Here’s Jeffrey Brinn’s recollection, with focus on Jack Maitland (see accompanying short video)
Feel free to add your own memories via the Comments section below
It was seasonable weather – overcast, but dry and not particularly cold. In those days, for some reason, Williams sat on the west side of Weston Field, which was generally colder than the east side, which had the benefit of the sun. (This has long since been reversed). I was sitting near mid-field about one-half way up in the stands. Myra, my wife to be, was with me and some other class or housemates – I can’t recall who. It was a low scoring game – I think we got the first score – a touchdown and the conversion was good, kicked by our outstanding place-kicker, Mark Vinick ‘69. Amherst answered with a touchdown and conversion and a field goal – I don’t remember which came first. The score continued at 10-7 well into the fourth quarter. The class of ‘68 lost to Amherst each of the three prior years, including a 42 – 8 drubbing on Weston Field, when we were sophomores. This was our last chance. I remembered it as a punt return, but the you-tube video clearly shows that it was a half-back sweep to the left, with Jack Maitland ‘70, wearing number 40, (which I clearly remember) running through and around Lord Jeff (mascot name since changed to something equally dumb or dumber) defenders on his way into the north end-zone. As we were sitting on the west side of the field, we had a perfect view of the side-line run, maybe fifty yards or so. Vinick converted and the game ended shortly thereafter with the Ephmen on top by a score of 14-10. At the final whistle, we all ran out on the field in celebration of our glorious victory.
We could be 0 and 7 before the game, but if we beat the book-thieves, the season was a success. Conversely, a record of 7 and 1 – if the 1 was Amherst, the season was a disappointment.
Post-script: Jackie went on to star for us his last two years and was drafted by the Baltimore Colts of the NFL in May 1970. In the January 1971 Super Bowl, the Colts defeated the Cowboys, if memory serves by a score of 16-13, with Joe Namath correctly predicting the margin of victory as a field goal.
In addition to winning a Super-Bowl ring, Jackie made a solo tackle on the opening kick-off. This Super Bowl is the only one in the fifty-one that have been played where the Game MVP was on the losing team, line-backer Chuck Howley.
When I completed my Williams six-year plan and graduated with the Class of 1970, Jack was one of the two marshals of the class and got to wear a really cool purple renaissance hat.
Jack’s three-year varsity career included many rushing records, since broken, but on November 18, 1967, he was the conquering hero!