1957 record 5–4–1 (3–0 MVC) Offensive scheme Split-T | Head coach Hal Lahar (1st year) Home stadium Rice Stadium (70,000) | |
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Conference Missouri Valley Conference | ||
The 1957 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the 1957 college football season as a member of the NCAA's University Division. It was the 12th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by first-year head coach Hal Lahar. The team played its games off-campus at Rice Stadium, which had been built in 1950. Houston won its third conference championship, as the Cougars earned a perfect 3–0 record in conference play. It was the first time a conference championship was achieved by a first-year coach for Houston. Despite losing several key starting players and switching head coaches, Houston was considered a favorite for the conference championship prior to the season's start. Following the season, three of Houston's players from the 1957 roster were drafted in the 1958 NFL Draft. Three more 1957 players were also taken in the 1959 NFL Draft.
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Pre-season
The pre-season marked a head coaching change for the Cougars, as head coach Hal Lahar was successfully lured from Colgate on January 18, 1957.
NFL Draft
There were three players from the 1957 season to be drafted to the National Football League in the 1958 NFL Draft. It was the eighth time in team history that Houston players were taken in the draft. Tackle Hogan Wharton was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in the eleventh round (131st overall), but remained on the team through the duration of the 1958 season. Similarly, Don McDonald was taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in the twenty-ninth round (340th overall), but did not leave Houston until after the 1959 season. Tackle John Peters was taken by the Green Bay Packers in the thirtieth round (350th overall). While Donnie Caraway, another Houston player was drafted in 1958, he did not play with the Cougars for the 1957 season.
During the 1959 NFL Draft several more Houston players from the 1957 season were drafted. Don Brown was taken in the second round (20th overall) by the Los Angeles Rams, Hal Lewis was taken in the seventh round (84th overall) by the Baltimore Colts, and Bob Borah was taken in the twenty-fifth round (296th overall) by the Chicago Bears.
Honors
Tackle Hogan Wharton was named Lineman of the Year by the Missouri Valley Conference. He was also named to the 1957 All-Missouri Valley Conference Team along with guard Burr Davis, and fullback Harold Lewis. Halfback Don Brown was selected to participate in the 1958 Senior Bowl.