| No. 51 | |
 | |
| Date of birth | August 3, 1930 |
|---|---|
| Date of death | December 5, 2007 (age 77) |
| Place of death | Ozona, Texas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Center |
| US college | Southern Methodist University |
| High school | Tyler High School |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1949–1951 | SMU Mustangs |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Richard Guy Hightower (August 3, 1930 – December 5, 2007) was an American football player. He played college football at the center position for the SMU Mustangs from 1949 to 1951. He was a consensus first-team selection on the 1951 College Football All-America Team.[1] He also received All-Southwest Conference honors in both 1950 and 1951.[2]
Hightower was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round (43rd overall pick) of the 1952 NFL draft,[3] but he did not appear in any regular season games in the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Southern Methodist University Hall of Fame in 1982.[2]
Hightower died in 2007 at Ozona, Texas, while on a hunting trip with friends.[4]
- ^ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
- ^ a b "Dick Hightower". SMUMustangs.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ "1952 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ David Smoak. "Former SMU All-American Hightower dies at 77". Smoaky.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.