Sam McCord

Samuel Ray McCord (February 23, 1933 – October 14, 2018), nicknamed Stumblin’ Sam, was an American football quarterback. He played college football at East Texas State College, where he was a two-time Associated Press first-team Little All-America selection.

Early life Samuel Ray McCord was born on February 23, 1933, in Amherst, Texas. Due to his family moving twice in high school, he was only able to play one year of high school football: his junior year. McCord made the team as the starting quarterback and earned a scholarship. He had an overall record of 28–3 while at East Texas State. After his college career, McCord was invited to the 1960 Optimist Bowl for college all-stars.

Professional career In late 1959, McCord was selected by the Minneapolis team of the American Football League (AFL) in the league's inaugural draft. Minneapolis later withdrew from the AFL and their draft picks were given to the Oakland Raiders. As a 27-year-old rookie, McCord was one of eight players who competed for the Raiders' quarterback job in 1960. He was released by Oakland on July 13, 1960.

Post-playing career McCord later coached high school football in Texas and was an assistant coach at East Texas State. He also served as East Texas State's Chief of Traffic Safety and Security. He was the primary organizer for the school's athletic hall of fame, which inducted its first class in 1978. McCord himself was inducted as part of the class of 1981. He retired in 1992 as East Texas State's Alumni Director. He was inducted into the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor in 2006.

McCord died on October 14, 2018, at his home in Campbell, Texas.