M Club Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1977
Lt. Robert Cain joined the football team in the Fall of 1947 and played for three seasons as an offensive and defensive guard under former head coach Ralph Hatley. Better known to his teammates as “Killer” Cain, Robert was a starter for all three years and helped re-establish Memphis football after World War II. The 1947 team posted a record of 6-2-1 and out scored opponents 238 to 60. In 1948, the Tigers managed a 6-5-0 mark which included a win over the Johnny Unitas led Louisville Cardinals, 13-7. Memphis vaulted into the big-time in 1949. The squad went 9-1-0 on the season and defeated Kansas State 21-14, marking the school’s first victory over a major college team. The team would finish the season as the nation’s number two scoring team. The native Memphian received the Best Attitude Award for the 1950 season. Cain received his degree in education from Memphis in the spring of 1951.
