Tulane Football
Rick Kingrea, Baton Rouge-born lad who earned All-America honors as a linebacker for Tulane’s Liberty Bowl championship team the past season, was the recipient of the fourth annual James J. Corbett Memorial Award.
James J. Corbett Awards
Chosen as the winner of the 1970 award by a committee of sports writers and sportscasters, Kingrea was honored with the presentation of a handsome plaque in ceremonies held at a buffet dinner on Sunday, May 30th, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
The New Orleans Mid-Winter Sports Association is the sponsoring organization for this award, which is in memory of the late Jim Corbett, who served as athletic director of Louisiana State University at the time of his death in 1967 and was the National Collegiate Athletic Association representative on the Sugar Bowl board.
The 6-1, 235-pound Kingrea, who prepped at Baton Rouge High School, was one of the Green Wave’s tri-captains for the 1970 season and was named on the Associated Press All-America second team. He was picked by the Cleveland Browns in the 14th round of the professional football draft.
His play was outstanding in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis where Tulane defeated Colorado, 17-3, in a mild upset and he was named the best lineman in the game.
All through the 1970 collegiate football season, Kingrea was a defensive standout backing up the Green Wave forward wall and received rave notices several weeks by wire services and the news media covering Tulane football games.
Kingrea is the first non-LSU athlete to win the award since it was inaugurated four years ago. Tiger quarterback Nelson Stokley was the first winner in 1967, and LSU All-America cager Pete Maravich won it two years in a row, in 1968 and 1969.
Sports director Lloyd “Hap” Glaudi of WWL-TV was chairman of the selection committee this past year.
[Reprinted from the 1971 Sugar Bowl History Book]
