R.I.P. Jim Higgins

[nickgyp]

Former Xavier offensive lineman, Jim Higgins, passed away. I was only ten when he played at X in 1964 but I do remember his name and knowing that he was a good player but like many linemen, he did not get the press and labored in obscurity. I recall that he had a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins after being drafted in the NFL (so someone noticed).
He also had a nice coaching career in high schools in Cincin-nati.

Rest in peace.

[XUBBall]

I was a student when Jim Higgins was at Xavier. As I recall, he was a very good football player and looked huge to me when I saw him on campus. I think he was involved in kind of a strange happening in a game at Miami. Several players were injured or sick and in street clothes for the first half. For the second half, they suited up and played. Xavier was behind by a bunch at the half but ended up winning. I think the winning TD was scored with little time left on a spectacular play of some sort by Walt Mainer. The last I heard of Jim Higgins was when he went with Gerry Faust from Moeller to ND.

[Pierre Dracot]

That's a great story about the Miami game. I vaguely remember that. Was it gamesmanship on the part of Biles, or were the players suspended for the first half.

I knew Jim as early as 1960, when he helped his brother Pat coach the (undefeated and unscored on) Sts. Peter & Paul grade school team then when he played at Purcell. By the way, does anyone know the whereabouts of his brother Pat?

[xnatic03]

Mr. Higgins was my sophomore Religion teacher at Moeller High School. I fondly remember those classes and always got along with him. He wrote a nice reference for me to get into a summer creative writing course as well. His son Shawn was in my class at Moeller as well, and we were on the track team together. I was deeply saddened to hear of his death, and to make matters worse, his wife had passed away already a few years back. Please pray for the Higgins family Jim, Shawn, and Pat while they deal with this loss.

[XUBBall]

Pierre,

I think the move was gamesmanship on Biles' part. I don't remember anything about any sort of disciplinary actions.

[MuskieCinci]

I played at McNicholas when Higgins followed Klonne over there after Moeller. He couldn't be there very often because of health and other reasons, but he was one of the most passionate fiery men I have ever met. All you had to do was hang around him for 5 minutes as he watched a drill and by the end of those 5 minutes he would have told every single offensive linemen what they did wrong and make up the most insane description of what they did wrong. When Higgins was on the field he was the scariest SOB out there and everyone learned to love him for it. He made everyone so much mentally and physically tougher then they would have been with just a regular coach.

Some of the funniest quotes from Coach Higgins I have ever heard on a football field:

"Thats not bad protection guys. Now as long as we dont have Lee's northern army of virginia coming at us we should be fine"

(When talking to Coach Klonne about a play)
Higgins-"Steve you want to release him outside to the backer. You cant do that...you have to release inside.
Klonne- "Jim there is no way you would get to him"
Higgins- "Watch me...lets run the play"
(Higgins loses his balance and falls during the play)
Higgins- "See how easy that was coach"

Higgins- "Son, when are you going to hit somebody...you look like a damn dog lifting your leg and pissing on a poll"

(When Coach Klonne put someone new in at running back)
Higgins-" Steve who is that running back? He looks like Stevie Wonder going through that hole. Has he ever played running back before?"
Coach Klonne- Were just trying him out Jim we're not sure if he can play yet or not"

“What are you tip toeing through the hole for…you look like your looking for snipers”

Those are unfortunately the only Higgins quotes I can use on the MM board. Everything else he said can not be listed on a family friendly board like this, but are some of the funniest things to look back at and think about now. Nobody wanted to mess up in front of Higgins, because as soon as you did you knew he was going to tear you apart and everyone else would laugh at what Coach was saying to you but if you ever started to laugh you were running for the rest of practice.

[MuskiePimp23]

Mr. Higgins was my sophomore Religion teacher at Moeller High School. I fondly remember those classes and always got along with him. He wrote a nice reference for me to get into a summer creative writing course as well. His son Shawn was in my class at Moeller as well, and we were on the track team together. I was deeply saddened to hear of his death, and to make matters worse, his wife had passed away already a few years back. Please pray for the Higgins family Jim, Shawn, and Pat while they deal with this loss.

What year were you at Moeller Xnatic03? Higgins was also my Sophomore Religion teacher at Moeller, but I was the class of 96' with Higgins' son Jim. I also ran track with his son Jim.

[chico]

I remember as a frosh at Moeller in the 80's hearing the stories of this intense, crazy man who coached O Line - Higgins. He was the most intimidating man I had ever seen, but you knew the by way guys respected him that he was always there for his players. He left with Faust for ND and I unfortunately never got to have him as a coach, though I remember seeing his intensity during practice when we'd peek over at the varsity.

[Wisexuowl]

I had been in Cincy visiting, and leaving town I picked up the Enquirer. Several hours later enroute to Mansfield, I get to the sports page and the story of Jimmy's passing. It hit me in the gut real hard. I know you are not supposed to have favs in the job I had at X, but none the less I did, and Jim was right up there ate the top.
Solid player, team player, excellent student, campus leader, class, respectful to one and all.
A coaches player, and later, players coach.
Another example of what Xavier is all about!
RIP Jimmy, we will miss you ... for awhile, and then we can swap lies again.

On the "famous" Miami game. There was nothing about any suspensions as to what most of our starters missed the first half. A nasty virus swept through the locker room that week, and scuttled half the practices, and limited the others. Dr. Jerry Janson told Eddie that at best, he could get a half of play, if that. So Eddie elected to save them for the second half and hoped that on that hot day, Miami would be worn down by halftime. It worked. If I remember, (and this is a senior memory test) it was 1965, and we won 29-28 in the last minute when Carroll Williams hit Danny Abramowicz for a TD, and then Walt Mainer for the two point conversion.
For year and years afterwards, when asked what was the most exciting football game he had ever been involved in, Bo Schemblecher would tell national media folks .... a game I lost 29-18 to Xavier University.
We (Xavier) went 8-2 that year, got screwed on a FG that was wide left vs Chattanooga, and lost a wild one to then Texas Western (UTEP).
Another side story. At 8-1 we were trying to find a bowl game (there weren't the number of bowls around in those days, and we had two shots. The Sun Bowl, but losing to Texas Western we were out there, and the Tangerine Bowl (then a Bowl game hosted annually by Florida A&M (a Black College whose coach was the famous Jake Gaiter ... the guy who said I like my players to be "agile, mobile, and hostile"). Jake told Big Jim ... "Jim, I'd love to have you play down here. All you got to do is get the Florida Legislature to change the law and allow while players to play on the same field as black players."

[nickgyp]

OwL:

I have vague recollections of the the Miami game but your recollection coincides with other recounted meories of that game that I have read. I also do recall hearing Schembechler's comments about that being the greatest game he had been involved in.

Williams, Abramowicz and Mainer. Those guys could really play.