Open Announce

Malcolm Long

Malcolm Lee “Squirt” Long was the most celebrated athlete to play for the New Mexico Lobo football team in the 1920s. He was selected to the All-Time Lobo football team in 1930 by the University of New Mexico Alumnus and to the First All-Time Lobo Team in 1946 by the University of New Mexico Alumni Association.

Long was the starting quarterback for four years, 1924-27, and an iron man for playing in every game in his four years of Lobo Football. An excerpt from the 1927 media guide gave some detail of his prowess, “Malcolm Long placed as quarterback and captain. His selection was unanimous by all critics. Long is a heady little field general and probably the best broken field runner in the district. His return of punts this year has been remarkable.”

Long was highly regarded in the Southwest as a true triple threat – a runner, a punter and a passer. He was also an outstanding receiver. He played under all-sports Lobo coach Roy Johnson and gained All-Southwest honors three straight years at UNM. Coach Johnson remembered, “Long was a legend in his time, a master on the field. He gained his nickname. He weighed only 128 pounds and seemed to squirt out of the hands of tacklers.”

Malcolm Long starred with the only unbeaten Lobo team ever in 1927 and was the first Lobo All-America football candidate. He piloted the Lobos to two Southwest Championships, 1924 and 1927. Harold “Red” Grange, the legendary University of Illinois football great, better known as the “Galloping Ghost,” formally presented both the 1924 and 1927 Southwestern Championship trophies to Long, the UNM star quarterback. So impressed with his ability, Grange invited Long to play ball with the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, Long declined as he developed tuberculosis during his senior year at UNM.

Born in Denton, Texas, but reared in Albuquerque, Long is the son of William Henry Long, better known as “Doc” Long, forest pathologist for the Cibola National Forest for whom the Doc Long picnic ground is named.

Malcolm graduated from Albuquerque High and played on both an all-state football and basketball teams. He went to the University of New Mexico and besides playing the star quarterback position, he also lettered in basketball and was selected to play on two All-Southwest teams in 1925-26 and 1926-27.

Long graduated from UNM in 1928 and was called to the war and after returning he owned Long’s Pharmacy and then went into the real estate business. He spent most of his life working for the state and federal government and retired as director of the Motor Vehicle office in Albuquerque.

This is not Long’s first induction into the Hall of Honor. The entire Lobo football team of 1927 was recognized for their undefeated season.