Roy Exum
It was pretty special when the news came out that Pat Tillman, the guy who spurned an NFL career to become an Army Ranger, is on this year’s ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame, but things got even better when I found out Bobby Majors and a bunch of other glorious characters are also on the list.
The Hall of Fame ballot is sometimes overlooked when it is announced in the early spring, but, to me, it’s like Christmas because I have this little brain’s game I play where I pick a dozen favorites off the list of 75 players and then know, deep in my soul, my 12 could beat any other combination by at least 50 points.
Tillman, the Arizona State firebrand who captured the world’s heart when he quit pro football to fight for his country, was killed in Afghanistan in April of 2004 and, in a personal aside, my son was on the next hill over there that night. Andrew would later say that the memorial service held the next day at the Ranger encampment was the most moving he’d ever witnessed.
So of course I’d put Pat on my glitter team, and, as I glanced down this year’s ballot for the rest, I laughed when I saw Bobby Majors’ name because he’s got to be one of the best pure athletes I‘ve ever seen in my life. Bobby still holds a handful of records at Tennessee, where he was a two-time All-American from 1969-71.
Better yet, one particularly sunny day I was playing golf with Bobby, his brother Johnny and Doug Dickey at The Honors Course and, since I was the worst of the group, I was paired with Bobby in the friendly little game. When Bobby shot a 71 on his own ball, hitting a one-iron off three tees, my giggling only added to the misery as we skinned those old guys.
Back to the ballot: Billy Cannon, the 1958 Heisman winner from LSU, is a cinch with two other guys from the South in the backfield, Billy Ray Adams from Ole Miss (1959-61) and the great Auburn fullback, Ed Dyas (1958-60).
For speed I’d have Willie Gault, the Tennessee wide receiver who was so electric from 1979-82, but my three linebackers are also unbeatable; Florida’s Wilbur Marshall (1980-83), Alabama’s Woodrow Lowe (1972-75) and Tennessee’s Paul Naumoff (1964-66).
Jake Scott, the wild safety who secretly raced motorcycles while he was playing at Georgia (1967-68), would head up the secondary with another Georgia guy, the brilliant Scottt Woerner who played for the Bulldogs from 1977 through 1980.
I’d try to figure a way to get Jerry Stovall, the great LSU halfback (1960-62) in there somewhere, but, if I did, I wouldn’t have room for a quarterback and the ballot includes some gems like UCLA’s Troy Aikman (1987-88), Kansas’ Bobby Douglass (1966-68), West Virginia’s Major Harris (1987-88), Purdue’s Mark Hermann (1977-80), Syracuse’s Don McPherson (1984-87) and a pair from Miami – George Mira (1961-63) and Gino Torretta (1989-92).
But you know who I’d take at quarterback? When Steve Bartkowski played at Cal from 1972-74, he was “liquid ice,” brother, and while I’ve read about Baylor’s Don Trull (1961-63) and Oregon’s Bob Berry (1962-64), they were before color TV.
Every player on the ballot, mind you, is an All-American so to say one deserves it more than another is ludicrous. The one guy I’d really push is Billy Cannon because he’s so deserving, not only as an athlete but as a man after the way he’s atoned himself after serving time for all that counterfeit money the Feds dug up in his backyard.
There are so many others I really like. How about the big Notre Dame tight end, Dave Casper (1971-73), or Sam Cunningham, the USC running back (1970-72) who did more for integration in the state of Alabama than George Wallace?
Eric Dickerson, who played at SMU
(1979-82) when the Mustangs were good, ought to be in there and so should the huge Michigan State tackle, Tony Mandarich (1985-88). Art Monk, the Syracuse wide-out (1976-79) is due and so is North Carolina’s fabled linebacker, Lawrence Taylor (1977-80).
Ron Simmons, the awesome Florida State nose guard (1977-80) is on the list but a popular shoo-in will be Deion Sanders, the FSU defensive back (1985-88). I’ll never forget going down to Tallahassee once when Deion was still an unknown and when we talked he had a jillion gold chains around his neck. I asked him, “How many of those things you own?” and his answer was a classic: “All of ‘em!”
Don’t you see, I read the college hall of fame ballot and just get giddy. Wouldn’t you love to sit between Oklahoma State running back Thurman Thomas (1984-87) and Penn State runner Curt Warner (1979-82) and ask those two who was the best they ever saw play the game?
Better yet, how would you like to go out for late-night beers with guys like Jake Scott and Billy Cannon and Lawrence Taylor and “Neon Deion?” Oh my goodness.
royexum@aol.com