Originally
scheduled for Saturday, November 23, the 66th Big Game of 1963 was postponed for
a week due to the tragic assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy the day before the
game. It was postponed for a week and 82,000 were still in a state of mourning,
along with the rest of the country, when the game was played on November 30th.
Each of the school’s bands would pay tribute to the fallen President and the Arthur P. Barnes rendition of the “Star Spangled
Banner”, with a lone horn player opening and the rest of the LSJUMB joining in,
would become a moving tradition for decades to come.
Thanks
to the running of converted QB Steve
Thurlow (21 rushes for 126 yards) and three long field goals from Braden Beck, two-point favorite
Stanford eventually would win the 1963 Big Game by the score of 28-17, giving
first-year Stanford head coach and former Cal linebacker John Ralston a big “W” in his first
clash with his own alma mater. After 66 games, the series was tied
28-28-10!
Honored
in a pregame ceremony before the ‘63 Big Game was a gentleman by the name of
"Big Jim". He was born "Ralph" but most Stanford people know him only as "Big Jim" Reynolds.
Reynolds
was undoubtedly one of Stanford's most enthusiastic and active alumni for more
than fifty years. During that half century, he helped hundreds of students, men
and women, athletes and non-athletes.
Particularly
during the 30s, 40s, and 50s, many of the Indians' outstanding athletes in all
sports first became interested in the Farm through "Big Jim." Eternal gratitude
was bestowed up Reynolds by the Stanford Alumni Association, Stanford Buck Club,
Stanford Block "S" Society, and the Stanford Athletic Board is expressed in the
special presentation to "Big Jim" Reynolds.
Presenting
the award that day was a Stanford luminary in his own right, Mr. Joseph J. Burris, who had been
President of the Stanford Club of Los Angeles, the Law Society of Southern
California, and the Stanford Alumni Association; Chairman of the Stanford Buck
Club and the Stanford Athletic Board.
By
all accounts, “Big Jim” Reynolds was a “larger-than-life” personality, who
operated in a decidedly different era in which NCAA compliance was less of a
concern because the rules with regard to alumni contact were much less
defined.
Winners
of the “Jim Reynolds Award”, still
given annually to Stanford Football’s “Most Inspirational Senior Football
Player” include programs greats like Gary Kerkorian, Bobby Garrett, Ed
Cummings, Steve Thurlow, Ray Handley, and Marty Brill. The most recent “Jim
Reynolds Award” winner was oft-injured, yet ever-courageous wide receiver and
kick returner Chris Owusu in
2011.