O. K. Pressley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lowrys, South Carolina, U.S.
Chester, South Carolina, U.S.
.jpg) | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 24, 1907 Lowrys, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | September 22, 1984 (aged 77) Chester, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1926–1928 | Clemson |
| Position(s) | Center |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1934 | Quantico Marines |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
Orin Kirkpatrick Pressley[1] (June 24, 1907 – September 22, 1984) was an American college football player and coach and a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps.[2]
Pressley was born on June 24, 1907, to Thomas Jefferson Pressley and Cornelia Kirkpatrick, in Lowrys, a small town in Chester County, South Carolina.
Clemson College
Pressley was a prominent center for the Clemson Tigers of Clemson College from 1926 to 1928. He majored in animal husbandry. Pressley was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978.[3] Pressley was the school's first All-American,[4][5][6][7] when he received third-team honors from Walter Trumbull, John Heisman, and the Newspaper Enterprise Association.[8][9] He made first-team All-Southern.[10] Pressley once commented on the uniforms in the 1920s: "We wore patches on patches but they were good times. We often tossed those leather skullcap-type helmets to the sidelines sand played without. One player shunned any pads or protective equipment because it slowed him down."[11] Clemson wore orange jerseys for the first time in 1928, and Pressley starred in the rivalry game with South Carolina, recording four tackles for a loss in a row despite a hand injury.[12] “A better center than Captain O.K. Pressley of Clemson is hard to find,” remarked former South Carolina head coach Billy Laval.[13]
