The 1943 Bainbridge Naval Training Station Commodores football team represented the United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, Maryland during the 1943 college football season. The team compiled a 7–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 313 to 7, and was ranked No. 17 in the final AP Poll. Joe Maniaci was the team's head coach.^[1]

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Bainbridge ranked 24th among the nation's college and service teams with a rating of 94.7.^[2]

Schedule

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Rankings

Roster

Bainbridge's 1943 roster was loaded with star players from the college and professional ranks. Its backfield included:

• Charlie Justice, halfback, who was later a two-time All-American at North Carolina, played four years in the NFL, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame;
• Bill DeCorrevont, back, later played five years in the NFL;
• Harvey Johnson, fullback who later played five years of professional football and coached the Buffalo Bills;
• Hilliard Cheatham, back out of Auburn; and
• Don Durdan, back out of Oregon State.

Its line included:

• Buster Ramsey, guard, an All-American at William & Mary in 1942 who was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and who also played in the NFL and was named to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team;
• Len Akin guard, played for the Chicago Bears in 1942;
• Red Hickey, end, played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1941 and later coached the San Francisco 49ers;
• Lou Sossamon, who went on to play for the New York Yankees;
• Phil Ragazzo, who played in the NFL from 1938 to 1941;
• Woody Gerber, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1941 and 1942;
• Carl Tomasello, end, played for the New York Giants in 1941;
• Clure Mosher, center, played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1942; and
• Carl Mulleneaux, end, played for the Green Bay Packers in 1942.