Flippin Deserves a Mention

I am aghast at the lack of any mention of my four-year roommate, Royce N. Flippin ’56, in “150 Years of Football."  Especially as the cover pictures four teammates from his class – faceless center, Jack Thompson, Sid Pinch at the far right, and Jack Kraus next to Sid.

Flip, a Montclair, N.J., athlete of the year in 1952, was recruited by Yale and Penn State among other universities for his academic and athletic prowess.  However, Princeton was always his ultimate goal.  

As a freshman footballer, he wore number 42, the last time any Tiger gridder would carry that number. (The following years he wore #49.) That autumn, the year 1952, he led the team to an undefeated season, marred only by a 7-7 tie with Penn in which Flip scored on a 70-yard kick return.  He would score 18 touchdowns that season.  

The following year, NCAA rules forbade unlimited substitution, so he played tailback and safety each entire game.  In 1953 Flip ranked 11th in the nation in total offense and 16th in rushing yards.  Junior year, even after missing three games with a broken wrist, he still made All-Ivy honors on the Associated Press list.  His hopes for senior year were dashed in a pre-season game against Syracuse when his knee was severely injured.  As captain and always a Yale killer, Flip returned in the next to last game to squash the Bulldogs’ aspirations for a championship season by scoring the first of two TDs in the 13-0 upset. 

After the season, Flip was awarded the Poe Cup (now Poe-Kazmaier) for great moral character in addition to talent on the field.  In later life he became Princeton’s athletic director for a number of years.

Seems to me his achievements and contributions warranted at least a mention in the article.