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| Abe "Miracle" Mickal | |
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Position: Halfback |
| Member Biography | |
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They called him "Miracle" Abe Mickal, for it seemed the
Louisiana State back was capable of pulling off the impossible,
particularly when it came to passing the football. He was
deadly accurate and had developed a long-bomb mastery
which defied the difficulty it normally took to throw the football
in those days. The ball was rounder than today's pigskin and
much more difficult to grasp, much less throw with pin-point
precision. Yet, Mickal displayed a unique touch, and in 1933
managed touchdown heaves of 48 and 57 yards. His 27-yard
TD aerial that year provided a 7-7 tie with rival Vanderbilt.
As a junior in 1934, Mickal and fellow Hall of Famer Gaynell
Tinsley combined for one of Southern football's greatest aerial
duos, each capturing All-America mention. When the two
connected on a last-ditch 65-yard TD pass to tie Southern
Methodist, 14-14, they set a record for the longest scoring
pass ever in the South. The record stood for several years.
The Fighting Tigers finished 7-2-2 for that 1934 campaign. All
told, in 32 games at LSU, Mickal played an important role
leading the Tigers to a 23-4-5 record.
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