O. K. Pressley

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]

O. K. Pressley
Biographical details
Born(1907-06-24)June 24, 1907
Lowrys, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedSeptember 22, 1984(1984-09-22) (aged 77)
Chester, South Carolina, U.S.
Playing career
1926–1928Clemson
Position(s)Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1934Quantico Marines
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
  • Third-team All-American (1928)
  • All-Southern (1928)
  • Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame

Early years

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]

Marine Corps

On October 1, 1930, The Tiger published the following account: "Phila. PA. - September 30 - Lt. O.K. Pressley, former Clemson College gridder, is one of the All-Marine team located here, which is scheduled to play a number of college teams this year. The team is composed of selected players from the entire Marine Corps, and is considered one of the best service elevens in the country. This is Pressley's first year in the Marines."

Teacher

After his military retirement, he taught school in North Carolina and at Chester Junior High School.[14]

References
  1. "Clemson University Press | Clemson University, South Carolina" (PDF). Clemson.edu. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  2. "Mason Brunson Was on Same Team With Monk Shand". Florence Morning News. January 10, 1945. p. 6. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. "Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame". ClemsonTigers.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  4. Sam Blackman. "Clemson Football Game Program Feature: The 1928 Team". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015.
  5. Joseph Durst. "All-Time Clemson Team: Special Teams and Honorable Mention". Bleacher Report.
  6. Press Release. "Oldest Living Former Clemson Football Letterman Passes at Age 98".
  7. Sam Blackman. "One-Man Defensive Stand". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  8. Kyle King. Fighting Like Cats and Dogs (PDF). p. 148.
  9. Lou Sahadi (October 2014). 100 Things Clemson Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. p. 125. ISBN 9781623689490.
  10. "Vaughn Chosen On All-Southern Team By Florida U. Scout" (PDF). The Technician. December 1, 1928.
  11. Sam Blackman (July 2001). Clemson: Where the Tigers Play. p. 25. ISBN 9781582613697.
  12. Haney, Travis; Williams, Larry (2011). Classic Clashes of the Carolina-Clemson Football Rivalry: A State of Disunion. p. 32. ISBN 9781609494223.
  13. "One-Man Defensive Stand". ClemsonTigers.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  14. "Obituary". The State. September 24, 1984.
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