The Class of 2018 Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame

On Tuesday the 8^th of May, 2018, the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association inducted 6 new members into the Hall of Fame, that was held at AT&T Stadium, which is the site for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, and those six members included two legendary coaches, and four players.

John Robinson former Head Coach of the University of Southern California, Houston Nutt, former Head Coach of both the University of Arkansas and Ole Miss, along with players such as Wallace Triplett from Penn State, the 1948 Classic against SMU, Quentin Coryatt from Texas A&M who was in the 1992 Classic against Florida State, The Oklahoma Sooner Roy Williams who was in the 2002 Classic against Arkansas, and the Heisman Trophy winner, Ricky Williams out of the University of Texas.

Each one of the inductees have a story, each one has a memory or two that they shared, but the common thread among all of them, was that, the Cotton Bowl Committee that welcomes the teams, treat them better than most other Bowls, that would include the Granddaddy of them all the Rose Bowl.

Speaking with the former USC Coach John Robins, he said that “they had the best week that I could have ever imagined. The Rose Bowl, (now don’t quote me on this) they don’t treat you that good. “  Robins went on to say that the friendships that were made then are still there today, and even though they have been friends for all these many years, Robins says, that no one has gotten older.

Houston Nutt, brought two teams to the Cotton Bowl, the Razorbacks of Arkansas when they took on the Oklahoma Sooners, only to lose 10-3, then brought his next team to the Classic, the Ole Miss Rebels who closed out the Ol Dame of the Cotton Bowl Stadium against Texas Tech, then opened up AT&T Stadium against Oklahoma State, we spoke to Coach Nutt, and asked him about the distinction of closing the old one and then opening the new stadium, he said that every time he thought about it he “got chills”.  It brought back memories about the old stadium where he played and coached in games there, then to come to the new AT&T Stadium to bring in the new era of the Cotton Bowl Classic. Nutt goes on to say that the most important thing that he remembered doing for his team is that, he wanted to bring them into the building and let them practice, and in doing so, be in awe of that 60 yard Video Screen that sits above the field. For his players to get it out of their system that they are on the big screen and can see every pore of their face, just to get all of that out of their system before they had to take the field against the OSU Cowboys.

Former Penn State running back Wallace Triplett, from the 1948 Classic, where the Nittany Lions took on the SMU Mustangs, only to lose to the Mustangs on that January day. The House that Doak Built belonged to the defense, as both teams scored only 13 points each to end that classic in a tie. Triplett didn’t make the trip to Arlington, Texas for the induction ceremony, but his daughter and grand daughter represented him, and represent they did well. Both women spoke of Triplett’s humbleness, and that even though he was the first African- Americans ball players to be drafted by the NFL, he was still struck, how the prejudice played around him outside of the world of sports. Triplett’s family said that he barely spoke of his time playing football, both for Penn State as well as for Detroit Lions, where he was picked in the 19^th round of the 1949 Draft. Triplett has a room that is enshrined to him in a town just north of Detroit, that has his ol number 12, as well as his Army Uniform.  Artifacts of a man who loved the game of football, but also knew that after his playing days were over, he needed to be a father and a husband to a family.

The big Linebacker out of Texas A&M, Quentin Coryatt, a man, who after his playing days has a hard time with talking to large crowds of people. You notice this when he is standing in a room, and he starts to have anxiety, there is nothing wrong with this condition, another famous football player had the same symptoms, and he became a recluse to a point, and was able to overcome this, his name is Earl Campbell. Coryatt, made his way for the ceremony, but not during the little one on one sessions with the media. Seeing him though, reminds you of his days when he played for the Indianapolis Colts and the one year for the Dallas Cowboys, considering his accolades of being named All Southwest Conference in 1991 for the Aggies, and a College All American that same year, being named to the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame was just a natural for him.

The Oklahoma Sooner, former Dallas Cowboy, and Cincinnati Bengal, Roy Williams, as he was being asked questions, the one that came up was his fondness memory of his appearance in the Classic, when he went up against Arkansas in 2002. Williams’ response was a little surprising, but then again not really. He spoke of the visit to the Children’s Hospital, and to the Shriners Hospital, seeing the kids, and brightening up their days, but more so, how the kids encouraged him and the players from both sides of the ball. Williams went on to say that the hospitality of the Cotton Bowl staff was “over the top”. Williams remarked about the gifts that were given the players, and being that he was a poor kid growing up, here is all of these gifts, and for the most part, he says he still has them, and when he sees them, reminds him of his time in the New Years Day Classic.

The other Williams that was inducted into the Hall of Fame was the Heisman Trophy Winner for 1998, the running back that broke Tony Dorsett’s College Career Rushing Record, and also finding a way during the season to pay homage to the man that claimed to have built the mystique of the Cotton Bowl, Doak Walker the Heisman Trophy Winner from SMU. Ricky Williams was a one of a kind football player.

Recruited out of San Diego by head coach Mac Brown, the running back was a showcase player for the University of Texas during his playing days. Coach Brown talked Ricky into returning to the 40 Acres in Austin for his Senior year, and in doing so, solidified his foundation in the hearts of Longhorn Fans, and in the writers who voted for him to win not just the Heisman, but also the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award, the Doak Walker Award, just to throw out some hardware for his efforts. Williams says that his Cotton Bowl experience was capped off, when he ran for a touchdown against Southern Mississippi on that January 1^st 1999, cloudy, misty, cold day in Dallas. The touchdown, Ricky says, had to be something special, because he had planned to strike the “Heisman Pose” after he scored. It just so happened, that the run for that TD was a 37 yard scamper and as soon as he hit pay dirt, the pose was struck, the cameras all were there to catch it and make it a scene to remember. What made that run even more special, was the fact that it was 37 yards, and if you think about it, Thirty Seven yards. 37 is the number that Doak Walker wore in his football career at the Hill Top known as SMU. Williams’ jersey number 34 was retired by the University along with Earl Campbell’s number 20, the only two Heisman Trophy winners to represent the University of Texas.

The ceremony was hosted by the voice of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and the voice of the Dallas Cowboys, Brad Sham, His remarks about the class that was being inducted, of how remarkable each player and coach was to the Classic, and how each one of the inductees could have been a showcase all on their own, but in this particular class the six that went in, were a Class all of their Own.

It's just a thought. 

Did the DISD Get it WRONG?

Simple question, and maybe even a more simpler answer!

YES!

Lets face it, the first class of the DISD Athletic Hall of Fame has some pretty heavy members going in.

Ernie Banks (Booker T. Washington High School) Larry Johnson (Skyline) Dave Stallworth (Madison) Davey O’ Brien (Woodrow Wilson) Tim Brown (Woodrow Wilson) Jerry Rhome (Sunset) Chryste Gaines Courtney ( South Oak Cliff )

These are just a few of the names, and as you can tell, like I said, they are heavy weights! HOWEVER! They are missing one! ONE!

There are 10 going in all together in this first class, but the one name that is missing,most likely the greatest track star of all time, and he didn’t even make the first cut!

He ran for Skyline, then he ran for Baylor, then he ran for the USA in the Olympics! In 1992 in Barcelona, he couldn’t compete in his individual races due to food poisoning a couple of weeks prior to the races, but he did come back and ran the 4x400 relay in which he set a world record in his leg of the race and help the team win a Gold Medal.

Then came 1996 the Centennial Olympics that were held in Atlanta, Georgia where Michael Johnson, ran both the 400 and 200 races and won both in World Record Time, and to beat that.. before the 96 Olympics he has secured world championships along the way! HE was THE premier runner during the decade of the 90s!

So aside from being from Skyline High School, and though Larry Johnson was already going in, it made no sense that two football players were going in from the same high school as well. Woodrow Wilson, which by the way, is the ONLY public High School in the Country to produce TWO Heisman Trophy Winners. (there goes my trivia question and answer). But none the less, if The Wildcats can have two go in, why can’t Skyline?

I mean of the track and field division there would be three going into the hall, because Michael Carter from Thomas Jefferson High is going in as a Football Player, but he also was track and field (Shot Put) then of course Chryste Gaines Courtney is going in from SOC as track, so what would have been so terrible if Michael Johnson also went in?

IF, and I do mean IF! Michael Johnson is not in the immediate next class of inductees to the DISD Hall of Fame, there is going to be a very loud THUD at the Administration building!

This is a great honor and all, however, you have to understand why some of us are a bit upset, forget the fact that Michael Johnson was from Skyline, hell even if he went to Pinkston, or Lincoln, or W.T. White, I still would be upset over the slight that this Hall showed him. I am a sports person, I have broadcast sports in the DFW area for almost 20 years, and have done high school sports from East Texas to North Texas and have seen some great athletes come through the area, not just from the DISD, but from Richardson, Plano, Highland Park, Allen, Frisco, and plenty from the Ft Worth ISD as well!

There are deserving players all across the DISD, and I am hoping that the Superintendent and his committee will eventually decide that not only Michael Johnson belongs in this Hall, but maybe some other greats-- E. King Gill from Adamson High School-- also known as the 12th Man of Aggie Land!

What about Doug English from Bryan Adams High School, who played for the University of Texas then later for the Detroit Lions and was an All Pro, how about Abner Hayes who played at Lincoln High School who played for the Dallas, Texans (AFL) and then the Kansas City Chiefs (AFL), Dwight White who went to Madison and was part of the Steel Curtain of the Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowl Champion), what about a couple of stand outs with Golf, like Betty Jameson from Sunset, who created the LPGA, or from W.T. White’s Scott Verplank who is on the PGA tour, and 2007 winner of the Byron Nelson Golf Championship.

These are just a handful of notables from DISD that are deserving, but none more so than Michael Johnson, who holds world records, and Olympic records when he ran.

So the next time you put together a list of people deserving to be in a hall of fame, you would think that they (the committee) will put into nomination some of the names listed above!

Its just a thought!

2017-- 12 Months to Reflect

As the year comes to an end, and another begins, we are reminded of what we have been through and what we are hoping will be a bit better than the last!

For me, its about survival. Plain and simple. I survived 2017.

It started right after the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, where Wisconsin beat Western Michigan, and I had left AT&T Stadium, drove back to the Downtown Dallas Omni Hotel, and, its there, that I didn’t feel well.

Well lets back that up a bit, I hadn’t been feeling well for a bit of time now, and it came to a head on New Years Eve, at the Anatole Hotel. I had gotten on the bus to go back to pick my car up, and my lady, wanted me to go to the hospital, because I was having pain in my chest, and couldn’t catch my breath. Then on top of that, her Mother called in the middle of the night to inform us that my date’s father was dying in Bonham, Texas at the V.A. hospital.

So naturally, she’s upset, and I having to deal with my own situation.

So now we have New Years day, (that’s on a Sunday) and we once again are doing a show from the Downtown Omni, and getting ready for the next day.

I go to the game, and it’s afterwards that I really feel the effects of whats going on inside of me. I go home and I start to cough, and can’t control it, and its not getting worse, and I know what it is, and I make the call to 911, and have an ambulance come and get me. They arrive, and I am outside of my apartment, and the last thing I remember is seeing red and blue lights, they haul me to Baylor Garland, and with in the six minutes it took them to make that trip, I coded (died) in the ambulance. They brought me back, and once in the ER I coded again, but this time, something occurred.

I don’t tell this story much, and when I do, it makes people treat me differently.

The story goes, that in the ER, when I coded, all I saw was black, no bright light, no heavenly music, no follow me towards the light, no lifting my body, or my soul from my body, I did see coming out of the darkness, were two images, as the got closer to me, and I was able to focus on them, it was my parents. Both had died in the 80’s. My father spoke to me, and with his deep baritone voice, informed me that “It wasn’t my time” and I was brought back.

Five stents later in my heart, 18 days in the main hospital and another 12 days in “In-Patient” rehab, I was out and staying with a friend who volunteered to keep me at her house while I recovered. (13 days). I am grateful to her and to all of my friends and family who came to my aide during the first three months of the year.

In June, we are broadcasting the Championship Bowl game for the Champions Indoor Football league, and where the Home Team, Texas Revolution were playing the Omaha Beef in Allen, Texas.

After the game, I had collapsed on the field, and had to be rushed to a hospital where my blood pressure was out of wack!

That started a chain reaction of events, of having a stress test, then Angio-Plasty done and then being informed that I am in need of open heart surgery, and that one of my arteries has closed off so badly that they tell me I have a “Widow Maker” in me.

So on September 11th, of 2017, 9 months and 9 days after the heart attack, they are cutting me open and doing a quadruple-bypass on me, and another 6 days in the hospital, and another 14 days in Rehab, and today, I am out and in Cardio Rehab in Plano.

During this entire ordeal, I have had good friends stand by me, and help me get better, Doc Moorefield J.R. Schumann, Richard Levy, George Scott Allen III, Jerry Tipper, Doug Walsdorf, Pete Puckett, Dr. Jay Capra, my lady, Amanda Rowan, Shelly Dorzinski Amy Anderton, my sister Shelley Wylie, her husband Daniel Wylie, my nephew Andrew. This list is on and on! Suffice to say, there are a ton of people during this past year, that came into my life, and were already there, but became a bigger portion of what I was needing!

Some say that what I have gone through, is a lesson in the fact that G-d is not finished with me on this earth. Some would say, that even though the doctors gave me a 50/50 shot of living, my friends were the ones that informed Doctors and anyone else with in earshot-- I am not a quitter, and that I am a fighter!

I am all of that, I know I am, but at one point I didn’t know how serious I was and that I was on borrowed time.

Now a year later, I am stronger, and I am better-- with in the year of getting healthy, my friends have all gotten better as well. One of my friends, well she needed to find her heart, and did, and now is on the road to which she is in love again! (been a long 12 years for that to happen) so I am grateful that my heart attack, she was able to repair her’s and fall in love again!

In the process of that, the lady in my life, grew to love me more, and tried to protect me, and came to my aide. I am the one that is scared of what life would like with a ready made family! I have had that trip before, and it didn’t end all that well! So I am a little afraid of that and it might be unfair, but it is what it is!

I lost my life, not once but twice, and in doing so, I appreciate the sunlight in the morning and the warmth of the colors at sunset! I enjoy the life that I have, and want to keep it, and maybe give something back. I just don’t know how, and I don’t know what is expected of me.

There are those who say that I gave them their craft, their lively hood, there are some who say that I was the one that gave them a direction to live. There are even some, who tell me, that it is because of me that I am reason they are also still here, that they didn’t give up when they thought they couldn’t go on any more!

To my friends, and family that have stood by me these last 12 months, we have had a trying time. I wish there was more to this story than, I got ill, went to the hospital, got fixed, went to rehab, and fought to get back to normal, only to be set back and have to go back into the hospital for another surgery, and still fighting to get back to being myself.

Thank you all for your support, for your prayers, for your constant vigil of watching over me.

I have faith, and I have family, and I have friends. Those are the three “F”s that I tell those who have had adversity in their lives, and now I have to inform myself, that I have to keep my course!

May the NEW YEAR be a sight brighter to you, and bring you all a fulfillment you had never had before!

Here’s to 2018! AMEN!