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Two Blue Devils on East-West Shrine Bowl All-Century Team
12/17/2024 11:38:00 AM | Football
ATLANTA – Duke All-America honorees and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Clarence "Ace" Parker and George McAfee were named to the East-West Shrine Bowl All-Century Team, according to an announcement Tuesday by the Shrine Bowl.
A two-time All-America pick on the gridiron at Duke, Parker guided the Blue Devils to a three-year overall 24-5 (.828) ledger from 1934-36. Playing under Hall of Fame head coach Wallace Wade, Parker's playing tenure included two Southern Conference championships (1935 & 1936) and a final national ranking of No. 11 in 1936. He twice received All-Southern Conference accolades and, as a senior in 1936, served as team captain and was named Duke's Most Valuable Player following a 9-1 (.900) campaign with the lone loss coming to Tennessee by a 15-13 score in Knoxville.
Parker played halfback for Wade, accounting for 1,856 career yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He also established the school record for longest punt return with a 105-yard effort against North Carolina in 1936. Also a standout punter, Parker continues to hold the school's single-game record for punting yardage with 804 yards on 17 punts versus Georgia Tech in 1936.
Parker was a second team All-America pick as a junior in 1935 before earning consensus first team All-America honors following his senior campaign.
A second round draft pick – and the 13th overall selection – of the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937, Parker led the NFL in passing in 1938, earned league MVP honors in 1940 and was a four-time All-NFL choice.
Parker is a member of six Halls of Fame, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame (1955), North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (1963), Pro Football Hall of Fame (1972), Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, Duke Athletics Hall of Fame (1975) and Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame (2008). He was in the inaugural classes for both the Duke Athletics and Hampton Roads Sports Halls of Fame.
A native of Ironton, Ohio, McAfee lettered on the gridiron at Duke from 1937-39, helping the Blue Devils to a three-year ledger of 24-4-1 with two Southern Conference championships (1938 & 1939) and an appearance in the Rose Bowl following the 1938 campaign. As a senior in 1939, he led Duke in rushing, receiving, scoring, kickoff returns, punt returns, interceptions and punting en route to earning first team All-America honors as the Blue Devils went 8-1.
The second pick overall in the 1940 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, McAfee played eight seasons (1940-41; 1945-50) with the Chicago Bears and recorded career totals of 234 points, 5,022 combined yards and 21 interceptions. In his first regular season contest, McAfee returned a kickoff 93 yards and threw a touchdown pass as the Bears defeated Green Bay, 41-10. An All-NFL selection in 1941, he led the league in punt return average in 1948 and set the all-time record for career punt return average (12.78). McAfee guided the Bears to NFL championships in 1940 and 1946 and had his jersey number 5 retired by the organization.
McAfee was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1961 and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
Following his playing career, McAfee officiated in the NFL for several years and operated an oil business in Durham. He was a member of the inaugural Duke Sports Hall of Fame class in 1975.
A two-time All-America pick on the gridiron at Duke, Parker guided the Blue Devils to a three-year overall 24-5 (.828) ledger from 1934-36. Playing under Hall of Fame head coach Wallace Wade, Parker's playing tenure included two Southern Conference championships (1935 & 1936) and a final national ranking of No. 11 in 1936. He twice received All-Southern Conference accolades and, as a senior in 1936, served as team captain and was named Duke's Most Valuable Player following a 9-1 (.900) campaign with the lone loss coming to Tennessee by a 15-13 score in Knoxville.
Parker played halfback for Wade, accounting for 1,856 career yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He also established the school record for longest punt return with a 105-yard effort against North Carolina in 1936. Also a standout punter, Parker continues to hold the school's single-game record for punting yardage with 804 yards on 17 punts versus Georgia Tech in 1936.
Parker was a second team All-America pick as a junior in 1935 before earning consensus first team All-America honors following his senior campaign.
A second round draft pick – and the 13th overall selection – of the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937, Parker led the NFL in passing in 1938, earned league MVP honors in 1940 and was a four-time All-NFL choice.
Parker is a member of six Halls of Fame, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame (1955), North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (1963), Pro Football Hall of Fame (1972), Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, Duke Athletics Hall of Fame (1975) and Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame (2008). He was in the inaugural classes for both the Duke Athletics and Hampton Roads Sports Halls of Fame.
A native of Ironton, Ohio, McAfee lettered on the gridiron at Duke from 1937-39, helping the Blue Devils to a three-year ledger of 24-4-1 with two Southern Conference championships (1938 & 1939) and an appearance in the Rose Bowl following the 1938 campaign. As a senior in 1939, he led Duke in rushing, receiving, scoring, kickoff returns, punt returns, interceptions and punting en route to earning first team All-America honors as the Blue Devils went 8-1.
The second pick overall in the 1940 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, McAfee played eight seasons (1940-41; 1945-50) with the Chicago Bears and recorded career totals of 234 points, 5,022 combined yards and 21 interceptions. In his first regular season contest, McAfee returned a kickoff 93 yards and threw a touchdown pass as the Bears defeated Green Bay, 41-10. An All-NFL selection in 1941, he led the league in punt return average in 1948 and set the all-time record for career punt return average (12.78). McAfee guided the Bears to NFL championships in 1940 and 1946 and had his jersey number 5 retired by the organization.
McAfee was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1961 and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
Following his playing career, McAfee officiated in the NFL for several years and operated an oil business in Durham. He was a member of the inaugural Duke Sports Hall of Fame class in 1975.
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