Hall of Fame
"Horse" Dabney did not come immediately to this campus from Bloomfield (Iowa) High School. He was recruited and played at Drake University before transferring to the university. At first, he was a fullback and backed up the line. In 1951 he became a starter on the offensive line He earned All-MIAA first team honors in 1951 and again in 1952 helping the Bulldogs win a couple of conference co-championships. He was the recipient of the MIAA Sportsmanship Award in 1952 and served at team captain in 1951 and 1952. Mr. Dabney also competed two seasons on the Bulldog basketball team as a guard and participated one year in track. As a fitting climax to his athletic career, he was awarded the Stickler Cup, presented to a student-athlete who possesses qualities of scholarship, citizenship, leadership and ambition. After graduation in 1953 he served in the Army. Then he was a graduate assistant at the university while working toward a master's degree. He coached football and track and helped with basketball one year at Palmyra, followed by three years at Edina coaching basketball and track. Mr. Dabney decided to go into business but returned to coaching in the mid-1960's when the Knox County school system was organized. He inaugurated football at Knox County and coached track, as well as serving as athletic director and helping with basketball. After several years at Knox County, he resigned to return to private business. He returned to the Knox school system in the mid-1970's and remained on the staff until he stepped down to devote more time to his variety store in Edina.
