Xavier University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1994
- Class:
- 1951
The people that saw Jim Murphy play offensive tackle for the Musketeers say not only was he a devastating force on the line, but that the 6-foot-3, 240-pound lineman was quicker than most of the halfbacks on the team at the time.
Murphy was a product of Elder High School, where he was named to many all-star teams and was regarded as one of the better linemen in the state. The mammoth lineman opened hole after hole for a record-setting XU Hall of Famer, running back Bob Finnell. In fact, Finnell enjoyed having Murphy plow away the opposition for two of his finest years at Xavier.
Another record setter who owes some thanks to Murphy is Hugh O'Brien, who sprung for the longest run from scrimmage in XU history, an 87-yard touchdown burst in a 1950 game against St. Bonaventure.
During his junior year, Murphy helped lead Xavier to a 33-12 victory over Arizona State in the Salad Bowl, the forerunner of today's Fiesta Bowl. XU finished 10-1 that season. Then, the next season he continued to blast away on the line as Xavier finished the 1950 season with an 8-1 record. XU enjoyed a ten-game win streak that stretched between his junior and senior years.
Murphy and the rest of the XU line helped set school records of 4.3 yards per carry and 132 rushing first downs in the 1950 season. They plowed the way for a XU record 372 yards rushing in a 35-21 win over Louisiana Tech. The total offense record of 3,484 yards set in 1949 still stands.
The only thing that ever slowed him down was when he went down for most of one season with a broken leg. But he'll always be remembered as one of the quickest and strongest offensive linemen in Xavier history.
