th longest interception return and interception return for a TD in school history (and tied for 5th for most interception return yards in a single game). It was the only points Texas scored in that game. He had another season-best game against Texas A&M. In Darrell Royal's 2nd season he helped Texas to a 7-3 record.

In his senior year, he played in every game. He had 281 yards rushing on 59 carries with 2 TDs, and on defense he had 23 tackles and a fumble recovery. His 86 yard rushing game against SMU earned him a nomination of "Back of the Week." Against Baylor, he scored the game-winning touchdown late in the 4th quarter. He helped Texas win a share of the Southwest Conference Championship and go to the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic where they faced off against #1 Syracuse and Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. Branch was the game's leading rusher in the losing effort. He came in 10th in All-SWC voting for backs.

He graduated with a degree in personal management.

Professional career Saskatchewan Roughriders He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the 1960 AFL draft but a month later he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL where the salaries were competitive at the time and where his older brother, Phil, had played. Before starting play there he went on a six-month tour of duty with the National Guard.

He was late for camp his first year because of his Army service but he was able to become a starter and have the best year of his career. He played in every game but one that he missed with an injury, rushed for 514 yards, including a career long 28 yard rush, on 107 attempts for a 4.8 yards per rush average and 4 touchdowns. He also had 18 receptions on 19 targets, including a career long 35 yard catch, for 192 yards and a touchdown. He had his only career kickoff return and played linebacker. At the end of the season, he was the team's nominee for the Most Outstanding Player award, on a team that came in last place.

He was re-signed by the Rough Riders in June of 1961. He injured his knee in the 2nd exhibition game and missed seven games. When he did return he played almost exclusively at the linebacker position. He missed the last two games with another injury. With so many missed games his numbers were down as he rushed for just 149 yards on 26 carries with one touchdown, 2 receptions for 39 yards a punt return and a fumble and the Riders finished out of the postseason again with a 5-10-1 record. He did not play in the first three games of the season and when he did, he played mostly linebacker, but came off the bench to replace fellow Texan Ferd Burket as running back against Ottawa in October. That game led to an injury and he missed the last three regular season games and the two playoff games as a result (During which they went 1-4). In games he played, they went 6-2-1 and he helped them make it to the Western Conference semi-finals.

In 1963, he returned to the Roughriders but only after holding out for more money. In the preseason he was the team's primary rusher but by the first game he was back to playing defense He was benched, and even put on waivers (and claimed but the Eskimos) but recalled before the 72 hour waiver period expired, but returned on August 23, when he played fullback for the only time that season in place of injured George Reed. He rushed for 75 yards on 24 carries in that game, then saw playing time in one more game before he was waived on September 14th.

Edmonton Eskimos

After being cut by the Roughriders, Branch was again claimed by the Edmonton Eskimos and this time signed after the 72 hour waiting period. He played 4 games for the Roughies and then 4 with the Edmonton Eskimos. He suffered a leg injury in his second game with the Eskimos and missed the next 5 games before returning to play against Roughriders.

He played only a single game with them in 1964 and 1965, with no rushing attempt during either year.

Later life In 1962 he joined his brothers and other players in founding the Southwest Challenge Bowl - an All-Star game played in Corpus Christi pitting Texas/SWC players against a college players from the rest of the country - that was played in 1963 and 1964. He later served on the player selection committee for the bowl game.

Branch continued taking classes at Texas in between trips to Canada and graduated in June or 1963. In December of 1963 he married Emily Neece, a UT classmate.

After football, Branch pursued a lifelong career in the concrete pipe manufacturing business in Houston.