--- description: Remembering late football great Frank Gifford with a look at the highlight of his college career at the University of Southern California. title: See Photos of the Highlight of Frank Gifford's College Career image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1dbfcfbf74e6f18/69885e90196cf4a3b20377ac/150810-frank-gifford-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See Photos of the Highlight of Frank Gifford's College Career  by [Eliza Berman](/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Aug 10, 2015 6:31 PM CUT  A photographic explanation of Frank Gifford's 69-yard touchdown, from the Oct. 29, 1951, issue of LIFE Magazine. A photographic explanation of Frank Gifford's 69-yard touchdown, from the Oct. 29, 1951, issue of LIFE Magazine.Ed Clark—LIFE Magazine  by [Eliza Berman](/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Aug 10, 2015 6:31 PM CUT Before Frank Gifford was an NFL MVP, a sportscaster or an actor, he was a college football player. And in perhaps the most memorable game of the season that made him an All-American, the University of Southern California halfback scored a 69-yard touchdown against the top ranked team in the country, the University of California, Berkeley. For Gifford, who [died Sunday](http://time.com/3990031/frank-gifford-dies-84-nfl/ "undefined") at 84, the first half of that game in late October, 1951, was quiet. Berkeley, according to LIFE Magazine, “planned to flatten its foe by sheer weight of manpower,” and with a score of 14-0 at halftime, the team’s plans were unfolding smoothly. Thankfully for underdog USC, the first time the team got the ball in the second half, it went to Gifford, who dodged many an [Oski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oski "undefined") to score USC’s first touchdown of the game. Gifford’s feat might have been a noteworthy footnote on an expected regular-season loss. But for both USC—which went on to upset Berkeley 21-14—and for Gifford himself, that touchdown was only the beginning. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_[ _@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk "undefined")_._  A photographic explanation of Frank Gifford's 69-yard touchdown, from the Oct. 29, 1951, issue of LIFE Magazine. Ed Clark—LIFE Magazine  Caption from LIFE. Halfback Gifford (16) begins spectacular touchdown from single wing formation the first time U.S.C. gets the ball in the second half. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Willhoite (falling towards camera) throws key block on Richter as Gifford, balancing ball on shoulder, squirms through narrow opening. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. In the clear, Gifford picks up momentum for the long sprint ahead as teammates like Quarterback Dean Schneider (right) set up new blocks. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Second member of Cal’s secondary to get a whack at Gifford is Hal Norris (38) who begins bearing down on him from the left sideline. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Gifford manages to shake off Norris and cuts right as Stillwell (84) and Schneider (19) move to meet challenge by California’s Willsey (25). Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. U.S.C.’s Stillwell throws himself in the path of Willsey while Gifford swings out toward teammate Carmichael (21) and continues his run. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. With two blockers escorting him all the way to the goal, Gifford outdistances last California pursuers and scores first U.S.C. touchdown. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3990924/frank-gifford-college-career/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3990924/frank-gifford-college-career/"},"headline":"See Photos of the Highlight of Frank Gifford's College Career","datePublished":"2015-08-10T18:31:45.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:02:06.289Z","description":"Remembering the late football great with a look at one of the most memorable moments of his college career","url":"https://time.com/3990924/frank-gifford-college-career/","keywords":["Sports topic","photography","LIFE Magazine","Ed Clark","1951"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1dbfcfbf74e6f18/69885e90196cf4a3b20377ac/150810-frank-gifford-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliza Berman","jobTitle":"Berman is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1dbfcfbf74e6f18/69885e90196cf4a3b20377ac/150810-frank-gifford-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"From the October 29, 1951 issue of LIFE magazine.","caption":"From the October 29, 1951 issue of LIFE magazine.","creditText":"Ed Clark—LIFE Magazine","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3990924/frank-gifford-college-career/","name":"See Photos of the Highlight of Frank Gifford's College Career"}}]}] ```