We are 70 days away from college football kickoff. We have 10 more Saturdays to go. Today we have Bob Gain a Kentucky Wildcat and Bob Whitfield a Stanford Cardinal. Enjoy learning more about these impressive players. Be sure to check back tomorrow for #69 in our countdown to kickoff. Enjoy!
Bob Gains Days Away From College Football Kickoff
Two Way Starter
Bob Gain stood out as a two-way starter at tackle and also handled placekicking duties for the Wildcats. He helped the team achieve a 33-10-2 record over four years and led them to their first three bowl games. Gain played under Hall of Fame Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1947 to 1950.
In 1947, Kentucky finished with an 8-3 record and made its first postseason appearance by beating Villanova in the Great Lakes Bowl. The team went 9-3 in 1949 and played in the Orange Bowl. In 1950, the Wildcats went 11-1 and won the Southeastern Conference championship. Gain ended his college career with a 13-7 win over Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl, snapping the Sooners’ 31-game winning streak. As a placekicker, he made 38 extra points in his career, including a perfect 10-for-10 in a win over North Dakota in 1950, which is still the school record for most extra points in a game.
In 1950, Gain became the first player in Southeastern Conference history to win the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s best interior lineman. He was named First Team All-America as both a junior and senior. Gain was also selected for the All-Southeastern Conference team for three years: First Team as a junior and senior, and Second Team as a sophomore.
Gain was a first-round pick by the Green Bay Packers, chosen fifth overall, but played for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian League in 1951. He joined the Cleveland Browns in the NFL in 1952. In 1953, he served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in Korea. Gain then played for the Browns from 1954 to 1964. He was named First-Team All-Pro once, Second-Team All-Pro seven times, and played in the Pro Bowl five times.
Another Great # 70, Bob Whitfield, Stanford
Bob Whitfield made a big impact at Stanford University and is considered one of the school’s best offensive tackles. He was named First Team All-America in both 1990 and 1991 and also earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors. In 1989, as a freshman, Whitfield played every down and went on to start 34 games during his three years at Stanford.
Whitfield was picked in the first round of the 1992 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played in the NFL for 15 years, spending most of his career with Atlanta from 1992 to 2003, Jacksonville in 2004, and then the New York Giants in 2005 and 2006.
In 2026, Bob Whitfield became the offensive line coach for the Howard University football team. Besides coaching, Whitfield started PatchWerk Recordings in Atlanta, a well-known studio that has worked on hundreds of gold and platinum records. His journey from pro athlete to entrepreneur and college coach shows his strong dedication to excellence, mentoring others, and supporting his community.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
Main Photo: University of Kentucky Athletics
