It was another perfect autumn afternoon at the Yale Bowl on Oct. 24, 1931. A crowd of 75,000 packed the stadium to see Yale and Army, two college football heavyweights of the day. The mood was positively electric as the teams traded touchdowns on the first two plays of the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs elevating the spirit of the home crowd on an 88-yard kickoff return by Bud Parker to knot the score at 6-6.

Within minutes, however, the bowl went silent as Army’s Richard Sheridan lay motionless on the turf.

Sheridan, a junior end who weighed 149 pounds, attempted to tackle Yale’s Bob Lassiter following a punt. Sheridan’s head struck Lassiter’s knee. The Army cadet suffered a broken neck.

Rushed to New Haven Hospital in critical condition he underwent emergency surgery, but doctors held out little hope. Sheridan died there two days later, the first and only on-field fatality in Yale Bowl history.

Read Chip Malafronte's complete story.

Associated Press photo

In a span of 10 years, Billy Burke rose from a full-time job as a mold caster at a Naugatuck iron foundry to the 1931 U.S. Open champion. It remains as remarkable a tale today as it was 81 years ago.

Burke — born Burkowski — was the son of a Polish immigrant blue-collar worker. He fell in love with golf when, as a frail 12-year-old, he caddied for the first time at Naugatuck Golf Club.

Read Chip Malafronte's full story

The write up and scores from 1931

GolfWeek's look back to 1931

Here's a video from YouTube that could include Billy Burke in 1931 at the U.S. Open.