Dec. 21, 2012

 Blue Jay Jersey Countdown - #49 

As we countdown to ’13, a season Blue Jay faithful hope will end with a 10 on the 27th, HopkinsSports.com offers its own countdown … by jersey number … to the season-opener against Siena on February 8.

Today - #49

Did You Know: Michael Murray wore number 49 for the Blue Jay lacrosse team in 2007, when JHU won the national championship. Murray also played football at Johns Hopkins and was a member of the 2009 JHU team that advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals. He is the only athlete in school history to win a national championship in lacrosse and play in an NCAA playoff game in football.

Player Spotlight – Emil “Buzzy” Budnitz
One of the greatest attackmen to play at Johns Hopkins, Buzzy Budnitz starred for the Blue Jays from 1951-53, earning Honorable Mention All-America honors in 1951 and first team honors in 1952 and 1953. Freshman eligibility for varsity athletics did not exist during his career, or it’s likely that he would have played a key role on the 1950 USILA National Championship Team.

Budnitz earned the Turnbull Award as the nation’s top attackman as a senior in 1953, was named to the William C. Schmeisser All-Time Johns Hopkins team upon the conclusion of his career and was inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1977.

What some may not know is that Budnitz was also a highly accomplished member of the Johns Hopkins men’s soccer team. He earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in soccer as a senior, when he guided the Blue Jays to a 7-3 record. The seven wins were a school record at the time.

Famous “49s” in Other Sports
Ron Guidry – New York Yankees (MLB)
Guidry helped the Yankees to World Series titles in 1977 & 1978. He was a four-time All-Star, posted a 1.69 ERA in three World Series and was the 1978 Cy Young Award winner and MLB Player of the Year.

Bobby Mitchell – Cleveland Browns/Washington Redskins (NFL)
Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after an 11-year NFL career that saw him excel as a receiver and kick returner. He scored 91 career touchdowns, earned All-Pro honors five times and made four appearances in the Pro Bowl. He totaled more than 3,000 yards in kick/punt returns and nearly 8,000 receiving yards in his career.

Note: Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse rosters are generally available back to 1950. In many years after 1950, only an alphabetical list is available. The Blue Jay Jersey Countdown is intended to be an enjoyable way to count down to the 2013 season. It is not intended to rank in any way the players who wore a particular number.